Freakin' UV kight

[robv60]

I recently purchased a UV clarifier. My water has been green for about
a month or more now. Hyacintch not really taking off, we are now
getting into 80+ degree weather in GA. My pond gets full sun from about
11AM to about 6PM. Not good, I know. My pond at its fullest is ~1750
gallons. The UV I purchased is rated for 4400 gallons @1000 GPH MAX
flow. Ideal flow rate through the UV being 500-1000 GPH. Now, I have
the flow at around 850 GPH, best estimate. The UV has been running for
48 hours straight into a (temporary)filter made from a five gallon
bucket stuffed with quilt batting. The pond is showing NO signs
whatsoever of clearing. It looks tha same as when I first fired up the
UV. I have not had to rinse my quilt batting out so far. Last week it
rained just about every day, 7 days straight and was of course,
overcast the whole week. The green started showing signs of clearing on
its own after all the rain. I hooked up the UV and 48 hrs
later....nothing. Am I rushing things too much?

[robv60]

Oops, sorry. Its a Turbo twist 6x, 18 watt. Rated for 4400 gallons. Of
course even if it was only capable of doing 2200g, That is still more
than what Im using it for.

[Reel Mckoi]

"robv60" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I recently purchased a UV clarifier. My water has been green for about
> a month or more now. Hyacintch not really taking off, we are now
> getting into 80+ degree weather in GA. My pond gets full sun from about
> 11AM to about 6PM. Not good, ...............
======================
I got the best results from my UV lights (Tetra brand) when used at around
1/2 the max gph they recommended. It took them less than a week to clear
the ponds. Now I depend on plant filtration (to starve the algae) and large
water lilies to shade the water. So far so good.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

2 days? First timers should wait 7 days, or perhaps a
lot longer if you have green soup now. I'd pull the
batting out since it's only going to clog (way too small
-- you said 5-gallon bucket?). And you're sure that the
UV lamp is on...(never look directly at the lamp -- use
a mirror, else you WILL turn to stone). This is presuming
that you are pumping all water through the UV, and not
bypassing. It can take a couple of weeks or more for all
the full effect. When you noice that you've got less
green hairs (goop if you dump it) in your pump basket
(or whatever first-stage filter you have), that's when
it's going good. The water may be clear(er), but until
there's actually less goop collected, it's still not all
the way there.

--
'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`''`'`'`'`'`'`'`' `'`'`''`'`'`'`'`'`'`'
SLOTHEAD

[robv60]

Yeah, UV is defienately working. I checked that twice already, of
course now I have a permanent hole scorched through my skull, but it
wasnt too bad. The batting hasnt even need to be cleaned yet. I pulled
it this afternoon just to see what was up. It had some brown
slimy-looking stuff trapped(dead algae?) and then the rest was just
sort of stained green from the water. It cleaned out fine, I put it
back in. I could crank the flow down some, but then I would only be
circulating a little less than1/3 the pond volume per hour. Would this
be ok?

[Reel Mckoi]

"robv60" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Yeah, UV is defienately working. I checked that twice already, of
> course now I have a permanent hole scorched through my skull, but it
> wasnt too bad. The batting hasnt even need to be cleaned yet. I pulled
> it this afternoon just to see what was up. It had some brown
> slimy-looking stuff trapped(dead algae?) and then the rest was just
> sort of stained green from the water. It cleaned out fine, I put it
> back in. I could crank the flow down some, but then I would only be
> circulating a little less than1/3 the pond volume per hour. Would this
> be ok?
===================
The slower it goes through the UV light the better the kill.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[c-bee1]

> wrote in message
...
> 2 days? First timers should wait 7 days, or perhaps a
> lot longer if you have green soup now. I'd pull the
> batting out since it's only going to clog (way too small
> -- you said 5-gallon bucket?). And you're sure that the
> UV lamp is on...(never look directly at the lamp -- use
> a mirror, else you WILL turn to stone).

Um, mirrors don't really help enough to matter. Never look directly at
the lamp unless you have, like, those amber-colored 'blue-blocker' glasses
on, and then only for a fraction of a second. Better yet, stick a piece of
yellow paper in the beam and look at that.

