My water is cloudy (grayish) could this be from salt in the water? Test says
I am idea or safe in all areas. What should I do?

tell us more about your pond. how big, how much water, how many fish, what kind of
filter, which tests?
have you dont a test for hardness?


"FBCS" wrote:

My water is cloudy (grayish) could this be from salt in the water? Test says
I am idea or safe in all areas. What should I do?





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Milky white cloudy is over abundancy of bacteria in the water, commonly
called a bacteria bloom. Most aquarium people see it when they change their
water and add back missing trace minerals. It's bad because the bacteria
will consume large amounts of O2 however most people just wait it out. Once
the trace elements are gone the bacteria will die. You could also clear it
up with a UV filter.

Sam

"FBCS" wrote in message
...
My water is cloudy (grayish) could this be from salt in the water? Test
says
I am idea or safe in all areas. What should I do?

Milky white cloudy is over abundancy of bacteria in the water, commonly
called a bacteria bloom. Most aquarium people see it when they change their
water and add back missing trace minerals. It's bad because the bacteria
will consume large amounts of O2 however most people just wait it out. Once
the trace elements are gone the bacteria will die. You could also clear it
up with a UV filter.

Sam

"FBCS" wrote in message
...
My water is cloudy (grayish) could this be from salt in the water? Test
says
I am idea or safe in all areas. What should I do?

All preform. A water fall into a 250 gal into a puddle into another 250 gal.
Too many fish after reading and learning from this group. I have 2- 5" Koi
(my ponds are already too small) plus approx 10 - 3"- 6" GF. Cyprio
Bioforce 2000 w/UV . Quick Dip Master Strip Test Kit checking this out I
have found it does not check ammonia. I will have to go in the morning for a
test for that. I have well water that is soft. PH is okay. After reading a
magazine article I check salt level and added salt (levels appropriate for
plants) and I do weekly water changes because of the size of the pond. I do
not add chemicals for chlorine (well water).

What I have done*** I thought my old biofilter was too small and not doing a
good job. Water has never been clear. I purchased the Cyprio about 4 weeks
ago and have been cleaning the pads in it's water as directions state.
Hopefully it is just the filter cycling.

I am preparing to go with liner and make a much larger (deeper) pond. I have
been reading here trying to see all that is needed before I make a big $$$
mistake. Hopefully it won't be too late in season to season a new large pond
for my resident fish. How to board them until the new home is ready is the
big question.

Joann
wrote in message
...
tell us more about your pond. how big, how much water, how many fish,
what kind of
filter, which tests?
have you dont a test for hardness?


"FBCS" wrote:

My water is cloudy (grayish) could this be from salt in the water? Test
says
I am idea or safe in all areas. What should I do?





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Thanks Sam

I did a google search after your comments and have learned abit about
bacteria bloom. I have read from dangerous to let it run it's course. As
stated in a previous response I did not think about just changing to a
larger biofilter 4 weeks ago. Maybe it hasn't seasoned yet. Do you think it
would be beneficial to use the products biofilter booster or seed?
Joann
"Sam Hopkins" wrote in message
.. .
Milky white cloudy is over abundancy of bacteria in the water, commonly
called a bacteria bloom. Most aquarium people see it when they change
their
water and add back missing trace minerals. It's bad because the bacteria
will consume large amounts of O2 however most people just wait it out.
Once
the trace elements are gone the bacteria will die. You could also clear it
up with a UV filter.

Sam

"FBCS" wrote in message
...
My water is cloudy (grayish) could this be from salt in the water? Test
says
I am idea or safe in all areas. What should I do?

OK.. dont clean all the pads! there are mechanical filters where the water comes in,
clean those, but dont clean the ones further down the line cause that is where your
biobugs are going to settle down and colonize. you dont need to "seed" the filter
for ponds, the air sweeps the right bacteria into the water, or toss in some dirt.
soft water means you may not have enough hardness, so get some organic dolomitic lime
(try it out in a bucket of water to make sure the pH doesnt go over 8.4 or so). you
need hardness in soft water to prevent pH swings and it is just good for fish and
plants.
think about a veggie filter. they are so easy once they get going. Ingrid

"FBCS" wrote:
All preform. A water fall into a 250 gal into a puddle into another 250 gal.
Too many fish after reading and learning from this group. I have 2- 5" Koi
(my ponds are already too small) plus approx 10 - 3"- 6" GF. Cyprio
Bioforce 2000 w/UV . Quick Dip Master Strip Test Kit checking this out I
have found it does not check ammonia. I will have to go in the morning for a
test for that. I have well water that is soft. PH is okay. After reading a
magazine article I check salt level and added salt (levels appropriate for
plants) and I do weekly water changes because of the size of the pond. I do
not add chemicals for chlorine (well water).

What I have done*** I thought my old biofilter was too small and not doing a
good job. Water has never been clear. I purchased the Cyprio about 4 weeks
ago and have been cleaning the pads in it's water as directions state.
Hopefully it is just the filter cycling.

