What The HELL ! :(:(:(:(:(

[sissy]

test kits run around 25 dollars I use pond care and some use api and not sure but there are lots of others .But since the weather changed you may be better waiting and there may not be much in the to pick from yet anyways Some in the water plants that grow under the water that the fish like to eat i get at petsmart and they run here from 3 dollars and up to 7 dollars

 

[Waterbug]

At first this didn't make sense to me. The picture sure looked like soil runoff...but this pond has been around awhile and didn't have a runoff problem before???

they also redid the surroundings of the pond to make sure no rain water would come running into the pond again.

Bingo. I have no way of knowing, but I suspect that they did the exact opposite of what they were trying to do. And I've heard this many, many times before. Perfectly fine pond, expert comes out and "fixes" the perfectly fine pond, few days or weeks later and it's a mess and the fish are all dead. Thank you pond expert. And I get to pay for this "service"?

True pond professionals really only understand one kind of pond, the kind they install. If you don't have that kind of pond they'll "fix" yours. It's like taking your German high performance car to a guy who repairs Hondas. Maybe he fixes it, maybe he f's it up.

Then there are all the "I was a landscape two weeks ago and know I'm a pond professional". They didn't know anything about landscape except how to run a mower and blower. They know even less about pond.

They make me mad.

You have lots of choices...filters, chemicals, etc. You can wait, the water may settle. This can take a day or so or weeks, even years. Depends on how fine the dirt (actually it's clay). Also depends on how much current it in the pond, fish, falls, etc. Also depends on what you'd consider "clear".

Two issues...whatever you do you first have to find and fix the issue.

Secondly, removing suspended clay with filters, chemicals is impossible imo. Like catching a swarm of gnats with a basketball net. Best, easiest, fastest fix...empty the pond and start over. No reason to prolong your suffering.

 

[JenH]

Rivermist, I feel ya being so frustrated when you just want to sit back relax and enjoy a beautiful water feature. I don't know how many times in the past year trying to get mine done ourselves, and as inexpensively as possible, I've wanted to just sit down and cry too. But you'll get there and you'll be glad you hung in there. I'm with waterbug on draining and refilling. It's the fastest way to get dirt out if that is what it is. I can't remember if you mentioned fish, so maybe just do partial water changes if you do instead of completely emptying and refilling. Also the batting stuff really does do a great job at filtering out the fine particles. I used it several times last year. I had huge run off problems before we rebuilt ours. Good luck, you have a really pretty pond!

 

[Rivermist]

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[Rivermist]

Waterbug I don't know what to think anymore... definitely after 4 weeks if it becomes like that... I got really screwed.

There is a filter. They are coming Thursday to check everything. But they will never redrain it at their cost so... that's it.

I consider clear if I can see the bottom and the fish... far from being the case now.

I don't think we'll be doing any more work for these ponds this year. Either it will settle and next year cleaning we'll try to improve it. But right now...

Im' frustrated... pregnant and horribly sick everyday (I can't bend over the pond to get my filter and clean it )... that's just all adding up.

I thought I'd have my relaxing spot but I think anyway, the way the ponds have been built originally makes them vulnerable to rain and rainwater (even if not obvious anymore because we got rid of the runoff ), they all are at the lowest point, it doesn't look to me like the liner is high enough on the sides to keep rain water out.

Next house I'll have my pond built by a real pro... with concrete and everything.

I've added some biological stuff yesterday to help the particles settle. The two other ponds are exactly in the same situation... cloudy water.

will get tests this week end to see if the water is ok... and I'll probably just make it look as nice as I can with surface plants.

I'm so done...

 

[Rivermist]

JenH thx... like waterbug said i really think if you don't have it built the right ay at the beginning it's complicated story.


As soon as i don't feel so sick i'll try to put together the filter thing that has been described.


Also would a pond vacuum or pool vacuum be helpful to get rid of the mud and debris once they settled at the bottom ?

 

[sissy]

I can see the second pic is a before and then first is after and wonder if a little of that mulch and not sure but it looks dyed to me ,could have washed through those rocks ..Once you filter that out with the batting it will clear up .Since they desturbed the soil to clean around there that could be it also .I keep looking at your 2 pics and seems the ground behind the pond slopes up .not sure .The fence back there if the rain was blowing the rain against the fence could have washed back even more of the rain towards the pond .I would give it some time and patience and it should clear up .Miracles do not happen over night .No mulch is really free and clear of anything and how you can tell is take a handful of mulch and put it in a clear glass and see what happens

 

[Rivermist]

forgot to add the picture

 

[sissy]

that looks like muddy water for sure now .The best way to tell that is take a jar of the water out and let it sit and see if it settles to the bottom if it does it is more than likely mud .It could be coming from the rocks that were not cleaned well or unstable ground behind those rocks .Even if you pull your pump up if it has brown dirty stuff on it ,I would think dirt .

 

[sissy]

how much rain did you get and was it heavy and does the ground I see in front slop down towards the pond ,it sure looks like it .Have you used fertilizer on the lawn .I keep trying to see all the shrubs also could pollen have been washed off all of them into the pond and also dust and dirt can wash off shrubs and trees .

 

[Rivermist]

It's been two full days of heavy rain...

The ground is not a slope, it looks this way cos i took the picture from inside and above...

Nothing has been treated and this mulch is also not supposed to be a treated one.
They also put a piece of lining /clothe under the soil and the mulch that they blocked in the rocks so that it would not fall in the pond when it rains.

Will do the jar experience. I agree for the mud. I just think it will take days to settle and then.. every rain will be the same mess... + tons of plants around so also pollens.

 

[sissy]

I don't like landscape cloth it allows more things run into the pond .Take a piece of that landscape cloth and make it cup up and pour water into it and it will hold the water and not let it drain through very well if any ,depends on the thickness and quality of the landscape cloth .It keeps weeds from coming through yes but does not break down ,that may be whats causing the stuff to wash into your pond .Most landscapers if they are good won't use it .I only use it under rocks like on my hill to keep water washing down over it and keep the rocks in place and keep weeds down there

 

[sissy]

look at where the mulch is at closely and you may see that the mulch moved some and there could be even bare spots

 

[rebelangel_3733]

If you've had heavy rains then yup I'd say it's the dirt from the backside of the pond washing in...time will tell...patients is a virtue I guess and your filter at work.

 

[Rivermist]

seriously... if they put a clothe just because of the grass that's totally stupid. I thought they were doing it on purpose to have the mulch and soil contained...

Although the mulch didn't move i never even see a little piece on the rocks.

Like you said rebelangeltime and patience...