It doesn't take much long wave UV to screw you up, and it is somewhat
cumulative. In fluorescence microscopy we deal with it all the time. -cmb

[robv60]

i was just concerned about the water flowing too slow. Just seems like
if it were going too slow, it wouldnt turn over the entire volume of
the pond often enough and maybe the algae would grow quicker then the
UV could kill it, you know what Im trying to say? Plus . im a little
concerned that I may be taxing my pump too much. We have a HUGE
waterfall so I am using a 3600GPH pump to raise the water to about 5.5'
of head. I have the waterfall turned off because we are having problems
with leakage and evaporation with the falls on, I mean ALOT of water
loss here. So I have a diverter valve pumping to the uv and no water
coming through the falls, So essentially Im running a 3600GPH pump @
850 GPH. Probably going to burn it up. Ill turn it down a little more
though and see what happens.

[robv60]

I was just reading around on the newsgroup and read something about
needing to turn over the entire water volume through the UV onve every
two hours so that the UV can "stay ahead" of the fast growing algae. Is
this a good recoomendation, because if it is, then I could actually
turn my flow UP a little. !750g / 2 = 875. Im currently flowing at ~
850GPH.

[DeKoi]

"robv60" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> i was just concerned about the water flowing too slow. Just seems like
> if it were going too slow, it wouldnt turn over the entire volume of
> the pond often enough and maybe the algae would grow quicker then the
> UV could kill it, you know what Im trying to say? Plus . im a little
> concerned that I may be taxing my pump too much. We have a HUGE
> waterfall so I am using a 3600GPH pump to raise the water to about 5.5'
> of head. I have the waterfall turned off because we are having problems
> with leakage and evaporation with the falls on, I mean ALOT of water
> loss here. So I have a diverter valve pumping to the uv and no water
> coming through the falls, So essentially Im running a 3600GPH pump @
> 850 GPH. Probably going to burn it up. Ill turn it down a little more
> though and see what happens.
================================
Before burning out a good pump I would buy a cheaper smaller one for your UV
light. Also trying something like tall plants or large water lilies to
shade the water would probably help with the algae problem.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[robv60]

Yeah I had several water lillies in the pond, they were starting to do
real well, until the snapping turtle moved in. They arent doing
anything now. Got rid f the turtle so maybe theyll perk up again. I
have a good bit of hyacinth, alth9ough they really do not seem to be
reproducing much if at all. Also a few water lettuce a couple of
bunches of anacaris(spl?) and some parrots feather. Also some other
underwater plant i cannot remember the name of. Right after I first got
the hyacinth( i ordered 20 baby plants off of ebay) They had grown 7
new plants complete with root system in about a week, no more since.
Went to a local garden center and bought 9 large plants. They have yet
to send off any new shoots. I had added some potash 0-0-22 to the
pond, two days later I had a severe algae bloom. Hyacinth turned
greener, but they really arent doing much.

[DeKoi]

"robv60" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Yeah I had several water lillies in the pond, they were starting to do
> real well, until the snapping turtle moved in. They arent doing
> anything now. Got rid f the turtle so maybe theyll perk up again. I
> have a good bit of hyacinth, alth9ough they really do not seem to be
> reproducing much if at all.

## For some reason my water-hyacinth died over the winter (in the sunroom).
The water lettuce aren't doing well this spring. They should be the size
of saucers by now but they're no bigger than quarters. We also had snappers
before we netted the ponds. Now we have a baby southern red-eared slider
but he can stay. :-) He eats the fish pellets and doesn't damage the
plants.

Also a few water lettuce a couple of
> bunches of anacaris(spl?) and some parrots feather.

## They'll help soak up excess nutrients. Once they get going good my ponds
usually start to clear.

Also some other
> underwater plant i cannot remember the name of. Right after I first got
> the hyacinth( i ordered 20 baby plants off of ebay) They had grown 7
> new plants complete with root system in about a week, no more since.
> Went to a local garden center and bought 9 large plants. They have yet
> to send off any new shoots. I had added some potash 0-0-22 to the
> pond, two days later I had a severe algae bloom. Hyacinth turned
> greener, but they really arent doing much.

## Have your nights warmed up yet? Here in TN our plants don't really go
wild until the nights are in the 60s.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[robv60]

Nights are still a little chilly, it fluctuates. How do you plant your
anacharis?

