We are about to install a large pond in our garden. We don't intend to keep
fish in it, but do want to keep the water clear.

The advice we have received is that we need a UV clarifier to prevent algae
formation but, as there will be no fish, there is no need for a filter to go
with it. The algae will clump together and settle to the bottom.

However, looking here, it seems to suggest that a filter is needed - does
anyone have any experience and if so can you let us know. I don't want to
make an expensive mistake and install the wrong system.

Many thanks in advance.

Harry

Harry Ziman wrote:
We are about to install a large pond in our garden. We don't intend
to keep fish in it, but do want to keep the water clear.

The advice we have received is that we need a UV clarifier to
prevent
algae formation but, as there will be no fish, there is no need for
a
filter to go with it. The algae will clump together and settle to
the
bottom.

However, looking here, it seems to suggest that a filter is
needed -
does anyone have any experience and if so can you let us know. I
don't want to make an expensive mistake and install the wrong
system.

Many thanks in advance.

Maybe try the traditional solution, a couple of bundles of barley
straw, and see if that works before lashing out.

--
Mike.

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote in message
. ..
We are about to install a large pond in our garden. We don't intend to
keep fish in it, but do want to keep the water clear.

The advice we have received is that we need a UV clarifier to prevent
algae formation but, as there will be no fish, there is no need for a
filter to go with it. The algae will clump together and settle to the
bottom.

However, looking here, it seems to suggest that a filter is needed - does
anyone have any experience and if so can you let us know. I don't want to
make an expensive mistake and install the wrong system.

Many thanks in advance.

Harry

Last year i installed a system with UV plus filters in it. It worked very
well, crystal clear water but hassle to clean out the filters.
This spring, after starting it up again, I hadnt got round to putting new
filter sponges in and I knew it would clog those up very quickly, so I
thought I'd leave it running filter-less (essentially just UV-treating the
water) until perhaps some of the algae had been killed. The water is now
crystal clear again, no filters yet.


--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

"Tumbleweed" wrote in message
...

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote in message
. ..
We are about to install a large pond in our garden. We don't intend to
keep fish in it, but do want to keep the water clear.

The advice we have received is that we need a UV clarifier to prevent
algae formation but, as there will be no fish, there is no need for a
filter to go with it. The algae will clump together and settle to the
bottom.

However, looking here, it seems to suggest that a filter is needed - does
anyone have any experience and if so can you let us know. I don't want to
make an expensive mistake and install the wrong system.

Many thanks in advance.

Harry

Last year i installed a system with UV plus filters in it. It worked very
well, crystal clear water but hassle to clean out the filters.
This spring, after starting it up again, I hadnt got round to putting new
filter sponges in and I knew it would clog those up very quickly, so I
thought I'd leave it running filter-less (essentially just UV-treating the
water) until perhaps some of the algae had been killed. The water is now
crystal clear again, no filters yet.


--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com


The UV will help to keep the pond water clear, but it will do absolutely
nothing in ensuring that the water is healthy for fish or the majority of
wildlife to live in.

Alex

"Alex Woodward" wrote in message
...

"Tumbleweed" wrote in message
...

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote in message
. ..
We are about to install a large pond in our garden. We don't intend to
keep fish in it, but do want to keep the water clear.

The advice we have received is that we need a UV clarifier to prevent
algae formation but, as there will be no fish, there is no need for a
filter to go with it. The algae will clump together and settle to the
bottom.

However, looking here, it seems to suggest that a filter is needed -
does anyone have any experience and if so can you let us know. I don't
want to make an expensive mistake and install the wrong system.

Many thanks in advance.

Harry

Last year i installed a system with UV plus filters in it. It worked very
well, crystal clear water but hassle to clean out the filters.
This spring, after starting it up again, I hadnt got round to putting new
filter sponges in and I knew it would clog those up very quickly, so I
thought I'd leave it running filter-less (essentially just UV-treating
the
water) until perhaps some of the algae had been killed. The water is now
crystal clear again, no filters yet.


--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com


The UV will help to keep the pond water clear, but it will do absolutely
nothing in ensuring that the water is healthy for fish or the majority of
wildlife to live in.

Alex


Well luckily my fish cant read so they dont know that, as they bred so well
that a year ago I had to give about 1/2 of them away (25 or so) to a fellow
URG member as it was getting too crowded. That was from maybe 6 or so that I
started with. They seem to coexist well with the frogs (35+ counted when
breeding a few weeks back), and the damsel flies that live in their as well
(ok, their larvae). Plus the pond skaters and water beetles.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

In article , Harry Ziman
wrote:

We are about to install a large pond in our garden. We don't intend to keep
fish in it, but do want to keep the water clear.

The advice we have received is that we need a UV clarifier to prevent algae
formation but, as there will be no fish, there is no need for a filter to go
with it. The algae will clump together and settle to the bottom.

However, looking here, it seems to suggest that a filter is needed - does
anyone have any experience and if so can you let us know. I don't want to
make an expensive mistake and install the wrong system.

