Hi All!

we finally got a week of sunny weather here, and my pond just got
inundated w/ algae.. Its gotten so murky, you can harldy see more then
12" in.... I think its gonna get worse! what can I do to clear this
up??? (Cheap and safe are the key words here)

We've got pre wedding festivities starting here in just under two
weeks, and I'd like the pond to be semi visible atleast!

Would pleco's help?

Should I go out and get a tonne of duckweed and more water hyancinth?
I've been adding plants slowly, and the pond is in direct sunlight for
80% of the day...... Temperature flux's big time too...

BTW, can I throw my 1" bushy nose cats out there? I have about 16 to
18 feeder goldfish out there (1.5" to 3"), a sunfish, a couple of
Firemouth cichlids, and a couple of Brichardi (Neolamp).... I know, i
know.......

I have tried alot of different methods to get rid of
green-water.......this combo worked within 24hrs.

http://www.pondliner.com/PF1.htm

http://www.pondliner.com/TetraUV.htm

For a special occasion you can use the 95%-100% water change method the day
of the festivities, but you will get the full algae bloom within a couple of
weeks after that. Just be sure to use plenty of dechlor, and add water
slowly to keep from shocking the fish with a temperature difference. You
can also use a polymeric water clarifier (Crystal Clear, ProClear,
Accu-Clear) that will flocculate the algae, making it easier for the filter
to trap it. They are relatively inexpensive, and have the same drawback of
algae bloom later.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"The Madd Hatter" wrote in message
...
Hi All!

we finally got a week of sunny weather here, and my pond just got
inundated w/ algae.. Its gotten so murky, you can harldy see more then
12" in.... I think its gonna get worse! what can I do to clear this
up??? (Cheap and safe are the key words here)

We've got pre wedding festivities starting here in just under two
weeks, and I'd like the pond to be semi visible atleast!

Would pleco's help?

Should I go out and get a tonne of duckweed and more water hyancinth?
I've been adding plants slowly, and the pond is in direct sunlight for
80% of the day...... Temperature flux's big time too...

BTW, can I throw my 1" bushy nose cats out there? I have about 16 to
18 feeder goldfish out there (1.5" to 3"), a sunfish, a couple of
Firemouth cichlids, and a couple of Brichardi (Neolamp).... I know, i
know.......

Both of these seem doable for the short term. What would you suggest
as a natural combatant for the long term? If I cover 80% of the
surface with floaters like duck weed and water hyacinth, and some
lilies, would this gradually reduce the algae levels? I don't have
the budget to do anything expensive like put a UV clarifier etc in.

On Fri, 20 Jun 2003 00:30:02 GMT, "RichToyBox"
wrote:

For a special occasion you can use the 95%-100% water change method the day
of the festivities, but you will get the full algae bloom within a couple of
weeks after that. Just be sure to use plenty of dechlor, and add water
slowly to keep from shocking the fish with a temperature difference. You
can also use a polymeric water clarifier (Crystal Clear, ProClear,
Accu-Clear) that will flocculate the algae, making it easier for the filter
to trap it. They are relatively inexpensive, and have the same drawback of
algae bloom later.

No more fish! Their waste is contributing to the algae bloom.
Shade the pond now. Use old sheets, whatever is around the house. Do a
sloooooooow water change the day before.

good luck!


k30a

Lots of plants. Hyacinths, lettuce, iris are good feeders on the same stuff
that the algae needs. The main cure for algae, IMO is patience.
Unfortunately, most of us really lack in that department, and the quick
fixes work for a day or a week and then it is back. Might as well just wait
it out.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"The Madd Hatter" wrote in message
...
Both of these seem doable for the short term. What would you suggest
as a natural combatant for the long term? If I cover 80% of the
surface with floaters like duck weed and water hyacinth, and some
lilies, would this gradually reduce the algae levels? I don't have
the budget to do anything expensive like put a UV clarifier etc in.

On Fri, 20 Jun 2003 00:30:02 GMT, "RichToyBox"
wrote:

For a special occasion you can use the 95%-100% water change method the
day
of the festivities, but you will get the full algae bloom within a couple
of
weeks after that. Just be sure to use plenty of dechlor, and add water
slowly to keep from shocking the fish with a temperature difference. You
can also use a polymeric water clarifier (Crystal Clear, ProClear,
Accu-Clear) that will flocculate the algae, making it easier for the
filter
to trap it. They are relatively inexpensive, and have the same drawback
of
algae bloom later.

That would be the best solution, I think... With what I'm doing in the
pond, clarity is not really imperative, though it would be nice... I'm
planning to use it as a breeding pond or grow out pond for cichlids,
which don't really show that well anyway... I had originally put the
goldfish in there just to cycle the water, about a month after I
filled it... I had thought I'd be putting fairly large, full grown New
World cichlids in, so I figured the goldfish would just become a meal
at that point... Now I've decided to stick to smaller species... I
have a pair of firemouths in there (i think, since I can't see
them...), and I had put a few neolamprologous brichardi in there that
were wreaking havoc in my tanks by breeding and killing everything
around them,.. I think only two of the 7 survived the drop in
temperature though... I also have a sunfish that I caught at a local
lake, and for some reason tossed in there.... I might just take the
sunfish, and firemouths out and use the pond to grow out my ever
increasing brood of african cichlids in it... I have roughly 250 of
them, ranging from 0.5" to 1", and from 5 species.. I have 5 females
holding right now that will probably saddle me with another 200 all
together, if they carry their normal spawns. I'll put the ones I have
right now outside to grow out, and use the tank space for the ones
that are on thier way.. Most of them are Mbuna from Lake Malawi, which
are primarily algae grazers in the wild.. (Might be part of the
solution here!!)

