Floating Algae returns..

[CharlotteSC]

Hi everyone, it's me again. I realize it is early and my biofilter hasnt cycled. I am heading into year 3 with bad pond water. Thinking of everything I was told last year, trying to get a head start this year. Pond is about 800-900 gallons, a few goldfish that I havent gotten to feed in 2 years. I made a couple of mistakes that I have tried to rectify. I put my small skimmer back in the pond, I kept the filtoclear filter/UV light (I know its about useless but the UV did prevent green water), I added my atlantic filtofalls back into the system (it has a large mesh laundry bag full of filter media stuff- and a mesh screen bag with oyster shells). I have a few plants in it (its ugly) plants are just breaking dormancy. Thinking back on Meyers advice last year. I had used a different rock in some of my lily pots. So I took those out and just used garden soil.

My major problem was year was the floating algae that appear every afternoon. Yea , you can spray it down but a hour later it is back.

Also, my KH was low all summer long. Someone suggested driveway melt which I had a heck of a time finding in July - but I did. I've kept oyster shells in the pond all winter - I noticed they had shrunk so I added a fresh amount about 2 weeks ago. I have a shade cover over part of it right now to protect the fish from hawks. I dont want to leave that on there all summer.

I know I need more plants (can not buy water hyacinths in SC) believe me I have tried and they don't overwinter in the upstate. I have added back more lilies - they are just waking up. I have not fertilized them. Pond is in full afternoon sun - always has been.

Other than drastically bumping up my plants. I just dont know what to do about my low KH problem. It causes the ph to swing once summer gets underway.

Used pond vac a couple of months ago - no sludge on bottom.

Tap water KH 0 GH 8 drops ph 7.0 - I havent added any tap water in 2 months.

Pond water this afternoon- KH 4 drops GH 8 drops ph 8.5+ everything else ok.



Any advice is appreciated - I need to get ahead of this.
Charlotte

 

[MitchM]

Yes, low KH is a problem, but driveway melt would be either calcium chloride or magnesium chloride, which will only affect your GH.
In order to raise KH, to need to add sodium bicarbonate, better known as baking soda.

 

[CharlotteSC]

Ok thanks, some of that is coming back to me. I had both GH and KH very low last year. Thats probably why they told me to use the driveway melt. No problem adding baking soda I have used it years ago in the pool. Since my tap water (and if I remember right rain water too) is so very low on KH. And idea how much buffering agent I would need ongoing? I'm thinking plaster of paris or oyster shell.

 

[cas]

Doesn't your skimmer remove the floating algae? Mine pulls all the loose algae into the skimmer where I can clean it from the filters.

 

[CharlotteSC]

I have a skimmer (in pond-didnt know what i was doing in the beginning), it will pull in some of the floating stuff. I have a pondmaster pondmag 9.5 pump - just changed the impeller yesterday. I dont know if the flow will be strong enough... I put it back in the pond last year but things were too far out of control.

 

[MitchM]

You can raise the KH by 20ppm/day, so for an 850 gallon pond, I would add about 15 tsp/day.
Check the KH 24 hours after adding before adding more.
Aim for at least 6 drops using the API test kit.
Here is a calculator to help you out if you like:
http://www.koiphen.com/forums/koicalcs.php?do=calckh

The oyster shells help, but they are slow to dissolve.

 

[MitchM]

Can you tell us what the ingredients are of the driveway melt are?
It should say on the package somewhere.

 

[CharlotteSC]

You can raise the KH by 20ppm/day, so for an 850 gallon pond, I would add about 15 tsp/day.
Check the KH 24 hours after adding before adding more.
Aim for at least 6 drops using the API test kit.
Here is a calculator to help you out if you like:
http://www.koiphen.com/forums/koicalcs.php?do=calckh

The oyster shells help, but they are slow to dissolve.

Thank you

 

[MitchM]

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

Just wondering what the reason for changing to garden soil in your lily pots was? Could it be the extra nutrients from the regular garden soil is causing the algae bloom?

 

[adavisus]

Assuming the algae is rising from smooth surfaces when it becomes more buoyant with photosynthesis, introducing hornwort in those areas will stop it rising and help bump it off. It exudes stuff which suppresses algae

 

[Dave 54]

Ok thanks, some of that is coming back to me. I had both GH and KH very low last year. Thats probably why they told me to use the driveway melt. No problem adding baking soda I have used it years ago in the pool. Since my tap water (and if I remember right rain water too) is so very low on KH. And idea how much buffering agent I would need ongoing? I'm thinking plaster of paris or oyster shell.

I see you have an Oase 15,000 could you tell me please when was the last time you changed the UVC bulb in the head of the filter , that should help you some plus giving the pond a vac every now and again late spring , mid summer and late autumn
As for your KH we use a product called Lythaqua by Kusuri , it is a calcified seaweed .

Dave 54

 

[CharlotteSC]

I've only had that UV bulb about a year and I would not have thought that would help this type of floating algea? The water itself is clear.

 

[CharlotteSC]

Yes, I have cleaned the bottom of the pond well.

 

[CharlotteSC]

Just wondering what the reason for changing to garden soil in your lily pots was? Could it be the extra nutrients from the regular garden soil is causing the algae bloom?

I went back to the garden soil because I had used that for years past with good results. I had switched to a type of pebble that I suspect was part of the cause of my KH problems.