I've just built a new backyard pond and after about a week the water
suddenly turned murky green. From what I've gathered from reading some
of the posts here I guess the problem is single cell susspended algae.
Before I start putting plants and fish into the pond, can anyone steer
me in the right direction for a solution. I'm in the Los Angeles area
and the pond is in full sun...and it's been hot! Thanks to all from a
newbie.


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Hello Anonymous,

Here is the *big* primer on algae.
Quizzes will be administered every other
Friday ;-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


This is a collection of tips offered by readers of rec.ponds
To achieve clear water, instead of pea soup green water, in your pond you
should:

~ Know that excessive algae means too many nutrients in the water.
Nutrients for algae are sun, new water, fish poo, fish food, decaying plants,
fertilizers and blown in dirt.

~ Learn as much as you can about the natural balance of a pond and realizing
that new ponds must go through
a growth period which usually means green water before balance occurs

~ Realize that algae is tough! It exists in extreme conditions, like ice, just
fine. It has many, many different
forms. It even has a home page! http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany/projects/algae/
And, finally, without algae we wouldn't
be here so we should treat it with a little respect ;-) ..... up to a point.

.. ~ Mother Nature designs ponds to have few fish, many plants and subtraction
and addition of new water from time to time.
She lets the fish find food on their own, lets the fish fertilize the plants,
encourages predators and lets the plants run rampant.
She never cleans her ponds out unless she sends a flood. If things really get
out of control she throws up her hands and lets the chips fall where they may -
lets the pond fill in, turn emerald green, flood it out, earthquakes,
hurricanes, record snowfall, elections too close to call - whatever...

~We pondkeepers stuff in lots of pretty fish, spoil them rotten with tasty fish
chow, over fertilize our plants and do everything possible to discourage
predators.

~Plan on 20 gallons of water per goldfish and 100 gallons of water per koi and
as many plants as you can stuff in.

~ Do not use chemicals, killing algae just makes lots of suddenly dead algae,
rotting algae robs the pond of oxygen and makes more stuff for the new algae to
feed on (unless you have a bottom drain to get it out).

~ Do not worry about green fuzzy algae on the side of the pond, that is good
algae and helps balance your pond.

~ Ignore a little string algae.

~ Install bottom drains and skimmers for ease of removing sludge and debris.

~ Net the pond during the fall to keep leaves out of the pond.

~ Trim dead growth from the plants and removing floating tropicals if you live
in colder climates.

~ Lower your fish stocking, not over feeding fish - algae loves fish waste
(lots of yummy phosphorous)

~ Add lots plants of any type, marginal plants such as reeds, cattails, iris,
pickerel weed, arrowhead, floaters such as water hyacinth, water lettuce and
lots of underwater plants such as anacharis uses the nutrients up that the
algae would like.

~ Shade - lilies, the floaters (water hyacinth and water lettuce) and
artificial shade - shade cloth, umbrella, arch or trellis planted with vines,
No sun for the algae.

~ Clean up debris from the bottom of the pond and
stock snails to chew up the debris - less decaying stuff for algae food.

~ Cut back or stop fertilizing plants - same principle.

~ Plant in fine gravel and top with larger rocks if you have koi.

~ Mechanical filtration of the fish waste - usually a settling chamber in your
filter, or the first row of brushs, filter media.

~ Biological filtration - more than you think you need as your fish are going
to grow and you will probably add more fish to your pond via purchase or your
fish breeding in the pond. (This does not help with the algae problem but
contributes to the overall health of your fish and any critters.

~ Construct a veggie filter - an area, 10% to 20%, of the size of your pond
surface area. A couple of inches deeper than the plant baskets (the rigid black
mesh baskets made specifically for water plants) you are going to use to plant
in. Plant the baskets with marginal plants with fine gravel. Pump the pond
water through at a turnover rate per hour 1/2 to 1/4 of the pond volume. Veggie
filter uses up many of the nutrients and provides a good place for bacteria to
grow. Build it with a bottom drain (or two) for ease of cleaning - very
important or you'll end up with backups and leaking over the edge. Go here to
read a great description about how to build one
http://hometown.aol.com/k30a/myhomepage/garden.html
or
A veggie filter can be as simple as floating water hyacinth at the top of your
stock tank filter. Mine get to be almost three feet tall with leaves as big as
my hand.