[Reel Mckoi]

"robv60" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Nights are still a little chilly, it fluctuates. How do you plant your
> anacharis?
===========================
I lay in on top of the gravel in either it's own pot or the pot of some
other plant weighed down with a rock. It quickly roots and stays in place.
Sometimes I just place it around the other plants and it roots itself in.
Sometimes it sinks to the bottom and turns into a huge ball. I have one in
the 800 gallon pond I have to remove. It's taking up too much space.

McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[robv60]

Mine isnt showing any signs of clearing after about 4 1/2 days of
running. I have an 18 watt turbo twist 6x flowing at 850GPH in a 1750
gallon pond that gets full sun for about 6 hours a day. The quilt
batting in the filter has been gunked up with some brownish/gray
muck(dead algae?) the last two days though. So maybe its working, just
not working wellt enough to keep up with the algae's rate of growth.

[Reel Mckoi]

"robv60" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Mine isnt showing any signs of clearing after about 4 1/2 days of
> running. I have an 18 watt turbo twist 6x flowing at 850GPH in a 1750
> gallon pond that gets full sun for about 6 hours a day. The quilt
> batting in the filter has been gunked up with some brownish/gray
> muck(dead algae?) the last two days though. So maybe its working, just
> not working wellt enough to keep up with the algae's rate of growth.
=======================
I'm not sure if this was recommend yet or not - but if you see no changes in
another week you may want to buy test kits for Nitrogen and Phosphorus and
see if you have an unusual amount in your pond. Certain times of the year
our water contains a lot of nitrogen, probably from farms in the area. Any
nitrogen or phos' that enters my ponds and pools would be sucked right up by
the plants.

Right now my fry pools are clearing of "green water" as the fry are eating
regular fish food and no longer need this type of water. I stopped adding
the 10-10-10 last week. Can you imagine - I had to add fertilizer to get
the pea-soup needed by the fry!
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[robv60]

Good suggestion, I did put some small chunks of evergreen fertilizer
spikes in my lily pots just before the snapping turtle decided they
needed to go. Three potted lillies, I put 1, 1/2" sized chunk in each
pot. The pond had started to get a little cloudy and I put a little
0-0-22 in for my hyacinth, the pond was greening up sverely the very
next day and has been green ever since. This has been probably at LEAST
a month ago though.

[Reel Mckoi]

"robv60" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Good suggestion, I did put some small chunks of evergreen fertilizer
> spikes in my lily pots just before the snapping turtle decided they
> needed to go.

$$ I use Jobe's Rose Spikes and have seen no greening up of the water. They
dissolve slowly....

Three potted lillies, I put 1, 1/2" sized chunk in each
> pot. The pond had started to get a little cloudy and I put a little
> 0-0-22 in for my hyacinth, the pond was greening up sverely the very
> next day and has been green ever since. This has been probably at LEAST
> a month ago though.

$$ Let us know what your N-P is....... I don't even buy the test kits
anymore. Also make sure you check the water as it leaves your tap.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[robv60]

How do i test for N-P(&K)? Test kits for that?

[Reel Mckoi]

"robv60" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> How do i test for N-P(&K)? Test kits for that?
================
Ask for the kits that check the amount of nitrates and phosphates in your
water. Make sure you get the kits for freshwater. I'm positive K is not
your problem.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Koitoy]

Rob,

Try to be patient, and I recommend that you do not turn down you pump
any more. A pond over 1000 gallons needs to be turned over at least
once every 2 hours- more if you have a high fish load. What type of
filtration system do you have? I would use the diverter valve and pump
some to the UV and the rest to a filter system until your falls are
fixed. I am assuming your falls are part of your filtration system-
yes? If you are relying on quilt batting only to get the dead algae
then I think you need more. Let us know more about your filter so we
can help you more.

Is this also a fish pond?


--
Koitoy

[robv60]

I have fish in it, only 8, 3" goldfish. In order to filter the dead
algae the UV would produce I set up a temporary filter thats basically
a 5 gallon bucket stuffed with quilt batting, I have not HAD to clean
it out yet. I have cleaned it, but it was still flowing water through
it so....It did have some brownish/gray muck stuck to it, Im assuming
this was dead algae.

[~ janj JJsPond.us]

On 7 Jun 2005 19:38:56 -0700, "robv60" > wrote:

>How do i test for N-P(&K)? Test kits for that?