I think a month or so should be enough to get them all to around 2.5"
to 3" in size...At which point I can cash in to the money train,
retire, and move to New Zealand to raise sheep..... (Lemme just hang
on to that one for a while!)


On Fri, 20 Jun 2003 02:27:33 GMT, "RichToyBox"
wrote:

Lots of plants. Hyacinths, lettuce, iris are good feeders on the same stuff
that the algae needs. The main cure for algae, IMO is patience.
Unfortunately, most of us really lack in that department, and the quick
fixes work for a day or a week and then it is back. Might as well just wait
it out.

For long term-patience is best. I have been lurking on this group for a couple
years. Had my first ever algae bloom a few weeks ago. I have always read on
here that it would clear in time. It was difficult not to do anything and just
look at the murky green water. I went out of town for 3 days this past weekend
and came home to beautiful crystal clear water!! Patience worked! Laura

In the past I have placed a lawn umbrella over the pond for a week or so till
it starts to clear... of course the plants don't like that method very much.

If you want a no-hassle long term natural combatant for algae then
just use barley straw. I added 1/3 bale to my 35'x55'x4' pond and
within 3 weeks crystal clear water with NO string algae and NO other
hassles. Now I can see my thousands of minnows swimming around.
That's what I get for throwing in 9 dozen of them 2 months ago. Our
new wild rescued from the side of the raod turtle has pleanty of food
he can 'see'. Not to mention the thousands of tadpoles.

Rick


The Madd Hatter wrote in message . ..
Both of these seem doable for the short term. What would you suggest
as a natural combatant for the long term? If I cover 80% of the
surface with floaters like duck weed and water hyacinth, and some
lilies, would this gradually reduce the algae levels? I don't have
the budget to do anything expensive like put a UV clarifier etc in.

On Fri, 20 Jun 2003 00:30:02 GMT, "RichToyBox"
wrote:

For a special occasion you can use the 95%-100% water change method the day
of the festivities, but you will get the full algae bloom within a couple of
weeks after that. Just be sure to use plenty of dechlor, and add water
slowly to keep from shocking the fish with a temperature difference. You
can also use a polymeric water clarifier (Crystal Clear, ProClear,
Accu-Clear) that will flocculate the algae, making it easier for the filter
to trap it. They are relatively inexpensive, and have the same drawback of
algae bloom later.

"GrampysGurl" wrote in message
...
In the past I have placed a lawn umbrella over the pond for a week or so
till
it starts to clear... of course the plants don't like that method very
much.

Am I the only demented fool that celebrates when my water turns green? Green
is better then orange.

BV.

"Chester Deja" wrote in message
om...
If you want a no-hassle long term natural combatant for algae then
just use barley straw. I added 1/3 bale to my 35'x55'x4' pond and
within 3 weeks crystal clear water with NO string algae and NO other
hassles. Now I can see my thousands of minnows swimming around.
That's what I get for throwing in 9 dozen of them 2 months ago. Our
new wild rescued from the side of the raod turtle has pleanty of food
he can 'see'. Not to mention the thousands of tadpoles.
snip

Is this the same straw you get in bales at a garden center? I just tossed
some down around my pond to help the grass take root, and to try and keep
the mud in place. I wonder if I should toss some in the pond? Hmm...Bonnie
help...I am going to meddle again...

BV.

BenignVanilla wrote:
"Chester Deja" wrote in message
om...

If you want a no-hassle long term natural combatant for algae then
just use barley straw. I added 1/3 bale to my 35'x55'x4' pond and
within 3 weeks crystal clear water with NO string algae and NO other
hassles. Now I can see my thousands of minnows swimming around.
That's what I get for throwing in 9 dozen of them 2 months ago. Our
new wild rescued from the side of the raod turtle has pleanty of food
he can 'see'. Not to mention the thousands of tadpoles.

snip

Is this the same straw you get in bales at a garden center? I just tossed
some down around my pond to help the grass take root, and to try and keep
the mud in place. I wonder if I should toss some in the pond? Hmm...Bonnie
help...I am going to meddle again...

BV.




You certainly don't need my permission! Have fun, you've
worked hard, have fun puttering or should I say pondering.

--
Bonnie
NJ
http://home.earthlink.net/~maebe43/

BV Am I the only demented fool that celebrates when my water turns green?
Green
is better then orange.

Are by chance Irish? ;-)


k30a

BenignVanilla wrote:
"GrampysGurl" wrote in message
...

In the past I have placed a lawn umbrella over the pond for a week or so

till

it starts to clear... of course the plants don't like that method very

much.

Am I the only demented fool that celebrates when my water turns green? Green
is better then orange.

BV.



Hey BV

you realize you have a money maker there? if your pond isnt green yet
bottle the clay and sell it as an algae preventer
--





John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico

good judgement comes from bad experience, and that comes from bad
judgement

see my pond at:

http://www.fuerjefe.com