Well it happened..a few nice days of crystal clear water .... and
bam.... now i have a lovely algae bloom. I would like to get rid of
it some how -- so it looks like a "clean" pond but yet I'd also like
to make sure it's an ecosystem (balanced!!) so I'm hesitant to put in
a UV sterilizer to kill away all algae. My nitrate/nitrite levels are
low (0.1 mg/mL nitrite // under 5 mg/L nitrate); KH is about 50 ppm;
ammonia levels are well under 0.6 mg/L; and lastly, but what could be
the problem, my pH skyrocketed from last week being nearly 8.5 pushing
almost close to nine. I am currently lowering my pH to about 6.6 but
as you all probably know I have to do this 0.5 per day so I don't
stress my fish out (I only have two koi).

Should lowering my pH help out or what else can I do so i have clear
but natural water??? (natural meaning a healthy amount of algae not a
green mess!)


Thank you all... this google group thing is probably the best
invention anyone has come up with :-) take care!!


~ Greg

Hi Greg,

I have a primer on green water that addresses some of your questions.


Algae fighting tips
~ Nutrients for all forms of algae are sun, new water, fish waste, fertilized
run off, rotting plants, blown in dirt.
~ New ponds and spring ponds need time for plants to get established, algae is
quicker at getting going.
~ add plants, of any kind, in the pond. Especially underwater plants.
~ Shade is good - provided by lily pads, floating plants or artificial shade
for part of the day.
~ LOW fish stocking (20 gallons per goldfish, 100 per koi after starting with
1,000 gallons) and *not* overfeeding the fish. Too many fish and too much
feeding is probably responsible for most pea soup water, followed closely by
too much decaying plant matter, sludge and overall gunk in the water
~ adding a combination mechanical and biological filter to screen gunk and
convert fishy ammonia waste for fish health.
~ do not use algaecides, they only make lots of suddenly dead algae
and that will feed the next algae bloom.
~ do not use products to dye to the water...
~ do not worry about algae that grows on things (substrate algae) this is good
for a pond
~ gently remove string algae
~ build a veggie filter* see below
~ clean up dead plant matter and screen for falling leaves
in the fall. Clean out pond once a year.
~ water movement, occasional water changes of 10%
~ add a sludge consumer, concentrated bacteria.
many rec.ponders use http://www.united-tech.com/m-aq4u-toc.html
~ Check your pH, too high, over 8.8, or too low, under 6.4, and most higher
plant forms can't take up the nutrients.
~ building ponds with bottom drains and skimmers.
~ UV lights work on suspended algae (green water) - does cost some $$.
~ patience and time ;-)

Veggie filter info: to run the pond's water through plants
- as easy as floating water hyacinth in your filter or
Ingrid's post on plant filters:
The essence of a plant filter is a water proof container with the water from
the pond
being pumped in one end flowing thru the roots of various plants and flowing
back
into the pond at the other end.
It needs to be long enough that solids settle to the bottom OR have filter
material
that will slow or hold the solids (and get rinsed out periodically).
It needs plants of different kinds to maximize removal of all wastes.
it needs sufficient amount of plants to remove in one day all the wastes
produced by
the fish load in one day. It needs plants with extensive roots and/or plants
that get big so they used up more
nutrients. It needs to be only 8-12" deep so it doesnt go anaerobic.
or go he
http://www.iheartmypond.com/Design/D...rs/default.asp



kathy :-)
A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A

In article , Greg
Costanzo wrote:

Well it happened..a few nice days of crystal clear water .... and
bam.... now i have a lovely algae bloom. I would like to get rid of
it some how -- so it looks like a "clean" pond but yet I'd also like
to make sure it's an ecosystem (balanced!!) so I'm hesitant to put in
a UV sterilizer to kill away all algae. My nitrate/nitrite levels are
low (0.1 mg/mL nitrite // under 5 mg/L nitrate); KH is about 50 ppm;
ammonia levels are well under 0.6 mg/L;

This is poor water for koi. There should be NO ammonia or nitrite for
koi. Your Alkalinity is too low, add some baking soda... your pH
stability is close to being in real peril.

Do you have a well established biological filter ?


and lastly, but what could be
the problem, my pH skyrocketed from last week being nearly 8.5 pushing
almost close to nine. I am currently lowering my pH to about 6.6 but
as you all probably know I have to do this 0.5 per day so I don't
stress my fish out (I only have two koi).

There is a considerable difference between 8.5 and 9. Don't worry
about this unless you can't lower the ammonia, then you need to lower
the pH to save the fish a lot of stress... maybe worse.

Increase and stabilize your alkalinity!



Should lowering my pH help

Green water is more predominant in higher pH, get a UV and see and
enjoy you koi and pond... but not exclusive to getting a sufficient
biological filter... you don't have that now.

jay
Thu Jun 10, 2004



out or what else can I do so i have clear
but natural water??? (natural meaning a healthy amount of algae not a
green mess!)


Thank you all... this google group thing is probably the best
invention anyone has come up with :-) take care!!


~ Greg

Treat the ammonia with an Amquell or Chlor-AmX product, the nitrite with
some salt, then bring up your buffer/KH with baking soda. Decreasing pH
using an acide decreases the buffer, so you end up playing a balancing act.
I think getting it to 6.6 is not a realistic goal. Now 8.4 with buffer at
100-150 is realistic.

High pH, above 8.5 is very likely why you're having an algae bloom. Higher
plant forms can not take up the nutrients like some variety of algae can
(and there is always a variety of algae that can survive what ever
condition water is in) when pH is above 8.4. It gets more difficult for
higher plant forms at 8.0 and harder as it goes up to darn near impossible
once over 8.5. Similar with pH is low 6.5 and under. ~ jan

On 10 Jun 2004 18:44:29 -0700, (Greg Costanzo) wrote:

Well it happened..a few nice days of crystal clear water .... and
bam.... now i have a lovely algae bloom. I would like to get rid of
it some how -- so it looks like a "clean" pond but yet I'd also like
to make sure it's an ecosystem (balanced!!) so I'm hesitant to put in
a UV sterilizer to kill away all algae. My nitrate/nitrite levels are
low (0.1 mg/mL nitrite // under 5 mg/L nitrate); KH is about 50 ppm;
ammonia levels are well under 0.6 mg/L; and lastly, but what could be
the problem, my pH skyrocketed from last week being nearly 8.5 pushing
almost close to nine. I am currently lowering my pH to about 6.6 but
as you all probably know I have to do this 0.5 per day so I don't
stress my fish out (I only have two koi).

Should lowering my pH help out or what else can I do so i have clear
but natural water??? (natural meaning a healthy amount of algae not a
green mess!)


Thank you all... this google group thing is probably the best
invention anyone has come up with :-) take care!!


~ Greg

(Do you know where your water quality is?)

the lowest reading for ammonia and nitrite/nitrate were those levels
however my test showed no reaction so i just figured it was the lowest
on my results .... i suppose i should have considered the fact that i
don't have any ammonia or nitrate/nitrite