Green water no mater how I filter it???

[Russell]

Yes it filters to 10 macrons which may filter out some of the bits I’m having issues with

 

[BarbO]

Russell, one thing that I don't think has been mentioned so far, is that the algae that makes the water green is so small that it goes right through any type of filter. A UV light will kill these microscopic algae as the water goes by the UV light. Then the dead algae clumps up and can be filtered out. But no other filter can capture this type of green water algae. I have years of trying to get rid of it myself. Only lots of plants seem to help, as the roots take the food the algae feeds on. Good luck, keep at it and you will have success eventually.

 

[Russell]

Russell, one thing that I don't think has been mentioned so far, is that the algae that makes the water green is so small that it goes right through any type of filter. A UV light will kill these microscopic algae as the water goes by the UV light. Then the dead algae clumps up and can be filtered out. But no other filter can capture this type of green water algae. I have years of trying to get rid of it myself. Only lots of plants seem to help, as the roots take the food the algae feeds on. Good luck, keep at it and you will have success eventually.

Thanks for the reply, what plants do you use???

 

[BarbO]

So far, I have water lilies, parrots feather, some water iris, horsetail rush, some terrestrial plants like vinca (an experiment), and some hornwort that doesn't seem to like our very warm water. Plus a couple more I don't know name of. I see a difference in the green water, it is getting clearer.

 

[LarryM]

Thanks for the response but have a few tubs the same without any fish in and they all have the same colour water!! Tried the pump in a couple of them with no change!! I did mention in an earlier post that the amount of fish wasn’t the issue!!

Any other ideas??

Invest in a suitable filter and pump. If your solar setup can't power a proper sized pump and filter then you are simply trying to do the impossible.

 

[Russell]

Invest in a suitable filter and pump. If your solar setup can't power a proper sized pump and filter then you are simply trying to do the impossible.

Solar power is the only option available atm although I am looking into wind turbines and or perpetual motion electrical supply.

If you know of a suitable 12v pump and filter let me know???

 

[LarryM]

Solar power is the only option available atm although I am looking into wind turbines and or perpetual motion electrical supply.

If you know of a suitable 12v pump and filter let me know???

Don't know of any. Like I said before, I think you're trying to do the impossible. All viable solutions are outside your capabilities given that solar is your only power source. Wish I could help more, but I don't see you solving your problem the way things stand.

 

[poconojoe]

Sounds like you have too many fish and your filtration/pump is inadequate due to lack of electricity.
Adding plants might help since they will thrive on the excess nutrients created by the fish poop. The plants draw the nutrients out which in turn starves the algae. Some plants are better at doing this, but I can't help identify those in particular.
I would try some floating plants since they can also help block some of the sun which also helps the algae grow.
Try some water lettuce, water hyacinths, water spangles, fairy moss, sensitive plant. These all float on the surface and don't need soil or pots.

I hope your larger planned pond will indeed have electricity. Solar is just not going to cut it unless you have big solar panels and many many banks of batteries for storing the electricity.

 

[macktyner]

The books say that if you shade out the algae with shadecloth or floating plants, that it will die. You will still have to filter out the dead algae for awhile. I have had some experience with trying to clear my 30,000 gal swimming pool which has 100 catfish in it. The existing pool pump will take out the algae, but I had to clean the fiber filter every 20 minutes. Not feasible for this old man. So I use the Matala filters with a centrifugal vortex settling system, and I let out the bottom of the filter tank (an old 96 gal. garbage can with an orange traffic cone upside down on the bottom) every morning. Believe me that collects some green at the bottom. The Matalas get visibly gunked up after about 5 days and I take them out and squirt them clean with a hose. I also added hyacinths to the pool, which shades it. They have a lovely purple bloom, and are legal in Fla to possess, but not to transport. The catfish eat a few, but most of them I pull out and compost when they get too thick.

 

[Sisha]

My large pond was a nightmare and looked like pea soup till I made a biofilter out of a brewing keg, the pond is in full sun, crystal since. My small pond has always been crystal clear, it's in the shade and has a solar pump that runs 15 minutes every hour day and night. I use rainwater, don't have tap water. My Mums pond in the shade most of the day is topped with tap water and suffers with string algae. My point is that her tap water is high nutrient and algae loves it. Can you use rainwater for changes and put them in the shade? Algae loves sun and nutrient. Shade with plants is nicer than tarps but either will help. All my previous ponds had no pumps, lots of plants and shade and did real well. Hope this helps with your new pond build and you enjoy the process as I do.

 

[Sparky]

There is nothing in the pond other than the water pump, water, fish and the air stone!!

There are still some particles that are getting through the filter even though there are 8 layers of foam the water must go through.

Am I missing something??

Yes, mechanical filtration does not get rid of green water. UV will but you don’t have power. Before you build your big pond, you need to do some research on some basics of pond keeping. First off, get some water hyacinth and some water lettuce. They will deal with excess nutrients and are floaters. Second, those 2-3 inch fish will be 6-8 inches in no time. Without heavier filtration and plants, your bio load will be out of balance. Not good. That is more important right now than clear water.

 

[Jefina]

Not sure if you have given up or if your problem is solved, but I would recommend water lettuce as a floating plant. It will uptake nutrients, provide shade, and the fish will enjoy occasionally adding it to their diet. A UV light is a really good idea but I think they require a lot more power than your solar can handle. Don’t know much about that though so not sure. I’d love to know more though.