My pond is green

[Derrick]

I have a pond, 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, 4 feet deep

It has a waterfall with sponge filters in it, fed by a pump, no fish, no plants yet

The water has gone green like pea soup

The pond is sterile, even the snails died, there are no frogs, newts, just a lot of bugs that I think are shrimp something like them

I have put in barley straw bundles in the hope they will clear this green water

I have been told to try this Walsted method

I’ve never heard of it

My pond was filled over a month ago now, probably longer

All I want is a clear pond to put fish in it

I am open to all suggestions

I haven’t put a net over it yet, no fish in there for the herons, but he does hang around

 

[Lisak1]

I didn’t need to read any further than no fish no plants. Add those two elements and your problem will be solved.

Fish do not require clear water. They could care less, but your pond does require fish and plants in order to be balanced.

 

[Derrick]

The fish may not mind green water, but I do, I bought the pond and the fish so I could see them
I dont want to look at something that looks like green pea soup
The pond started to go green after a couple of days and its getting worse each day

 

[j.w]

@Derrick

 

[snoozer]

Mother nature decided that your pond needed some life, so she added algae. Adding plants will help use the nutrients feeding the algae. As long as the ammonia level is zero and no nitrites you can a couple of fish. Also time will help everything balance.

 

[Derrick]

Okay, you say I need plants before fish
So what kind
I can’t see there being any ammonia in there, there are no fish
When I was working we had water hyacinth plants, but now they are banned (or I can’t find em)
How do they keep koi ponds clean?

 

[GBBUDD]

I have put in barley straw bundles in the hope they will clear this green water

none barely is for string algae

a milk crate full off batting for stuffing toy furniture etc stuff the milk crate throw the discharge end of a pump into the middle and it will clear the green water but it can come back as the cause of the algae has not been fixed. which maybe just needing time

 

[Derrick]

What you are suggesting just dont sound right to me
A milk crate, we dont have them anymore
The pump feeds my waterfall filter
That flows into my pond at the opposite end from the pump (6 feet away)
There are two bundles of barley straw floating around
Still no fish in there so there is no nitrates or ammonia or chlorine
I wont be putting fish in there until the water is clear
I've used test strips, they all come back as normal (I never expected anything else)

 

[GBBUDD]

Okay, you say I need plants before fish
So what kind
I can’t see there being any ammonia in there, there are no fish
When I was working we had water hyacinth plants, but now they are banned (or I can’t find em)
How do they keep koi ponds clean?

no i believe what i saw others say is that you need Balance, Man has found over and over but never learns that you need the staple sun, water, oxygen to start . then you need a substrate and plants. plants provide photosynthesis. which in turn gives us oxygen and co2. as well as stripping the water column and the substrate of nutrients and minerals. which create algae what most of us see as dirty and not desirable.

When in actuality the algae is saying there is an imbalance. Is it to many fish no fish too much food. Goldfish owners have found that there little pets can do just fine on their own and don't even need to be fed. the peach fuzzy that grows on the rocks the copepods the water spiders the dragonfly larvae and black flies mosquitoes are all they need . when we enjoy feeding them we usually over do it. Mainly to listening to manufacturers saying fed your fish what they can eat in 5 to 10 minutes. that amount of food is more than i would feed in a week or two.

having the discharge of the pump dump into a milk crate or bucket with holes and stuffed with batting will help clear up the green water but you have to figure out why it is green in the first lace or it will be back

 

[Laaf]

What kind of fish were you planning to add? As others are saying, you need to add plants and fish for the pond ecosystem to get into balance. When I was starting my pond, I went a got the very inexpensive feeder goldfish. Many have survived and grown up to be beautiful. I would add plants and fish at the same time. You can not wait to add fish until your pond is clear, because a clear pond would be a sign of it being inhospitable to life. So add the life you want to it, and the water green ness should start to improve. The quicker filter for green water the others mentioned with quilt batting, I would wait til fish and plants had a chance to get established before doing that.

 

[Derrick]

I was planning on putting goldfish in there, not many, 6-8 is all
I was waiting for the chlorine to clear from the tap water

I have no idea what 'batting' is

If a clear pond is a sign things arent good in a pond, why do I see koi ponds so clear and clean ?