I am preparing to go with liner and make a much larger (deeper) pond. I have
been reading here trying to see all that is needed before I make a big $$$
mistake. Hopefully it won't be too late in season to season a new large pond
for my resident fish. How to board them until the new home is ready is the
big question.

Joann
wrote in message
...
tell us more about your pond. how big, how much water, how many fish,
what kind of
filter, which tests?
have you dont a test for hardness?


"FBCS" wrote:

My water is cloudy (grayish) could this be from salt in the water? Test
says
I am idea or safe in all areas. What should I do?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Checked levels with a new kit today that checks ammonia at 4pm
Ammonia level at 0ppm
Nitrite level at 0ppm
PH high 8's not quite dark enough for a 9

I know PH is high in the late afternoon and I will check again in the
morning (10 am).

I am going to the MAKC show in Chantilly Va in August I hope to get alot of
information.

wrote in message
...
OK.. dont clean all the pads! there are mechanical filters where the
water comes in,
clean those, but dont clean the ones further down the line cause that is
where your
biobugs are going to settle down and colonize. you dont need to "seed"
the filter
for ponds, the air sweeps the right bacteria into the water, or toss in
some dirt.
soft water means you may not have enough hardness, so get some organic
dolomitic lime
(try it out in a bucket of water to make sure the pH doesnt go over 8.4 or
so). you
need hardness in soft water to prevent pH swings and it is just good for
fish and
plants.
think about a veggie filter. they are so easy once they get going.
Ingrid

"FBCS" wrote:
All preform. A water fall into a 250 gal into a puddle into another 250
gal.
Too many fish after reading and learning from this group. I have 2- 5"
Koi
(my ponds are already too small) plus approx 10 - 3"- 6" GF. Cyprio
Bioforce 2000 w/UV . Quick Dip Master Strip Test Kit checking this out
I
have found it does not check ammonia. I will have to go in the morning
for a
test for that. I have well water that is soft. PH is okay. After reading
a
magazine article I check salt level and added salt (levels appropriate
for
plants) and I do weekly water changes because of the size of the pond. I
do
not add chemicals for chlorine (well water).

What I have done*** I thought my old biofilter was too small and not
doing a
good job. Water has never been clear. I purchased the Cyprio about 4
weeks
ago and have been cleaning the pads in it's water as directions state.
Hopefully it is just the filter cycling.

I am preparing to go with liner and make a much larger (deeper) pond. I
have
been reading here trying to see all that is needed before I make a big
$$$
mistake. Hopefully it won't be too late in season to season a new large
pond
for my resident fish. How to board them until the new home is ready is
the
big question.

Joann
wrote in message
...
tell us more about your pond. how big, how much water, how many fish,
what kind of
filter, which tests?
have you dont a test for hardness?


"FBCS" wrote:

My water is cloudy (grayish) could this be from salt in the water?
Test
says
I am idea or safe in all areas. What should I do?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

wowoow... I am surprised you got naturally soft water and a pH that high. I guess I
dont understand what is happening to your water. naturally soft is usually below 7.0
GF like more hardness in the water and calcium and magnesium create a buffer that
resists changes in pH. big swings of pH are not good for GF.
no.. it is not the pellets for using on the lawn. walmart used to carry organic
dolomitic lime white with flecks of darker material. well water is not always
perfect as is. Ingrid

"FBCS" wrote:

Checked readings at 10am all the same. I guess my PH is staying high I added
a little water. I don't understand how lime (is this the pellets used on
the lawn) will help or why I would want hard water. I thought I was blessed
with well water by not having to add so much chemical and having to be
concerned about clorine.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

It is not the calcium or magnesium that serves to buffer pH.
Carbonates and bicarbonates often associated with these metals are the
"culprits". Soft waters (those with low amounts of calcium and/or
magnesium {carbonates}) with high pH are not all that uncommon from
wells, especially deep wells in the southern U.S. Sodium bicarbonate
is usually the cause.

Benefits from using lime to increase hardness at high pH are
questionable. The problem: lime does not dissolve at high pH, and
thus calcium will not become biologically available.

wrote:

wowoow... I am surprised you got naturally soft water and a pH that high. I guess I
dont understand what is happening to your water. naturally soft is usually below 7.0
GF like more hardness in the water and calcium and magnesium create a buffer that
resists changes in pH. big swings of pH are not good for GF.
no.. it is not the pellets for using on the lawn. walmart used to carry organic
dolomitic lime white with flecks of darker material. well water is not always
perfect as is. Ingrid

"FBCS" wrote:

Checked readings at 10am all the same. I guess my PH is staying high I added
a little water. I don't understand how lime (is this the pellets used on
the lawn) will help or why I would want hard water. I thought I was blessed
with well water by not having to add so much chemical and having to be
concerned about clorine.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

What am I to do to lower the PH or do you think this is natural for my pond
as some on this group state their PH runs high? My pond is fairly small and
in the sun most of the day. The fish don't seem to mind, they are fine. All
the information I am learning has put me in panic. I guess that's where the
statement comes from "ignorance is bliss".
"GD" wrote in message
...
It is not the calcium or magnesium that serves to buffer pH.
Carbonates and bicarbonates often associated with these metals are the
"culprits". Soft waters (those with low amounts of calcium and/or
magnesium {carbonates}) with high pH are not all that uncommon from
wells, especially deep wells in the southern U.S. Sodium bicarbonate
is usually the cause.

