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Message: [QUOTE="Waterbug, post: 112151, member: 2322"] [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolved_organic_carbon"]Dissolved organic carbon[/url] (DOC) comes from various places but in ponds probably most come from discomposed plants, most likely algae. Can also be produce from fish spawn, slime, etc. DOC acts as a surfactant, which lowers the surface tension of water which allows bubbles to form and stay formed when air is introduced (waterfall, stream, air pump). Soap is a surfactant and acts the same way. [b]Solutions...[/b] Forcing lower (by measurement) DOC levels quickly is normally done with an oxidizer. Longer term solutions involved removing organic matter from the pond as quickly as possible so it doesn't decompose into DOC. Mechanical removal is an easy and safe method. Things like the foam fractionator or protein skimmer shown in this thread or a waterfall catch basin which traps the foam. These are generally used to keep foam off the pond surface although they do reduce DOC levels some what. Keeping up GH levels can reduce foam. Magnesium and calcium (GH) are + and DOC are -, so magnesium/calcium bind to DOC particles. Unfortunately not seeing foam doesn't mean water has low DOC levels. Not seeing foam also doesn't mean that can be attributed to whatever is around like a bog, filter, etc. Not having foam today doesn't mean a pond won't have foam tomorrow. Bogs can settle particles, but DOC particles are very small. Which is why "dissolved" is used in their name. Bogs can trap and hold dead algae and other suspended particles. As that organic matter sits in the bog it decomposes into DOC. So bogs would be a good source of DOC rather than a solution. [/QUOTE]

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