Fish are only one cause of dirty water. Other contributors include
wildlife, plants (rotting organic matter), grass clippings, silt, etc.
The first prophylactic measure must be to site the pond in the right
place - preferaably sheltered so that debris doesn't get blown into it
and definitely in partial shade since sunlight is the main catalyst for
the growth of algae. You should also plant some oxygenating plants and
possibly also introduce oxygen to the water by installing a fountain
and/or waterfall to break up the surface.

Then you should install both a UVC and a filtration system (or a
combination unit). And since filters are sited outside the pond, you
must choose between a box-type filter which you will have to hide
somewhere or a pressurised filter which you can mostly bury out of
sight beside the pond. Most filters incorporate both mechanical
filtration (via layers of foam) and biological filtration (a colony of
beneficial bacteria which attacks the harmful bacteria).

Since you are understandably worried about wasting money, you should
take advice from one of the big manufacturers such as Hozelock Cyprio -
http://www.hozelock.com/aquatics/I029.asp?region=ROW - who will give
you a money-back guarantee if their recommended system fails to give
you clear water. I recommend their Helpline - 01844 292002 - and
suggest that you give them a call, armed with the dimensions of your
pond.

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote:

We are about to install a large pond in our garden. We don't intend to keep
fish in it, but do want to keep the water clear.

The advice we have received is that we need a UV clarifier to prevent algae
formation but, as there will be no fish, there is no need for a filter to go
with it. The algae will clump together and settle to the bottom.

However, looking here, it seems to suggest that a filter is needed - does
anyone have any experience and if so can you let us know. I don't want to
make an expensive mistake and install the wrong system.

Many thanks in advance.

Harry

If you put plenty of plants in, and don't have large fish, it should
sort it self out without any need of pumps and filters. I've twice built
ponds which have sucessfully done this. The first was quite small, 2 m
by 1m by 20 cm deep. Pretty much settled within 12 months.

The rather larger pond I now have (8 m by 4 m by 1 m deep) seems to have
stabilised this year for the first time - it's taken about 4 years but
is now packed with weed and crystal clear. To start with, I used quite a
lot of barley straw but so far this year it's looking very good all on
its own - despite have a lot of small bronze rudd, initially added to
keep down mosquitoes.

Earlier this spring, we had ~30 frogs who produce gallons of spawn.
Currently, common and palmate newts are very active. It's a major
attraction for birds and we even had a kingfisher and daubentons bat
last year. Last year also saw something like 8-10 species of dragon and
damsel fly.
--
Larry Stoter

Van I just clarify, we do not want to add any fish to the pond - only
plants.


"Tumbleweed" wrote in message
...

"Alex Woodward" wrote in message
...

"Tumbleweed" wrote in message
...

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote in message
. ..
We are about to install a large pond in our garden. We don't intend to
keep fish in it, but do want to keep the water clear.

The advice we have received is that we need a UV clarifier to prevent
algae formation but, as there will be no fish, there is no need for a
filter to go with it. The algae will clump together and settle to the
bottom.

However, looking here, it seems to suggest that a filter is needed -
does anyone have any experience and if so can you let us know. I don't
want to make an expensive mistake and install the wrong system.

Many thanks in advance.

Harry

Last year i installed a system with UV plus filters in it. It worked
very
well, crystal clear water but hassle to clean out the filters.
This spring, after starting it up again, I hadnt got round to putting
new
filter sponges in and I knew it would clog those up very quickly, so I
thought I'd leave it running filter-less (essentially just UV-treating
the
water) until perhaps some of the algae had been killed. The water is now
crystal clear again, no filters yet.


--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com


The UV will help to keep the pond water clear, but it will do absolutely
nothing in ensuring that the water is healthy for fish or the majority of
wildlife to live in.

Alex


Well luckily my fish cant read so they dont know that, as they bred so
well that a year ago I had to give about 1/2 of them away (25 or so) to a
fellow URG member as it was getting too crowded. That was from maybe 6 or
so that I started with. They seem to coexist well with the frogs (35+
counted when breeding a few weeks back), and the damsel flies that live in
their as well (ok, their larvae). Plus the pond skaters and water beetles.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote in message
...
Van I just clarify, we do not want to add any fish to the pond - only
plants.
Just out of interest why no fish?

I put a powder called Clarity in my pond and a small filter..I have goldfish, newts and several frogs already this year!.......... solaara

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote

We are about to install a large pond in our garden. We don't intend to
keep fish in it, but do want to keep the water clear.

The advice we have received is that we need a UV clarifier to prevent
algae formation but, as there will be no fish, there is no need for a
filter to go with it. The algae will clump together and settle to the
bottom.

However, looking here, it seems to suggest that a filter is needed - does
anyone have any experience and if so can you let us know. I don't want to
make an expensive mistake and install the wrong system.

"Tumbleweed" wrote in message
Last year i installed a system with UV plus filters in it. It worked very
well, crystal clear water but hassle to clean out the filters.
This spring, after starting it up again, I hadnt got round to putting new
filter sponges in and I knew it would clog those up very quickly, so I
thought I'd leave it running filter-less (essentially just UV-treating the
water) until perhaps some of the algae had been killed. The water is now
crystal clear again, no filters yet.

