being new to the pond world I am looking for help in clearing the water in
the pond at my new house. filters are running, bubbler is working, but pond
is green and murky. I am assuming it is an algae problem as the rocks in
the waterfall are covered with a green slime. There are largish koi in
there that I see occasionally (when I feed them mainly). Please tell me
what I can do that is not chemically based. If all you say is it's in the
archives please tell me how to get there too as I tried once and never did
find them.

Elaine

Hi Elaine,

How about a diagnostic quiz?

Sick Fish or Sick Pond Form (Do not delete questions, answer what you can)

Please describe your problem: In your case, suspended algae/pea soup pond

Pond Size in Gallons? :

Water Source (Well, Irrigation, City?)
If City how is water treated?: =

Time in Operation?
(How old is the pond/water?):

Liner type? (EPDM,PVC,RUBBER,Cement/Concrete etc):

Fish Population?
Type? Size? QTY, Time in Pond:

Food? Type and Frequency of feedings.:

Pump Type, IN/OUT of pond, GPH etc
(Describe your filtration system as well as possible):

Prefilter media type? Last cleaned?:

Filter is BIO or Mechanical? Last cleaned? How?:

Carbon added? How much? When last changed?:

Aeration? Waterfalls? Bubblers?
Venturies?:

Water Temp?

PH?:

KH?:

Ammonia (ppm or mg/l):

Nitrite (ppm or mg/l):

Nitrate (ppm or mg/l):

Water Color, cloudiness, odor?:

Water changes? (% of pond volume and how often):

Additives used (water conditioners etc):

Tests done by self or another?:

Weather (what's it been like lately?):

Medications used?:

What Zone or Country of residence?:

~ jan
See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website


On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 15:52:49 -0400, "elaine" wrote:

being new to the pond world I am looking for help in clearing the water in
the pond at my new house. filters are running, bubbler is working, but pond
is green and murky. I am assuming it is an algae problem as the rocks in
the waterfall are covered with a green slime. There are largish koi in
there that I see occasionally (when I feed them mainly). Please tell me
what I can do that is not chemically based. If all you say is it's in the
archives please tell me how to get there too as I tried once and never did
find them.

Elaine


(Do you know where your water quality is?)

Hi Elaine!

Did the former owner give you any instructions or history of this pond?
Specifically what I'm looking for was the last time it was cleaned.
It may be that you have a nice buildup of sludge down there from fish waste,
plant debris and blown in dust/dirt or runoff from the lawn (if the lawn slopes
into the pond - which lawn fertilizer would contribute to the problem).
I'll post the green water primer here to help you learn about the ways of
algae.

ALGAE PRIMER
~ 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.
The following is a collection of algae suggestions from many rec.ponders:
~ add plants, of any kind, in the pond. Especially underwater plants.
~ or build a veggie filter* see below (one of the best and prettiest way to
clear a pond)
~ Shade is good - provided by lily pads, floating plants or artificial shade
for part of the day.
~ LOW fish stocking (good rule of thumb for recreational ponders is 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
~ clean up dead plant matter and screen for falling leaves in the fall. Clean
out pond once a year.
~ building ponds with bottom drains and skimmers.
~ 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
or read http://www.sfbakc.org/koienews/clayvsclay.html
or some rec.ponders like String Algae Buster
~ water movement and occasional water changes of 10%
~ add a sludge consumer, concentrated bacteria.
some 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.
~ UV lights work on suspended algae (green water)
~ adding a combination mechanical and biological filter to screen gunk, dead
algae and convert fishy ammonia waste for fish health.
~ some rec.ponders like barley straw
http://www.aquabotanic.com/barleyarticle.html
~ patience, more patience, remember to be patient and time

*Plant filter ~ running the pond's water through plants
- as easy as floating water hyacinth in top of a stock tank and planting
watercress in your waterfall (my method ;-)
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 doesn't go anaerobic."
or go he
http://www.iheartmypond.com/Design/D...rs/default.asp



kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message
...



Sick Fish or Sick Pond Form (Do not delete questions, answer what you can)

Please describe your problem:

suspended algae/pea soup pond

Pond Size in Gallons? :

Well asked the SO figures it is 15'x20' and slopes to about 3.5' so about
6000 gals? It was dug with a backhoe and from what I have been able to see
the sides do slope at least for a foot or so, not just drop off

Water Source (Well, Irrigation, City?)

Well water with really fine particulate matter, even 2 filters don't get all
of it out of the house water(we mostly cook with and wash with it, but don't
drink it)

Time in Operation?

He says about 5-6 years, he doesn't remember. He put it in because he
wanted one and the ex liked the idea

Liner type? (EPDM,PVC,RUBBER,Cement/Concrete etc):

black pvc I think will have to check that with him though

Fish Population?
Type? Size? QTY, Time in Pond:

Sorry no Koi don't know why I wrote that originally -brain fart- they are
all GF that started out as feeders just thrown in and are now anywhere from
3" to 6" - probably around 50 but can't see to give an accurate number,
could be counting some twice or missing others - probably been in about 3
years..I love him dearly but SO has THE worst memory _sometimes_

Food? Type and Frequency of feedings.:

Laguna GF/Pond fish food - usually a handful thrown in every couple of days

Pump Type, IN/OUT of pond, GPH etc
(Describe your filtration system as well as possible):

unknown - will have to ask the SO

Prefilter media type? Last cleaned?:

unknown

Filter is BIO or Mechanical? Last cleaned? How?:

This will have to wait for a detailed description as that is HIS baby - I
can describe what I can see and know about - I am assuming it is mechanical
as it is run by the pump, large Rubbermaid container with 10-15 plastic grid
squares with filter batting inbetween(actually the filter "wool" for
furnace filters) It sits on top of the waterfalls and he promisies it will
SOON be built over/around just takes $$ and time neither of which either of
us have in any quantity right now

Carbon added? How much? When last changed?:

NONE - don't think it was ever considered withe size of the pond


Aeration? Waterfalls? Bubblers?

Waterfall that falls approx 3-4' at one end about 2' wide...bubbler that
keeps ice open during winter and various spitters around the edge

Venturies?:

HUH???

Water Temp? PH?: KH?: Ammonia (ppm or mg/l): Nitrite
(ppm or mg/l): Nitrate (ppm or mg/l):

never been tested, guess I'm off the the LPS for a kit, , ah well my
aquarium one was needing restocking anyway

Water Color, cloudiness, odor?:

GREEN, doesn't look cloudy, just green, doesn't smell any worse than the
house water

Water changes? (% of pond volume and how often):

pump stuff will have to check

Additives used (water conditioners etc):

none

Tests done by self or another?:

will be me

Weather (what's it been like lately?):

Damn cold for summer,, never even passed 60f till mid June and have had
nights lately that dropped to as low as 37.5 with frost, although they are
rare, nights are definately cooler now though around 60-65f - calling for
83f today, and I am actually off mmost of the day to enjoy it, gardens here
I come!!!!

Medications used?:
N?A

What Zone or Country of residence?:

Muskoka, Ontario, Canada - 45th Parrallel
Can Z 4a-b, US 3-4

~ jan