Introduction

[Shelley]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...30375_2471222045989018305_n.jpg&size=852,1136

 

[Shelley]

This is ONE bucket of algae that I picked up by hand from the upper pond and a few rocks of the upper water falls.

 

[addy1]

to our group, I leave algae in my small slow flow ponds, the critters love it!

 

[JohnHuff]

This is ONE bucket of algae that I picked up by hand from the upper pond and a few rocks of the upper water falls.

That's great. That's one bucket of crud which is no longer in your pond.

 

[Shelley]

Ahhhh John!!! I am 54 am I am in ok shape but I can't be climbing around those slick rocks all day every day. Today the green menace got me and I slipped and fell on my butt so hard I'm still seeing stars AND red and blue stripes! My husband already thinks that I spend an inordinate amount of time in the pond. In my other life, I am a college professor. As soon as I got out for the summer I have been an algae, scum and pooh removal obsessed zombie who has some rather odd bruises to explain.

 

[JohnHuff]

Ahhhh John!!! I am 54 am I am in ok shape but I can't be climbing around those slick rocks all day every day. Today the green menace got me and I slipped and fell on my butt so hard I'm still seeing stars AND red and blue stripes! My husband already thinks that I spend an inordinate amount of time in the pond. In my other life, I am a college professor. As soon as I got out for the summer I have been an algae, scum and pooh removal obsessed zombie who has some rather odd bruises to explain.

OK, let's fix this.
1) Exactly how much food are you feeding? Cutting down on feeding will make a big difference.
2) What kind of filter and pump do you have in your pond?

 

[Dave 54]

HI from Plymouth Uk shelly and can we say what a lovely pond you have , is your pond in full sunlight during the day?
When was the last time you cleaned the bottom of your pond of detritus , we have a bottom drain on our own pond so its not a bother for us but many ornamental ponds dont have this luxury and you must vacuum the pond bottom everyyear of the detritus that builds up from dying plnt matter leaves even fish muck.
you have quite a nutriious soup if this isnt done wich would feed your algae .
Maintenance of a pond and its filters are half the battle in your fight against algae, we are in full sunlight throughout the summer here in our back garden yet apart from a thin coating of algae on the bottom and sides of our pond we suffer no problems whatsover .

Dave

 

[Shelley]

HI from Plymouth Uk shelly and can we say what a lovely pond you have , is your pond in full sunlight during the day?
When was the last time you cleaned the bottom of your pond of detritus , we have a bottom drain on our own pond so its not a bother for us but many ornamental ponds dont have this luxury and you must vacuum the pond bottom everyyear of the detritus that builds up from dying plnt matter leaves even fish muck.
you have quite a nutriious soup if this isnt done wich would feed your algae .
Maintenance of a pond and its filters are half the battle in your fight against algae, we are in full sunlight throughout the summer here in our back garden yet apart from a thin coating of algae on the bottom and sides of our pond we suffer no problems whatsover .

Dave

Hello Dave!!

I am going to send to a very basic schematic of the layout and pumping system. It is very simple because it was originally designed as a water feature only and controlled with beach. :-/

 

[Shelley]

OK, let's fix this.
1) Exactly how much food are you feeding? Cutting down on feeding will make a big difference.
2) What kind of filter and pump do you have in your pond?

Ok, thanks for the help. I am going to take pictures of my former feeding quantities. I always estimated.

OK, let's fix this.
1) Exactly how much food are you feeding? Cutting down on feeding will make a big difference.
2) What kind of filter and pump do you have in your pond?

 

[haver79]

Welcome Shelly and yes ponding is addicting. Since putting in the pond last summer I spend the majority of my free time outside tinkering with the pond.
Sometimes drives my hubby crazy!

 

[Shelley]

Ok, John here is the type and quantities of food, a schematic of pond, a picture of the pump. There is no filter as it was built ONLY built as a water feature.

 

[JohnHuff]

- According to your first post, you have 12 fish. How big are those fish? The food, is that for each feeding, or for the whole day?
- No matter what, let's cut down on that. I would start by cutting that down to 1/4 of that for the whole day.
- How big is your pond? What are the dimensions?
- What does that "valve to empty the pond" do?
- Do you do anything to clean the water? Do you do any water changes? Do you have a water test kit?
- What do you teach in college? Science discipline?

 

[Fishylove]

No bio filter is one major problem.

 

[Shelley]

- According to your first post, you have 12 fish. How big are those fish?

I have three koi (different varieties). The biggest is approx 10", 7", 5", then I have five Sarasha Comets one 6", one 4.5', 3 at @ 3", one regular comet 4", three calico shubunkin the biggest is @9" and egg bound, one 7" and last 6"

That food left koi pellets, middle fish flakes, left three frozen sections of krill per day.

The food, is that for each feeding, or for the whole day?

Whole day, breakfast lunch and dinner<---even prisoners get that. ;-)

- No matter what, let's cut down on that. I would start by cutting that down to 1/4 of that for the whole day.

They are starting to HATE me already.


- How big is your pond? What are the dimensions?

The procenium (lower pond is 8', side to side along the back wall of the lower pond is @ 14-15', estimate of waterfall height is 18-20', at deepest the lower pond is 20-24"


- What does that "valve to empty the pond" do?

Opens the outflow pipe embeded in the left part of the stone wall approx a meter 1/2 from the pond.

- Do you do anything to clean the water? Do you do any water changes? Do you have a water test kit?

I add Aqua Life water cleaner (estimating gallons at 1500- probably a low estimate), and lBarley Extract, and aqua life complete each once per week, i have three bales of barley hay in the upper pond in three main areas of flow, i use Aqua Life Pond Ceaner Plus sludge and odor eliminator plus (powder) once every 2-3 weeks.


I also have about 12 large, supposedly algae eating, pond snails, one large supposedly algae eating bull frog tadpole and a volunteer Pickerale frog

I have taro, canna lillies, papyrus, aztec arrow and five large lillies, pond lettuce and hiacynths.

IT is full on WAR!!!!

- What do you teach in college? Science discipline? I am a classical flutist, I teach flute performance at a major University.

 

[Shelley]

No bio filter is one major problem.

Agreed this is my next step in the algae wars. IT is on!! Please give me advice on pumps and filters