Wildlife pond PH way too high....how to lower without harming anything?

[ryanxuk]

Hey guys my natural clay wildlife pond has a lot of blanket weed and I tested the PH with my bluelab PH meter and it came back as 10.1 which I know is way too high and likely the reason I have such a big problem with the blanket weed.

I have added some beneficial bacteria to the pond and scooped as much as I could out but it keeps coming back.

What is the best way to lower the PH without affecting the life in the pond?

I have some PH down that is for hydroponic systems which contains phosphoric acid is that safe to use or will it harm the life?

Thanks.

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum. What time of day was the test? Or is it a constant reading? Assuming your meter is calibrated? Could be a natural process of the blanket weed using up available CO2 during the day. The acid may not address the fundamental issues and large swings in the pH can be more problematic than steady high/lows.

Managing high pH in freshwater ponds

This factsheet by the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC) gives information on managing high pH in freshwater ponds.

thefishsite.com

 

[j.w]

and welcome @ryanxuk

 

[ryanxuk]

Welcome to the forum. What time of day was the test? Or is it a constant reading? Assuming your meter is calibrated? Could be a natural process of the blanket weed using up available CO2 during the day. The acid may not address the fundamental issues and large swings in the pH can be more problematic than steady high/lows.

Managing high pH in freshwater ponds

This factsheet by the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC) gives information on managing high pH in freshwater ponds.

thefishsite.com

Morning it is around 9.8 and afternoon 10.1. Meter is calibrated and also tried another meter that gives similar readings. The blanket weed is getting out of control and I am looking for a way to lower the PH without affecting the life in the pond. Like I say it is a natural clay pond so no liner.

 

[cas]

Do you test for GH and KH? GH ( General Hardness) bolsters Alkalinity which in turn buffers the pH, preventing any wide pH swings. Soft water is less buffered than hard water. I have read that if the pH is going above 8.5, increasing the GH to 100 will help maintain the PH in the 8.2 – 8.4 range. I increased the GH in my pond and it keeps the pH at 8.4.

 

[Lisak1]

I think you'll be fighting pH forever in a natural pond... it could simply be the nature of the clay soil that lines the sides and bottom.

Are there plants in the pond? Lots of organic material? The algae is thriving on nutrients - find something to compete with it and naturally reduce it would be my suggestion.