~ Purchase sludge eating product - concentrated bacteria culture.

~ Some folks love their UV sterilizer. Does cost some $. And you have to change
the bulb every year.

~ Add a bale of barley straw to your pond for string algae. Read this webpage
http://hometown.aol.com/rosiedawg/my...ollection.html

~Phosphate Remover - It comes in a large clear container (maybe about gallon
sized) but it's also available in a smaller quart sized carton. It's usually
near the aquatic plant fertilizers and different chemicals available such as
ammonia remover and such.
You measure out the amount suitable for your pond size, place it in a mesh
bag, and first soak it in a pail before you put it in your filter. You need to
soak it because it gives off heat when it first gets wet.

~ Make sacrifices to the Pond Goddess.
Run to your nearest garden center and buy a gazing ball,
a dragonfly garden stake and bullfrog spitter.
Place around your pond and ask humbly for clear water.

~ Patience, patience and eternal optimism.



k30a
and the watergardening labradors
http://www.geocities.com/watergarden...dors/home.html

Lets See, standard answer, put in lots of plants and wait for the pond to
cycle, yes that sucks, but that is what we are suppose to do. Now you can
do a large water change, but it will be green again soon, so don't. You can
treat with chemicals, but everyone here including me will tell you not to do
that, what I and some others do is to buy a uv filter and eliminate your
problem permanently. A couple questions for ya, how big is the pond, what
kind of filteration are ya using, how big is your pump if ya have one, I
will admit it is a little unusual for a pond to go green with nothing in it,
but it happens. Welcome aboard, don't feel alone we all been there......why
couldn't algae at least be a pretty purple or pink or some other color
besides green!!!!



"Anonymous" Nobody wrote in message
...
I've just built a new backyard pond and after about a week the water
suddenly turned murky green. From what I've gathered from reading some
of the posts here I guess the problem is single cell susspended algae.
Before I start putting plants and fish into the pond, can anyone steer
me in the right direction for a solution. I'm in the Los Angeles area
and the pond is in full sun...and it's been hot! Thanks to all from a
newbie.


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What is wrong with green? I like green. ;-)




claude rogers wrote:
Lets See, standard answer, put in lots of plants and wait for the pond to
cycle, yes that sucks, but that is what we are suppose to do. Now you can
do a large water change, but it will be green again soon, so don't. You can
treat with chemicals, but everyone here including me will tell you not to do
that, what I and some others do is to buy a uv filter and eliminate your
problem permanently. A couple questions for ya, how big is the pond, what
kind of filteration are ya using, how big is your pump if ya have one, I
will admit it is a little unusual for a pond to go green with nothing in it,
but it happens. Welcome aboard, don't feel alone we all been there......why
couldn't algae at least be a pretty purple or pink or some other color
besides green!!!!



"Anonymous" Nobody wrote in message
...

I've just built a new backyard pond and after about a week the water
suddenly turned murky green. From what I've gathered from reading some
of the posts here I guess the problem is single cell susspended algae.
Before I start putting plants and fish into the pond, can anyone steer
me in the right direction for a solution. I'm in the Los Angeles area
and the pond is in full sun...and it's been hot! Thanks to all from a
newbie.


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News==----

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Newsgroups

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"claude rogers" wrote in message

Welcome aboard, don't feel alone we all been there......why
couldn't algae at least be a pretty purple or pink or some other color
besides green!!!!


My pond started it's life with RED algae and it was not pretty,
besides no one knew what to do for it, so be happy with GREEN, at
least that we're all familiar with.

My RED algae picture is in 'Rippling Waters Construction' album, see
below

Sue W

View my pond photo album 'Rippling Waters' at
http://community.webshots.com/user/aspenjd