Benefits from using lime to increase hardness at high pH are
questionable. The problem: lime does not dissolve at high pH, and
thus calcium will not become biologically available.

wrote:

wowoow... I am surprised you got naturally soft water and a pH that high.
I guess I
dont understand what is happening to your water. naturally soft is
usually below 7.0
GF like more hardness in the water and calcium and magnesium create a
buffer that
resists changes in pH. big swings of pH are not good for GF.
no.. it is not the pellets for using on the lawn. walmart used to carry
organic
dolomitic lime white with flecks of darker material. well water is not
always
perfect as is. Ingrid

"FBCS" wrote:

Checked readings at 10am all the same. I guess my PH is staying high I
added
a little water. I don't understand how lime (is this the pellets used
on
the lawn) will help or why I would want hard water. I thought I was
blessed
with well water by not having to add so much chemical and having to be
concerned about clorine.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

calcium carbonate is what is used to buffer water. that is what is in lime, in
oyster shells, in coral etc. right. when there is high pH lime wont dissolve. but
naturally soft water is not usually high in pH precisely because it is low in calcium
carbonate. in soft acidic water can toss in baking soda and it hits the water and
dissociates into C02 + H2O. Ingrid

GD wrote:

It is not the calcium or magnesium that serves to buffer pH.
lime does not dissolve at high pH, and
thus calcium will not become biologically available.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

how old are your kits? check the pH and hardness of the water out of the tap. rule
of thumb, if fish are happy, do nothing. Ingrid

"FBCS" wrote:
What am I to do to lower the PH or do you think this is natural for my pond
as some on this group state their PH runs high?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Checked readings at 10am all the same. I guess my PH is staying high I added
a little water. I don't understand how lime (is this the pellets used on
the lawn) will help or why I would want hard water. I thought I was blessed
with well water by not having to add so much chemical and having to be
concerned about clorine.
"FBCS" wrote in message
...
Checked levels with a new kit today that checks ammonia at 4pm
Ammonia level at 0ppm
Nitrite level at 0ppm
PH high 8's not quite dark enough for a 9

I know PH is high in the late afternoon and I will check again in the
morning (10 am).

I am going to the MAKC show in Chantilly Va in August I hope to get alot
of
information.

wrote in message
...
OK.. dont clean all the pads! there are mechanical filters where the
water comes in,
clean those, but dont clean the ones further down the line cause that is
where your
biobugs are going to settle down and colonize. you dont need to "seed"
the filter
for ponds, the air sweeps the right bacteria into the water, or toss in
some dirt.
soft water means you may not have enough hardness, so get some organic
dolomitic lime
(try it out in a bucket of water to make sure the pH doesnt go over 8.4
or
so). you
need hardness in soft water to prevent pH swings and it is just good for
fish and
plants.
think about a veggie filter. they are so easy once they get going.
Ingrid

"FBCS" wrote:
All preform. A water fall into a 250 gal into a puddle into another 250
gal.
Too many fish after reading and learning from this group. I have 2- 5"
Koi
(my ponds are already too small) plus approx 10 - 3"- 6" GF. Cyprio
Bioforce 2000 w/UV . Quick Dip Master Strip Test Kit checking this
out
I
have found it does not check ammonia. I will have to go in the morning
for a
test for that. I have well water that is soft. PH is okay. After
reading
a
magazine article I check salt level and added salt (levels appropriate
for
plants) and I do weekly water changes because of the size of the pond.
I
do
not add chemicals for chlorine (well water).

What I have done*** I thought my old biofilter was too small and not
doing a
good job. Water has never been clear. I purchased the Cyprio about 4
weeks
ago and have been cleaning the pads in it's water as directions state.
Hopefully it is just the filter cycling.

I am preparing to go with liner and make a much larger (deeper) pond. I
have
been reading here trying to see all that is needed before I make a big
$$$
mistake. Hopefully it won't be too late in season to season a new large
pond
for my resident fish. How to board them until the new home is ready is
the
big question.

Joann
wrote in message
...
tell us more about your pond. how big, how much water, how many
fish,
what kind of
filter, which tests?
have you dont a test for hardness?


"FBCS" wrote:

My water is cloudy (grayish) could this be from salt in the water?
Test
says
I am idea or safe in all areas. What should I do?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.