Alex Woodward writes

The UV will help to keep the pond water clear, but it will do absolutely
nothing in ensuring that the water is healthy for fish or the majority of
wildlife to live in.

I don't think its straightforward.

I built my pond about 6 years ago, 44ft x 15-18ft x 3-4-5ft deep, and I
have had no real problems with plenty of fish breeding in it and lots of
wild life. IME the water quality varies with the location, natural
shading and surrounding trees and shrubs, the seasons and the sunlight
and temperature and the availability of nutrients and oxygen, and these
balances change continuously with the weather and as the plants grow and
use more or less. My water is generally clear and I can see fish down
through probably a couple of feet, but it varies enormously.

Although I have a large external filter above the bank (hidden by a
clump of bamboo) there are times when the water is cloudy - when the
algae are growing rapidly due to temperature and sunlight and nutrients.
But a couple of days later and it can be crystal clear. The filter (I
believe) enables bacteria to act on the filtered material. The pump
needs to be strong enough to lift the right volume of water up to the
top of the filter box, which in my case is about 8-10 ft. The filtering
depends on sizing the capacity of the pump v the volume in your pond,
and what you want to keep in it. It should be able to filter the whole
pond's worth every few hours for certain fish, or less so for plants.

Periodically I get blanket weed, and yes the barley straw (it must be
barley) does work - though I think it takes a year or so to build up
full effects. I also have used a pink crystal called 'Pond Balance'
which also works (but is expensive for my size of pond).

Remember your plants will grow, and surprisingly quickly! I removed 5 cu
m from the surface of mine this year, which is a huge amount. All you
can hope to do is 'balance' what is going on over the weeks and months,
I don't think it will ever be static and stay as ideal as you wish. But
that is the fun of it, the variety, for me. Every day is different!
--
David

The message
from Dave contains these words:

Although I have a large external filter above the bank (hidden by a
clump of bamboo) there are times when the water is cloudy - when the
algae are growing rapidly due to temperature and sunlight and nutrients.
But a couple of days later and it can be crystal clear. The filter (I
believe) enables bacteria to act on the filtered material. The pump
needs to be strong enough to lift the right volume of water up to the
top of the filter box, which in my case is about 8-10 ft. The filtering
depends on sizing the capacity of the pump v the volume in your pond,
and what you want to keep in it. It should be able to filter the whole
pond's worth every few hours for certain fish, or less so for plants.

In a typical sand filter the grains are coated by an alga which removes
impurities (nitrates, etc) and noshes bacteria.

The algae you don't want are filtered out mechanically, and die and
decompose, and the by-products of this process are then taken out by the
alga in the sand.

You don't have to prime the filter, the alga in question is naturally
present in the water. It will take about a fortnight for it to be on
song.

Periodically I get blanket weed, and yes the barley straw (it must be
barley) does work - though I think it takes a year or so to build up
full effects. I also have used a pink crystal called 'Pond Balance'
which also works (but is expensive for my size of pond).

Remember your plants will grow, and surprisingly quickly! I removed 5 cu
m from the surface of mine this year, which is a huge amount. All you
can hope to do is 'balance' what is going on over the weeks and months,
I don't think it will ever be static and stay as ideal as you wish. But
that is the fun of it, the variety, for me. Every day is different!

Yup - I was going to suggest barley straw, but I see you have already.
If I were doing it and had room, I'd consider passing the water through
a small reedbed, then the straw, and into a sand filter.

Seriously, whatever the quality of the water which went in, you could
safely drink the water which came out.

If anyone is interested, I'll make a set of instructions and a diagram
and put the result up as an HTML page on the wibble.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

I don't think we want the trouble of looking after them or the delights of
watching them being fished out by birds. If one can just leave them to their
own devices then perhaps we should think again.
"pammyT" wrote in message
...

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote in message
...
Van I just clarify, we do not want to add any fish to the pond - only
plants.
Just out of interest why no fish?

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote in message
...
I don't think we want the trouble of looking after them or the delights of
watching them being fished out by birds. If one can just leave them to
their
own devices then perhaps we should think again.

I have fish in my pond and nothing has ever been hoiked out by birds and
all I have to do is feed them every couple of days in warm weather. Nothing
in winter. Mine have some big lilies to hide under.There is something very
pleasant watching a ginormous carp moving slowly through the water. 'George'
is a 12" long Koi which was given to me last year but some of the bog
standard goldfishes in there are not much smaller than 'George'.

Yup - I was going to suggest barley straw, but I see you have already.
If I were doing it and had room, I'd consider passing the water through
a small reedbed, then the straw, and into a sand filter.

Seriously, whatever the quality of the water which went in, you could
safely drink the water which came out.

If anyone is interested, I'll make a set of instructions and a diagram
and put the result up as an HTML page on the wibble.

I would take you up on this, if no one else will
I have thought vaguely about setting up a reed bed, but I am not
even sure which type of reed to use.

Dave H