Green water :(

[Priscilla]

I would consider my pond successful up until now. My UV light went out and I have pea soup! Can't see my fishes.

Why would my pond go so green?

I didn't have any fish dying with the UV light on, so I BELIEVE my pond is 'balanced'/working right/not killing fish/not testing positive for ammonia (whatever word you want to use here). I know one reason for the water to go green is because the algae is using up the ammonia - BUT I don't THINK I have an ammonia problem. If I did it would have registered when my UV light was working.

Do you think its just the heat and sun?

Come on water people - give it me in terms I can understand.

I have a pressure filter with bio balls in it. I also have a waterfall filter with lava rocks in it. I have a waterfall into the pond, an aerator. Lots of pond lilies and some various other plants.

BTW - the pond lilies love this green water! And I do think the fish are getting bigger.

 

[dieselplower]

I have to be honest I dont recall a single detail of your pond. Gallons, amount of fish etc. I wonder if you have excess phosphorus.

 

[morewater]

Sounds to me like you've got all of the avenues covered and it's now just a matter of patience until the algae dies off.

You may be able to speed up the process by shading the pond from direct sunlight, which will interfere with photosynthesis.

There are products available for "instant" satisfaction (ie. clumping agents), but I have a feeling that you have limited access to a wide range of pond products given the frozen, barren wasteland that you are doomed to endure.

 

[Priscilla]

I have to be honest I dont recall a single detail of your pond. Gallons, amount of fish etc. I wonder if you have excess phosphorus.

I feel a bit hurt really. You don't remember anything .......



2200 gall. Not sure of the exact amount of fish, about 10 koi (still smallish (6inches - one slightly bigger), 6 gold fish. And some 1inch tropical fish (platys).

I'll check the phosphorus tomorrow. The last water check I did everything was within normal ranges or not registering at all. But I have added a few fish since I last checked the water, so I guess its time.

I don't think I want to get into adding chemicals to the pond. I'll just wait a few weeks until my UV light comes from Amazon.

 

[Priscilla]

Sounds to me like you've got all of the avenues covered and it's now just a matter of patience until the algae dies off.

You may be able to speed up the process by shading the pond from direct sunlight, which will interfere with photosynthesis.

There are products available for "instant" satisfaction (ie. clumping agents), but I have a feeling that you have limited access to a wide range of pond products given the frozen, barren wasteland that you are doomed to endure.

Brrrrr, its so cold here, I'm going outside to light a fire and drink some wine. I think its 79 here! Brrrrr

I wish I could shade the pond, I think it would help greatly, but I can't. However, my next pond will be in a gazebo type structure for sure!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

'Pea Soup'....Nitrate level is high. Filamentous algae.....Phosphorus level is high. Can't state it any simpler than that.

 

[Priscilla]

'Pea Soup'....Nitrate level is high. Filamentous algae.....Phosphorus level is high. Can't state it any simpler than that.

How do I change that without a UV?

 

[Priscilla]

Further info: I just opened up my pressure filter today and it was a disaster inside. Full of gunk and snails and snail eggs. I did a full clean up of that today, I tried to scrub off all the snail eggs. I also cleaned the waterfall bucket filters too. So that's all spick and span - as much as it can be in a pond.

Since I netted the pond, I have not been cleaning the bottom as much as I had been. I THINK this problem kicked off with some heavy rains we had, I suspect I got some run off. And then got worse when my UV burnt out.

BTW - are snails and snail eggs bad for the filters? I feel like I am infested with them. Pretty gross really.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

How do I change that without a UV?

A UV does not alter nutrient levels in water. High levels can almost always be traced back to too much food being placed in the pond. Normally because of too many fish. A very low percentage of food ( about 18%) is utilized by fish. The remainder is released back into the water column where it will decompose producing some Ammonia and releasing Phosphorus. Fish produce Ammonia through respiration. It is released through their gills. Your 20 or so fish are producing Ammonia continuously, even more right after they are fed. You obviously have sufficient bacterial population to oxidize the Ammonia that is produced, but you still end up with an abundance of the end product of Ammonia oxidation....Nitrate. So to reduce Nitrate levels, either reduce the number of fish or the amount of food or both.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Snails are beneficial to a pond's eco-system. Snails are detritus and algae eaters AND are considered tasty snacks by Koi.

 

[Priscilla]

Snails are beneficial to a pond's eco-system. Snails are detritus and algae eaters AND are considered tasty snacks by Koi.

But the snails all seem to be in the filters. I don't see many in the pond, I guess the fish eat them. Are they okay in the filters?

Okay, this is beginning to make some sense. I bought a new type of food. Its like little small round pellets and they fish don't seem to like it and its so small some of it floats away. I need to move back to the pellet stick like food. I think I should buy a food ring feeder thing.

I can't reduce my pets! But I can reduce the food. I'm considering expanding to have another small pond and a stream flowing back into the larger pond. Additionally I have been wanting to add a shower tower filter. Extra bio filtering should help, right??

So it sounds like lots of little things have added up to this bigger event of pea soup. The rain, run off, the UV died, new fish got added, new type of food, not scooping the bottom of the pond regularly.

Thanks for helping me work through this. I LOVE my pond and my fish. I will get things back to normal.

 

[dieselplower]

I wonder, what food are you feeding? I have seen many times where legit koi keepers will switch to a different or bettter food and notice significant changes in the amount of solid waste in the pond. With a good food, you can actually feed less but the koi will be getting better nutrition.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Additionally I have been wanting to add a shower tower filter. Extra bio filtering should help, .

Additional bio-conversion is always good, but it will not reduce the Nitrate level. It may actually increase it by providing more efficient overall bio-filtration.

 

[Priscilla]

I wonder, what food are you feeding? I have seen many times where legit koi keepers will switch to a different or bettter food and notice significant changes in the amount of solid waste in the pond. With a good food, you can actually feed less but the koi will be getting better nutrition.

Here it is
http://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Kois-C...=UTF8&qid=1416142194&sr=8-1&keywords=koi+food

Is it crap?

 

[Priscilla]

Additional bio-conversion is always good, but it will not reduce the Nitrate level. It may actually increase it by providing more efficient overall bio-filtration.

You're depressing me. I'm that person that will lose sleep over this Plus I like to over react.

Going to do a water change now. I'm scare my fish will start dying.

How do I get rid of the nitrates? Less fish? Is that what you are saying? How do koi keepers do it with so many fish? I thought bio filtration was the key to all healthy fish and ponds. My friend has way more fish than me and a smaller pond and her pond is fine.