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This page was put together from the many suggestions of
ponders who post at the newsgroup rec.ponds To achieve clear water, instead of pea soup green
water, in your pond you should: Realize that algae is
tough! It exists in extreme conditions, like ice, just
fine. It has many, many different forms.
Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
And, finally, without algae we wouldn't be here so we
should treat it with a little respect ;-) ~ Learn as much
as you can about the natural balance of a pond and realizing
that new ponds must go through a growth period which
usually means green water before balance occurs. ~ Mother
Nature designs pond to have few fish, many plants and
subtraction and addition of new water from time to time.
She lets the fish find food on their own, lets the fish
fertilize the plants, encourages predators and lets the
plants run rampant. She never cleans her ponds out unless
she sends a flood. If things really get out of control she
throws up her hands and lets the chips fall where they may -
lets the pond fill in, turn emerald green, flood it out,
earthquakes, hurricanes, record snowfall, elections too
close to call - whatever... ~We pondkeepers stuff in lots
of pretty fish, spoil them rotten with tasty fish chow,
over fertilize our plants and do everything possible to
discourage predators. ~Plan on 20 gallons of water per
goldfish and 100 gallons of water per koi and as many
plants as you can stuff in. ~ Do not use chemicals, killing
algae just makes lots of suddenly dead algae, rotting algae
robs the pond of oxygen and makes more stuff for the new
algae to feed on (unless you have a bottom drain to get it
out). ~ Do not worry about green fuzzy algae on the side of
the pond, that is good algae and helps balance your pond.
~ Ignore a little string algae. ~ Install bottom drains
and skimmers for ease of removing sludge and debris. ~ Net
the pond during the fall to keep leaves out of the pond. ~
Trim dead growth from the plants and removing floating
tropicals if you live in colder climates. ~ Lower your
fish stocking, not over feeding fish - algae loves fish
waste (lots of yummy phosphorous) ~ Add lots plants of any
type, marginal plants such as reeds, cattails, iris,
pickerel weed, arrowhead, floaters such as water hyacinth,
water lettuce and lots of underwater plants such as
anacharis uses the nutrients up that the algae would like.
~ Shade - lilies, the floaters (water hyacinth and water
lettuce) and artificial shade - shade cloth, umbrella, arch
or trellis planted with vines, No sun for the algae. ~
Clean up debris from the bottom of the pond and stock
snails to chew up the debris - less decaying stuff for algae
food. ~ Cut back or stop fertilizing plants - same
principle. ~ Plant in fine gravel and top with larger rocks
if you have koi. ~ Mechanical filtration of the fish waste
- usually a settling chamber in your filter, or the first
row of brushes, filter media. ~ Biological filtration - more
than you think you need as your fish are going to grow and
you will probably add more fish to your pond via purchase or
your fish breeding in the pond. (This does not help with
the algae problem but contributes to the overall health of
your fish and any critters. ~ Construct a veggie filter -
an area, 10% to 20%, of the size of your pond surface area.
A couple of inches deeper than the plant baskets (the rigid
black mesh baskets made specifically for water plants) you
are going to use to plant in. Plant the baskets with
marginal plants with fine gravel. Pump the pond water
through at a turnover rate per hour 1/2 to 1/4 of the pond
volume. Veggie filter uses up many of the nutrients and
provides a good place for bacteria to grow. Build it with a
bottom drain (or two) for ease of cleaning - very important
or you'll end up with backups and leaking over the edge. A
veggie filter can be as simple as floating water hyacinth at
the top of your stock tank filter. Mine get to be almost
three feet tall with leaves as big as my hand. ~ Purchase
sludge eating product - concentrated bacteria culture. ~
Some folks love their UV sterilizer. Does cost some $. And
you have to change the bulb every year. ~ Add a bale of
barley straw to your pond for string algae. Read this
webpage BARLEY STRAW FOR ALGAE CONTROL ~Phosphate Remover
- It comes in a large clear container (maybe about gallon
sized) but it's also available in a smaller quart sized
carton. It's usually near the aquatic plant fertilizers and
different chemicals available such as ammonia remover and
such. You measure out the amount suitable for your pond
size, place it in a mesh bag, and first soak it in a pail
before you put it in your filter. You need to soak it
because it gives off heat when it first gets wet. ~ Make
sacrifices to the Pond Goddess. Run to your nearest garden
center and buy a gazing ball, a dragonfly garden stake and
bullfrog spitter. Place around your pond and ask humbly for
clear water. ~ Patience, patience and eternal optimism. k30a
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