Working On The Algae

[Vmw]

We have a 1350 gallon pond in our courtyard. It sits in the sun for most of the day. After reading various posts here, in regard to clearing up algae, we have installed what resembles a sail high over the pond in order to provide shade. I hope to be able to remove this after we have added more plants to the surface of the pond. We are using a pump that is sufficient for the size of our pond. We have installed the pump into a milk crate that’s been covered with quilt batting which acts as a big filtration system. After the water goes thru the pump, it goes thru a uv light. I am including a “before” photo with this post. I hope I can follow up this post with an improved “after” photo. If all of these measures don’t work out, I give up!

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome! I see that you joined a year ago and this is your first post.

How long has this pond been up and running?

Also, do you have any fish? If so, what kind, how many, and what size are they?

 

[CometKeith]

Hi and welcome! Are there fish in this pond? Is there any sort of pump or filter? If you want to make it a nice fish pond you can get rid of the algae by creating a nitrogen cycle using fish, plants, and a bio filter. You don’t need big fish like Koi. Goldfish will do fine and you don’t have to feed them because they like to eat algae and bugs.

 

[Vmw]

Hello and welcome! I see that you joined a year ago and this is your first post.

How long has this pond been up and running?

Also, do you have any fish? If so, what kind, how many, and what size are they?

This pond was inherited from my Dad. He always had issues with clearing up the water. Originally, there was a pump located under the house in the crawlspace. The water, after going thru the pump came out of a rock outcropping with a waterfall in the corner of the courtyard and then it ran under the sidewalk and back into the pond. It was a nice idea, but, there seems to be a leak under the sidewalk so we’ve had to do away with that setup. The pond was probably here as long as the house-40 years. The only time the water was clear was after the pond was cleaned out. There are about 20 goldfish in it now, most are about 2 1/2” long and there are 2 that are 5”. I feel that is too many but couldn’t convince my husband...‍

 

[cas]

Pretty pond.
Adding more plants will definitely help with the algae. Not just surface plants to shade the pond, but marginal plants with good root systems to take up the nutrients. Before my marginal plants matured, I added the submerged plants of anacharis or hornwort to help with the green water. It looks like from your picture that you might not have any shelves for marginal plants. I had that same problem. I built shelves with some large rocks and over turned pots, plus I removed some rocks along the edge to create planting pockets.

 

[addy1]

Add plants! Add a small bog and you will be tickled with your pond.

 

[Vmw]

Pond update-We bought a UV light and it seems to be making a difference. We also have a few Water Lettuce plants that are doing well and multiplying. The Algae Eater must be ok-haven’t seen it since we put it in..The water still has a green cast but not as bad as it was. We are able to see the fish close to the bottom rather than only while feeding on top. I guess it’s getting there-we’ll keep plugging away..

 

[j.w]

@Vmw
Glad to hear things are working for you. More plants will really help too!

 

[GBBUDD]

Money would have been much better off on a bog over a uv . unfortunately uv has water go through a tube with a uv light bulb which kills any algae in the water it also kills Bactria in the water that is beneficial to the pond. these now dead algae are now food for other algae. and the cycle goes on an on as does the use of electricity. A bog works in this manner you push water down to the bottom of a pit no less then a foot . where the water is then pumped across the bottom and is allowed to exit the pipe through perforation's cuts and or holes.the the water is then slowed way down and waste in the water gets trapped within the bog where the water is forced upwards through the layer of 3/8 pea stone or so where plants roots are growing only in the stone. the roots create a dense LIVING mass where they trap the debris/ sediment and then absorb trough the roots the nitrates phosphates and ammonia naturally and you end up with crystal clear waters.

 

[Vmw]

Money would have been much better off on a bog over a uv . unfortunately uv has water go through a tube with a uv light bulb which kills any algae in the water it also kills Bactria in the water that is beneficial to the pond. these now dead algae are now food for other algae. and the cycle goes on an on as does the use of electricity. A bog works in this manner you push water down to the bottom of a pit no less then a foot . where the water is then pumped across the bottom and is allowed to exit the pipe through perforation's cuts and or holes.the the water is then slowed way down and waste in the water gets trapped within the bog where the water is forced upwards through the layer of 3/8 pea stone or so where plants roots are growing only in the stone. the roots create a dense LIVING mass where they trap the debris/ sediment and then absorb trough the roots the nitrates phosphates and ammonia naturally and you end up with crystal clear waters.

The pond isn’t out in the yard, it’s in a courtyard in the house. Not sure a bog would work in a setup like this.

 

[GBBUDD]

Unless there is no light a bog will work even if you planted nothing but impatience. a shade loving need lots of water plant. And if you have a covered indoor court yard that is my dream a controlled environment and all the truely tropical bog plants so many keep in the home the colors the outrageous flowers.

 

[Mmathis]

Back to the filtration. Do you have a filter, or is the pump wrapped in quilt batting the only thing? How are you cleaning the quilt batting?

 

[poconojoe]

My water looked like that all last year and this Spring it was just as bad.

I recently added a bog and within a week it was clear 3 feet down to the bottom. It has been crystal clear for two months now. I've never had water this clear in over a decade.

I sold my two pressure filters and UV light. My only filter is the bog. No rinsing anything. Zero maintenance. Just enjoying the fact that I can see all my fish. I see fish I didn't know I had!

 

[Vmw]

Back to the filtration. Do you have a filter, or is the pump wrapped in quilt batting the only thing? How are you cleaning the quilt batting?

Well, I ditched the quilt batting system - I was having to remove and replace it too frequently. I have a small fountain that has a filtration system. I clean those filters every few days. I noticed, when we went out of town for a few days and had turned everything off, I could see the bottom of the pond, but the water is still green‍. The Water Lettuce for the surface has multiplied but I didn’t realize it couldn’t withstand water temps below 50 degrees. Now I have to figure out what I’ll do about those during the winter.

 

[Vmw]

My water looked like that all last year and this Spring it was just as bad.

I recently added a bog and within a week it was clear 3 feet down to the bottom. It has been crystal clear for two months now. I've never had water this clear in over a decade.

I sold my two pressure filters and UV light. My only filter is the bog. No rinsing anything. Zero maintenance. Just enjoying the fact that I can see all my fish. I see fish I didn't know I had!

My water looked like that all last year and this Spring it was just as bad.

I recently added a bog and within a week it was clear 3 feet down to the bottom. It has been crystal clear for two months now. I've never had water this clear in over a decade.

I sold my two pressure filters and UV light. My only filter is the bog. No rinsing anything. Zero maintenance. Just enjoying the fact that I can see all my fish. I see fish I didn't know I had!

How big is your pond? Is it in your yard?