Usually we don't test for those. We look at Ammonia, Nitrite, pH & KH and
then Nitrate (which, btw, the test kits we use are not sensitive enough to
read in a green pond because algae is using the majority of it up.). ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[robv60]

Would a water change help or hurt?

[Koi-minator]

"robv60" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I have fish in it, only 8, 3" goldfish. In order to filter the dead
> algae the UV would produce I set up a temporary filter thats basically
> a 5 gallon bucket stuffed with quilt batting, I have not HAD to clean
> it out yet. I have cleaned it, but it was still flowing water through
> it so....It did have some brownish/gray muck stuck to it, Im assuming
> this was dead algae.
=========================
When I use quilt batting to help speed a algae bloom the batting is clogged
in a few hours and is almost always green. Do you have a lot of mulm on the
bottom of your pond? Perhaps from an overturned plant pot or leaves from
last fall? Again, N-P may be coming in with your water, when you top up
your pond. We get a report from our water company telling us what these
measurements are (and more). But there are test kits for them.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[~ janj JJsPond.us]

On 9 Jun 2005 18:02:27 -0700, "robv60" > wrote:

>Would a water change help or hurt?

Small water changes are always a good thing. No more than 20%. ~ jan


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[Koitoy]

robv60 Wrote:
> Would a water change help or hurt?

It would help- like Jan said. I think you need more mechanical
filtration and bio-filtration. Do a partial water change- clean any
gunk off the bottom, get or make a filter , be it a bog filter, veggie
filter, skippy filter- you need more filtration, especially with a
turtle. Trust me on this. Then do weekly or bi-weekly partial water
changes. Good luck Rob. Happy ponding.


--
Koitoy

[robv60]

I wouldnt say there is alot of stuff on the bottom of the pond. We
completely cleaned the pond out, drained, washed refilled, the works
around April 20th. I expected to get an algage bloom after doing this,
but I also thought a UV would clear it up faster than this. I did have
a couple of small pots turn over a while back but nothing major. The
tutle is gone, we relocated it last week, no more turtle turds. Ill do
a water change this weekend on both ponds and see if it help any.
Should I add de-chlor' if Im only doing a 10% change?

[Kio-N-Stuff]

"robv60" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I wouldnt say there is alot of stuff on the bottom of the pond. We
> completely cleaned the pond out, drained, washed refilled, the works
> around April 20th. I expected to get an algage bloom after doing this,
> but I also thought a UV would clear it up faster than this. I did have
> a couple of small pots turn over a while back but nothing major. The
> tutle is gone, we relocated it last week, no more turtle turds. Ill do
> a water change this weekend on both ponds and see if it help any.
> Should I add de-chlor' if Im only doing a 10% change?
==========================
I don't, but then we have very little chlorine in our water supply. I also
use a nursery type spray head on my hose to degass the water as it leaves
the hose and sprays across the water. If you're not sure - better to be
safe than sorry, use the dechlorinator.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[RichToyBox]

Some say that the dechlor is not needed for small water changes of 10% or
less, since there is plenty of stuff to neutralize the chlorine fairly
quickly, but I always use dechlor.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html

"robv60" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>I wouldnt say there is alot of stuff on the bottom of the pond. We
> completely cleaned the pond out, drained, washed refilled, the works
> around April 20th. I expected to get an algage bloom after doing this,
> but I also thought a UV would clear it up faster than this. I did have
> a couple of small pots turn over a while back but nothing major. The
> tutle is gone, we relocated it last week, no more turtle turds. Ill do
> a water change this weekend on both ponds and see if it help any.
> Should I add de-chlor' if Im only doing a 10% change?
>

[robv60]

Well, rear pond still isnt clear. Just for the heck of it, I purchased
an identical UV(half as many watts though @ 9 watts) for my front pond.
Just hooked it right up and didnt worry about the "proper
flow-through". Well, needless to say the front pond cleared up
completely in less than 48 hours. This wasnt even ran a simultaneous 48
hours. I had cut it off to clean the quilt batting and forgot to cut it
back on when I left for work. So....I have since put the smaller unit
on my back pond to see if itll do anything. Maybe this will let me know
if I have a bad bulb in the larger unit. We'll see....

[robv60]

Shhot. The 9 watt UV did a little good in the back, still hasnt
completely cleared though. Been hooked up since Saturday evening.

[robv60]

Think im going to need a more powerful unit. The 18 Watter is for sale
with two bulbs.