Pond Water Clarity Greatly Improved

[mew5280]

I wanted to follow up and thank everyone for their help. A month ago I made a skippy type filter and was hoping it would clear up my green/murky water. After many suggestions, I also bought a UV filter and attached that to the filter and added a mechanical filter, a tetra biofilter that I am cleaning the filter pads every few days and not trying to build up bacteria as that is happening in the skippy.

5 weeks later....

The water is so much clearer! It's not "gin clear" but I can see the fish many inches down into the water whereas 5 weeks ago I could not see more than an inch or less into the murk.

This photo shows the filters. I loaded the top of the skippy with plants that have rooted themselves very firmly into the media which should help clean some.

I also took a short movie, how can I show it here? I tried the html code but that didn't work?

Original thread: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/my-skippy-filter-t7844.html

 

[ponderpaul]

Makes you feel good don't it :lol:----- now if I could just get rid of the string algea--------

 

[addy1]

very good job!

 

[jupiter1]

There's a learning curve with this pond business as there is with many hobbies . Seems you are on the right path . You are making progress and have come to the right place to get help . 2, yes 2 thumbs up my fellow ponder .

 

[HTH]

Makes you feel good don't it ----- now if I could just get rid of the string algea--------

Plants with exposed roots will take take up the nutrients and starve the algae.

It may not look great but letting that lily or sweet flag escape the pot will do wonders.

 

[ponderpaul]

Plants with exposed roots will take take up the nutrients and starve the algae. It may not look great but letting that lily or sweet flag escape the pot will do wonders.

Do you mean like the hyacinth and money wart in the bog pond? Also so have a sock full of bentonite beneath the large falls and sprinkling of it around the edges of the main pond. The big lily and the papyrus are also in bentonite. Water is clear enough, just having to clean my mechanical filter 2 or 3 times a day to get the algae out. It seems that nothing works just the same for everyone in every locale so we keep reading the form and trying.
Maybe too many fish, but which one are you going to give up?

 

[HTH]

Do you mean like the hyacinth and money wart in the bog pond?

Yes but also: If you have a plant in a pot it will only take nutrients from the soil in the pot. If you take that same plant and expose its roots to the water it will take the nutrients from the water.

The more roots you have in the water the less chance there is of algae of any kind.

 

[mew5280]

I have flag iris in a pot but there is no dirt in the pot, it's just holding it in place because I do know that the roots will clean the water. However, maybe I should get a pond pot that has the holes in it to the roots will grow more into the water. The skippy filter has a bunch of iris planted, too, and they have rooted really well, you just can't see them over the other plant that has really taken over but the roots are wonderful for cleaning the pond!

 

[ponderpaul]

The more roots you have in the water the less chance there is of algae of any kind.

there is a stream that runs in under the bridge in the left of the pic. It also has both pots and bare roots -- have about decided that I have too many fish. Too old and tired to try to put in more filtration. Maybe bye, bye to a couple or three fish:yikesu: -- these are in the 18" range.

HTH; what part of OK are you in?

 

[HTH]

Paul You don't have too many fish you need a larger pond.

I am in the Oklahoma pan handle. Maybe I should put that on my location. I you wild like I can PM you the city.

I like your pond.