Had my worst bought with green water this spring since I don't know
when. Used to get pea soup thick and green and take weeks to clear up.
I've always been on the frugal side so I'd wait it out instead of
springing for a U/V filter.

Things seemed to improve as I switched out bags of lava rock with Matala
filter pads over the past few years but this yea was different. The
thickest, greenest water I've had in years. I use a second pump with a 6
pad pre-filter in the middle of the pond to help take out the algae and
I have to clean it almost daily as it gets clogged and slows.

Then, yesterday, Voila! Pond clears over night. What a welcome sight.
I'm seeing 4 feet to the bottom today.

Our green used to disappear when the green plants really started to grow. Couldn't compete for nutrients. But we don't get the soup now.

I wonder, JB, if that happened with yours.

The slow run of the water really helps. Our veggie filters are 4 x 8 x 1.5 feet and the water cycles through in 45 minutes. The result seems to be pretty good. The roots of the veggies do their thing and virtually no sediment goes back to the pond.

I think the key for us was enough plants and filter time. Algae competes poorly with vasculars. You can see it begin to 'rot' when the plants get going.

On 4/25/2012 8:26 AM, Phyllis and Jim wrote:
Our green used to disappear when the green plants really started to grow. Couldn't compete for nutrients. But we don't get the soup now.

I wonder, JB, if that happened with yours.

Yes, plants in the filter falls and in the pond have really taken off.
That, plus my bacteria colony in the filter pads is probably
re-established after the cleaning. Whatever, all is well for the present.