Murky pond water

I have a pond which has recently (the last week), become quite murky
and I can't see the fish. We had stringy type algae about 2 weeks
ago. I am fairly new to this pond. It has also rained a lot in the
past week. Any help would be great!

Thanks,
John Marta

Hi John, do you think the rain washed stuff into the pond and it is suspended
dirt in there?
Or is it a suspended algae problem?
Do you have a mechanical/bio filter running?
Just a bit more information and we'll have you cleared up in no time!


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

"unspokenchaos" wrote in message
om...
I have a pond which has recently (the last week), become quite murky
and I can't see the fish. We had stringy type algae about 2 weeks
ago. I am fairly new to this pond. It has also rained a lot in the
past week. Any help would be great!

Could you describe the color of the murkiness? If it's brown, it could be
suspended mud. If it's green it's most likely suspended algae.

What kind of filtering are you doing? Describe your pond filter system.

Snooze

The water is green, we use a mechanical pond filtering system. As far
as the size, I would guess somewhere around 1000-1500 gallons. We
have koi. Let me know if you need any other info.

Thanks so much,
John

"Snooze" wrote in message .com...
"unspokenchaos" wrote in message
om...
I have a pond which has recently (the last week), become quite murky
and I can't see the fish. We had stringy type algae about 2 weeks
ago. I am fairly new to this pond. It has also rained a lot in the
past week. Any help would be great!

Could you describe the color of the murkiness? If it's brown, it could be
suspended mud. If it's green it's most likely suspended algae.

What kind of filtering are you doing? Describe your pond filter system.

Snooze

In article ,
unspokenchaos wrote:

The water is green, we use a mechanical pond filtering system. As far
as the size, I would guess somewhere around 1000-1500 gallons. We
have koi. Let me know if you need any other info.

Give a look at this manufactures web site for some info on UV
filtration.

http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/Pond/introduction.asp

They make very good units, especially the:

http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/Pond/pro-add.asp

A UV will clear your pond of green water for good.

jay
Wed May 26, 2004




Thanks so much,
John

"Snooze" wrote in message
.com...
"unspokenchaos" wrote in message
om...
I have a pond which has recently (the last week), become quite murky
and I can't see the fish. We had stringy type algae about 2 weeks
ago. I am fairly new to this pond. It has also rained a lot in the
past week. Any help would be great!

Could you describe the color of the murkiness? If it's brown, it could be
suspended mud. If it's green it's most likely suspended algae.

What kind of filtering are you doing? Describe your pond filter system.

Snooze

"unspokenchaos" wrote in message
om...
The water is green, we use a mechanical pond filtering system. As far
as the size, I would guess somewhere around 1000-1500 gallons. We
have koi. Let me know if you need any other info.

Thanks so much,
John



Green water suggests that you have an algae problem. A mechanical filter
helps remove suspended solids from the water, like dust, bits of left over
fish food, leaves, fish poop.

Most people in this newsgroup deploy multiple filters with different
purposes to maintain water clarity and quality.

1: Mechanical filter to remove the easily removed solids, can be a screen or
filter material, or just a settling chamber.

2: A biological filter, is designed to provide an area where beneficial
bacteria can grow in high density to convert fish the nitrogen compounds in
fish urine, from urea and ammonia to less toxic nitrate and nitrite
compounds. This is often made by using window screening material, bio-balls
or the green scouring pads

3: A vegetable filter. This is simply aquatic plants. Plants are higher
order species are much more efficient at removing nutrients from the water,
compared to algae, so they will starve out algae. Some plants, like water
lilies shade the water and deny the algae the sunlight it needs. If legal in
your state, try and get some water hyacinth, they are extremely efficient at
their job.

4: Ultraviolet filter. This is my personal least favorite method, and I
don't use one. Water from the pump is passed through a chamber that a UV
lamp shining on it. The algae and anything else in the chamber is exposed to
intense UV light, killing it.

Snooze

Is there a special solution I can use to rid of the algae?

Thanks,
John
"Snooze" wrote in message . com...
"unspokenchaos" wrote in message
om...
The water is green, we use a mechanical pond filtering system. As far
as the size, I would guess somewhere around 1000-1500 gallons. We
have koi. Let me know if you need any other info.

Thanks so much,
John



Green water suggests that you have an algae problem. A mechanical filter
helps remove suspended solids from the water, like dust, bits of left over
fish food, leaves, fish poop.

Most people in this newsgroup deploy multiple filters with different
purposes to maintain water clarity and quality.

1: Mechanical filter to remove the easily removed solids, can be a screen or
filter material, or just a settling chamber.

2: A biological filter, is designed to provide an area where beneficial
bacteria can grow in high density to convert fish the nitrogen compounds in
fish urine, from urea and ammonia to less toxic nitrate and nitrite
compounds. This is often made by using window screening material, bio-balls
or the green scouring pads

3: A vegetable filter. This is simply aquatic plants. Plants are higher
order species are much more efficient at removing nutrients from the water,
compared to algae, so they will starve out algae. Some plants, like water
lilies shade the water and deny the algae the sunlight it needs. If legal in
your state, try and get some water hyacinth, they are extremely efficient at
their job.

4: Ultraviolet filter. This is my personal least favorite method, and I
don't use one. Water from the pump is passed through a chamber that a UV
lamp shining on it. The algae and anything else in the chamber is exposed to
intense UV light, killing it.

Snooze

ionica wrote Is there a special solution I can use to rid of the algae?

This looks like a good place for the algae primer.
(which is just a different way of repeating Snooze's excellent advice, but it
does address solutions.)

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 worry about algae that grows on things (substrate algae) this is good
for a pond
~ gently remove string algae
~ build a veggie filter, to run 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.
~ 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, patience and time ;-)



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

"unspokenchaos" wrote in message
om...
Is there a special solution I can use to rid of the algae?
snip

The best mixture is 1 part patience, 1 part beer, where the one part beer
can be any unit of volume you see fit.

BV.

There is some disagreement about where the
beer should be applied... in the pond or in the ponder?


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