No one has told me what is causing the clean fresh water to turn green in a few day
I think it maybe sunlight and UV light


Sory GGBudd, your signature makes hard reading, so please dont reply further

 

[Lisak1]

Oh my. You really aren't looking for help, are you? Reject @GBBUDD 's advice and you've lost one of the best resources you can find on this site, or any other place on the internet to be honest. But suit yourself.

I'll try one more time. You are WAITING to add fish until the water is clear. We are telling you the water won't be CLEAR until you add FISH. A clear pond can very well be a healthy pond, but a clear pond can also be a very UNHEALTHY pond. Why did it turn green? Because you provided the perfect environment for algae to grow - a big volume of water with absolutely nothing competing for nutrients. Put a bucket of water in your front yard and see how long it takes to turn green.

Here's a glossary for you:

Milk crate:

https://www.amazon.com/Authentic-19x13x11-Gallon-Quart-Rectangular/dp/B0054029SM/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=MNZ0V5IE93LK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.q9l7gRKPe-BLjzaoNEVwkCVgEF6DrJwCVgsRd3SJWPYKreHxsXbULuK7MI47hnpsS52fPqGuSuhH5epvSBWBoMm6gT_vkd_cmkFpDdVCs6EpE8c-rMv34Vf5Umr9R9rdgtUTqRzXytFvl1hbJJRGGQ9DIj9q-nRNApUkvX2_yp882YxWh24vdX5XTQYQxGlzf7rK-lpa5fL0mfydAS9TihQ8_oJEu1BiscDtkRt2tqUUocqh9499di6_6OTP66Rf1kOQK1a5OmzF8aIcf4XceH7WstoSUZy3LNvroIz_jXY.2yJzHajngbbv1y8Z_OoXSX6h8IZz0XgtCFV3jy5wEXE&dib_tag=se&keywords=milk+crate&qid=1722249382&sprefix=milk+crate%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Quilt batting:

https://www.amazon.com/Batting-Quilts-Natural-Quilting-Cotton/dp/B09SXT1J9D/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=2301XQH1EM5EU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.udSl2vUcSwmbqABjrgI9SMqPMIob5QdwhEdzEcWcD0RwgDnODdr8Dqe81zGs0nLnWUtmFXhJv7zRP8jq-yyGGueixe6L83b9vGNOxDcX9eBa2iSDApRTuMnpYrBsS94sMxmHVvrILJhFctAwht2Cgnvcg2m5Dfkt_No_SPb7keaPyAItB3RkNZgZgm7Gt9Dd0OMY2DKSZqIpb39ZPZQ8zxB4HOI8ZhBpaXm042BAb_pf5n3e3a60fQxwvkTk2BVU-k05SkCVAU0PH6_4G9a-i8bfo1IxHTY0TAfF_4J3_PY.RmHDcqsvlduGs8N_y9pHosFPhsNd2YXdZYPbdXs-5iA&dib_tag=se&keywords=quilt+batting&qid=1722249409&sprefix=quilt+batting%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Now you decide if you really want us to help you with your green pond or if you're better off rejecting every bit of advice you get. Choose your own adventure!

 

[Derrick]

I'm all up for someone posting a signature, but I think is a bit OTT
Okay, I've put a bucket of tap water out, yes it turns green, WHY?
That is what I did to my pond, filled it up, left it, water running from the pump, it turned green, WHY
Now how doi I get rid of it
My pond is now empty, no water, no fish, no plants, no pump running

 

[jgrandmont]

Okay, I've put a bucket of tap water out, yes it turns green, WHY?
That is what I did to my pond, filled it up, left it, water running from the pump, it turned green, WHY
Now how doi I get rid of it

A simple Google search provides the answer to your first question: Algae spores can travel into the pond from the yard or be introduced by wind and/or rain. As to how to get rid of it, many people here have provided suggestions already. I would also suggest reading up on the nitrogen cycle: https://www.aquascapeinc.com/water-...itrogen-cycle-and-its-importance-to-your-fish

 

[Derrick]

I've been told by a koi fish keeper, my pond has to cycle for 80-90 days (no idea what that means)
I have 'new pond'syndrome
What I am doing is correct, just let the water circulate
Dont put fish or plants in it yet, it will take time, but the water will clear, the barley straw will help it and pond pads, by Tap aquatics in the filer tank