hi i'm new to ponds

I have built a new pond 2 wks old and it's gone very green (pea soup like) , I have a biofilter 2200 uv, what do I need to do - do I have to run the filter without the UV for a few weeks for the bateria to build up, uv is presently turned off.
pond is 5ft by 3ft by 2ft deep - no fish yet but have just put in plants.
I would like to add some goldfish soon poss but not sure if I should ge the water clear first.
how do I get the water clear

Welcome lvb!

Congratulations on your pond. Welcome to the addiction that most of us are
willing to admit. Put some photos on a pwp so we can admire it too. Where
are you in the UK? We used to live in Cambridge (a long time ago when I was
studying there).

Your algae is normal. It will not hurt any fish. They will like it and
fertilize it! You can let it run its course as the pond stabilizes.

Have you any vascular plants to compete for the nutrients in the water?
People in the NG can and will give you lots of (good) advice about that
subject!

Since you have an UV light, you can turn it on. It will take a number of
days, but it will kill the pea soup. Try it, you will like it! Some people
see it a cheating or not going 'natural'. Others will suggest that a closed
system pond is not 'natural'.

It sounds as though you have a filter system. Let 'er rip. Have you a
veggie filter (second pond with plants and 10% or more of the surface of the
main pond)? That will help filter stuff. The NG has lots on that as well.

Phyllis and I have both the veggie filters and the UV. The UV helps when
the year starts warming before the plants grow. Once the plants are running
well, we turn it off and the plants take over...they grab nutrients better
than algae. Take a look at our website (link below) to see the layout. The
picture of the right veggie filter shows it in early May when the plants are
small and the UV is on and then in June when they are growing well...and the
UV is off.

From our point of view, kill the algae with UV until you can beat it with
plants.

Enjoy your pond and the NG.

Jim

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See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley
Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at:
www.jogathon.net
______________________________________________
"lvb" wrote in message
s.com...
hi i'm new to ponds

I have built a new pond 2 wks old and it's gone very green (pea soup
like) , I have a biofilter 2200 uv, what do I need to do - do I have
to run the filter without the UV for a few weeks for the bateria to
build up, uv is presently turned off.
pond is 5ft by 3ft by 2ft deep - no fish yet but have just put in
plants.
I would like to add some goldfish soon poss but not sure if I should
ge the water clear first.
how do I get the water clear
--
lvb
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