Problem keeping pond water clear

[stevemac]

HI,

My pond is one of the free standing ones like this one on ebay:

free standing pond on eBay, also Water Features, Ponds Water Features, Garden Plants, Home Garden (end time 27-Mar-09 12:11:42 GMT)

I have had it a few years now but find it impossible to keep clear.I dont want it drinking water clear but likewise pea soup green is'nt appealing either

I've tried barley straw but within days/weeks the water goes dark green and i cannot see the fish.

After reading another thread on here i tried some watercress a few weeks ago but it has yet to root.

Does anyone have any more tips/advice as to how i can stop it going pea-soupish?

Thanks

[Two_Sheds]

My pond is shaded by my shed, and the water is really clear.
The waterbutts standing in the sun, are green-soupy

[-pat m]

The lady who sorted my pond out said it is all about light! I have mine under a large tree and all id fine except I have to clean the leaves out all the time!

Pat

[selfraising]

I'm afraid mine was like that so I had to buy some algae stuff from the aquatics centre to clear it. I also had loads of blanket weed last year but that was quite therapeutic to take out as it came out like candy floss. The light definitely encourages algae growth.

[Aileen35]

Had the same problem for years finally fixed it. But its not a native plant so dont let it escape. Bung in some pennywort - job done, clear as a bell

[BFG]

Green water is good (In spring at least!). It's be base of the pond food pyramid.

Light and nutrients level are the key factors. If you have both, you'll get algae. Keeping it in shade isn't really the answer, as that'll stop the water warming up and tadpoles won't change into frogs.

You can use lillies and other floating plants to shade some of the water. They die back over winter, so at least the pond can warm up before they cover it.

Other plants help as well by removing the nutrients. Basically, the more plants, the better.

Whatever you do, don't resort to chemicals. They're never a long term solution and could do more harm than good.

[onlinecop]

If your system is new, understand that it takes up to six weeks for bacteria to colonize and actually begin to do their job. Creating a balanced ecosystem doesn’t happen overnight. Like fine wine, ponds mature with age, so don’t be surprised or concerned if aPatience Is A Virtue!
If your system is new, understand that it takes up to six weeks for bacteria to colonize and actually begin to do their job. Creating a balanced ecosystem doesn’t happen overnight. Like fine wine, ponds mature with age, so don’t be surprised or concerned if a new pond begins to grow some algae. Once the plants, fish and bacteria are established, the algae will decrease.

Annual Cycle
Most ponds undergo an algae cycle every year. In colder climates, both plants and bacteria go dormant due to lack of oxygen in the cold water. This creates less competition for nutrients and proves advantageous for algae to grow unchecked. The pond may turn green like pea soup, tea colored, or become full of string algae in late winter or early spring. Once the temperatures warm up, the plants and bacteria will begin to establish themselves once again and your water will begin to clear.

Why Do You Have Algae Problems?
In addition to the normal annual cycle, there are many other reasons for algae problems in your pond. The most common problems are due to over stocking or over feeding. Fish stocking levels should be kept to 1” of adult fish per 20 gallons of water.

Under filtering is another big reason for water clarity and algae problems. If your biological filtration is not sufficient and your water is not circulating at least the volume of your pond every hour, you most likely will see problems with water clarity and string algae.

Runoff and rain may also cloud your water or provide excess nutrients that will cause an imbalance in your ecosystem. This usually results in an algae bloom or tea colored water.

How To Get Your Pond Clean And Clear Again?
Take a look at this table below to assist you finding the best solution for your particular water clarity problem.

new pond begins to grow some algae. Once the plants, fish and bacteria are established, the algae will decrease.

Beneficial Bacteria Water Treatments
Product What it Does What it Fixes
AquaClearer Extreme Dry Contains microbes and enzymes that are effective at reducing sludge, uneaten fish food, fish waste, and excess nutrients. Green Water (Pea Soup)
AquaClearer Extreme Liquid Faster acting than the dry formula. Contains microbes that are effective at reducing ammonia, nitrites and excess nutrients. Green Water (Pea Soup)
AquaClearer Extreme Cold Water Liquid Contains cold water microbes that are effective at accelerating the digestion of organic matter such as leaves, seeds, branches, etc. Excellent at reducing ammonia, nitrites, and excess nutrients. Great for Spring start ups. Green Water (Pea Soup), Tea Colored Water
AquaClearer Extreme Wetland/Pond & Lake Contains a highly concentrated blend of beneficial microbes that are effective at reducing ammonia, nitrites, and excess nutrients. Green Water (Pea Soup)
Ecosystems SAB Extreme Break down and reduce debris in a pond. String Algae


Non-Bacteria Water Treatments
Product What it Does What it Fixes
EcoBlast Breaks down debris in streams and waterfalls String Algae
EcoCarbon Removes odors and any discoloration to the water. Good at removing tea colored water Tea Colored Water
EcoFloc Clumps suspended particles in the water for easy removal by the filtration system. Cloudy Water
EcoFoam Away Removes foam from the water Foamy Water
EcoShade Colors the water dark blue so light doesn’t penetrate through, thus preventing algae growth Green Water (Pea Soup), String Algae
Eco Barley Decomposing barley releases peroxide which reduces algae growth. Green Water (Pea Soup), String Algae
Pondless Waterfall AlgaeBlast Attacks and prevents algae growth in Pondless Waterfall. Not safe for live plants, snails and other invertebrates. Green Water (Pea Soup), String Algae


In a nutshell, here is what is going on while using these products. You use EcoBlast on the stream and waterfalls when the algae are bad. Then it breaks down, changes forms and runs into the pond. Once in the pond, it is looking for something to attach itself to. Before it has to chance, you add the S.A.B Extreme and AquaClearer (be sure to wait 48 hours before adding S.A.B. after adding EcoBlast). This keeps the “bad” bacteria colonies from forming, in turn keeping your water clear. Of course, this is the short version of what is really happening.

[onlinecop]

Ive kept a pond for donkey's years and only had a problem when first started and do a partiall water change every 6 mths

[rana]

At 50 gallons (not much more than a water butt) this is a very small pond, particularly if it has fish. The temperature and nitrate levels will fluctuate so much that the pond will not reach a ballance. Algal blooms will be the ineviatable result.

A small pump and filter could help clear the pond along with shade provided by floating plants such as fairy floating moss (Azolla) which will help absorb excess nutrients.

Expensive chemicals may also work but a partial water change perhaps with rainwater sounds like a better approach.

[MrsC]

My wildlife pond is partially shaded by a tree, was murky green a few weeks ago and now really clear. The tadpoles and frogs seem happy plus all the other wildlife. I tend to leave it alone

[blackkitty]

In the long term you need to get the balance of plants and fish right. I swear by watercress, it keeps both our big fishpond and our small wildlife pond clear. Try to get a variety of plants, we have iris's, marsh marigolds, water mint, water forget me nots and a pinkish celery looking plant (all bought of ebay originally for pennies) as well as water lillies. For a small pond it's worth paying more to get a small sized lily, the cheap supermarket ones are very vigorous and take over. We also only top up our ponds from the water butt, tap water always seems to upset the balance for a few days.

[burnie]

Lots of good advice here,another thing you can add are daphnia,which are available from fish retailers.They feed on the algae and will increase in number,feeding the fish as well.
I would not use chemicals personally ,I never thought the fish would want to swim in a chemical soup,plus it's not organic.
Don't forget,you can compost the blanket weed if it's not been treated.