frothy pale green bubbles on surface of pond - how to make it go away!

[sissy]

the biggest two koi aggie and bert were a couple of inches long around 2004 when I got them and i have 2 filter 2 waterfalls and the green tote you see has a submersible pump in it with a dollar store laundry bag full of lava rock .I also use lava rock from my garden center and put in laundry bags the finer ones in the filter with crushed oyster shells from tractor supply and one with activated charcoal that i buy from pet mountain.com .These pics are of the filters and waterfalls .I use quilt batting to pick up all the fine algae or what ever is floating by my pumps .I buy my peroxide at the dollar store also ,cheaper is always better .The fish don't know the difference they just want healthy water

 

[djoliver1]

Ok, I see the filters now. That's great that you've done all that so resourcefully. I like your other water features too, like the turtle etc. I can see I definitely have to get this filter system in place. Thanks for all your suggestions, Sissy. Look forward to talking to you some more after I get further down the road to clean water!

 

[sissy]

I 'm glad you liked it so many don't like lava rock because of it's weight but I have had such great success with it and the bags only cost a little over 3 dollars at the garden center and I soak them in peroxide also to clean them good .I was really impressed by your mountain scene behind your pic .I have not bee to Georgia in 15 years at least .I keep everything as cheap as possible but not enough to ever harm my fish .One of the fish I got from a neighbor awhile ago as there house was foreclosed on .

 

[koiguy1969]

most people dont like lava rock as a submerged media because its tendancy to easily clog with debris (need frequent cleaning), become anaerobic,its weight, it allows channeling thru it, and alge likes to grow off it. altho its very effective for trickle style filters as long as its shaded.
not to say it doesnt work, its just that i wouldnt recommend it for large fish loads, heavy feeding situations.

 

[djoliver1]

thanks for filling me in on the down-side Koiguy.

 

[sissy]

well all i know is I have healthy fish and clear water and don't work very hard to get it .All of my lava rock is in bags so easy to lift out if I have to but back flushing has worked really well .I guess it depends on your preference and you will end up trying several things before you find what works for you .I know I have tried 4 filter medias and so far this works ,so for me thats what is important as I can't afford a high dollar filter or expensive pumps .I'm retired and you look at what saves you money but gets you where you are going and for me it is healthy fish .I saw a great bog on you tube with an elephant next to it and the bog was raised above the pond and the water coming out of the bog ran into the pond from a long waterfall .

 

[koiguy1969]

sissy...I am sorry if i came across as argumentative...I wasnt trying to be...i know how you feel about the no money for the fancy stuff. I am so broke i can barely pay attention. and 30 years ago lava rock was Gods gift to ponding....you use it and like it. thats great.

 

[HARO]

I, too have used lava rock, and it worked very well for my cheap, homemade filter. But my back no longer likes it, so Bio-Balls have become my number one filter medium!
John

 

[djoliver1]

So what are bio-balls, why do you like them, and where does one get them?

 

[j.w]

Why they are the balls of the pre-historic bio-ausouris mammal!

Just kidding:

http://www.aquariumguys.com/bio-balls.html

 

[j.w]

You can find them at pet stores, online on Amazon.com and other sites. You can also use plastic hair curlers, cut up pvc pipe etc. and all kinds of stuff instead of them tho.

 

[koiguy1969]

bio balls....they come in several sizes, but theyre not cheap... just "google" them.

 

[taherrmann4]

Get yourself some strapping material, its fairly cheap and you can get 9000 feet for around $40!

 

[djoliver1]

thanks all. eventually I'll get this sorted out...

 

[pecan]

My pond got the same frothy stuff on the surface of the water a few weeks after I set it up last summer. The pond wasn't dirty, but the little organic matter in the pond and the fact that the pond had not built up a good level of bacteria and the plants weren't established yet caused it. Once the plants grew and the pond got more in balance it went away. It is the organic material breaking down. You will also see it in the mornings sometimes since at night the oxygen levels drop so the gases build up, normally worst just before the sun rises.

I would stay away from UV lights. yes they kill algea (which I don't think is your problem) but UV is good for plants and fish. Also don't use chemicals ever. I also have had problems with high PH which most of our dirt and water in these parts have high ph. I used viniger to lower it, about a 3rd of a gallon every three days all summer last year. This year i am pulling more rocks out and removing the sand stone from the falls and replacing it with slate. I am also installing skippy filters. I think by removing more rocks and adding the filters with good bacteria it should fix the problem. High ph is the least of you worries when it comes to numbers being off. As long as the rest are in line I would continue to work on that natural balance and it should fix the ph.