Green pond...

[Cheerypeabrain]

A friend of mine is having problems with her garden pond. The water this year is green! they have tried changing the pump & filter thingy to a top of the range supa-dupa one, barley straw, taking out some of the plants, and taking water samples for testing. The 'expert' they spoke to said that the water quality is fine, the fish are healthy and growing, and when you take a sample of water out of the pond it looks clear and not murky...just GREEN....any ideas?

She's pulling her hair out wondering what's going on...I thought that it might be the weather causing algae to proliferate...but said I'd ask on here as you lot are SO CLEVER ;D

[Deleted]

Too much light by the sounds of it . I have the same probs. Tell her to try this and let me know if it works before i get some ;D www.crocus.co.uk/product/_/blue-dye-algae-inhibitor-for-ornamental-ponds/classid.2000007913/
It can be used a little or a lot depending on what shade of blue you want. Theres also a black one but i think its for fishless ponds because of the colour

[andy]

It's all about balance CPB....getting the balance between, plants, light, fish and the nutrients that plants take up and fish give off.

Algea occurs when you mix light, nutrients and water. By keeping the light and/or nutrients down, you will upset the applecart and the water will clear.

Aim to have aroung 33-50% of the pond surface covered with lillies and make sure there's plenty of oxygenators and marginals which will out-compete the algea for nutrients.

I have no filter at all on my small pond yet it remains gin-clear all summer.

One thing that will get rid of green water is a UV clarifier. This kills any single celled algea that passes through it and within a few days, the pond should be clear. Aim for 10 watts of UV per 1,000 gallons of pond.

The bulb went in my koi pond UV last autumn and the pond went pea soup in no time. It stayed that way right up until spring when i changed the UV bulb and within 2 weeks, i had a crystal clear pond.

[Cheerypeabrain]

thank you for your advice, I'll pass your comments on to my friend ;D

[Dutchy]

Ah bggr.
I had to get the Waterlily out last year hence one of my big food gobblers is gone.
The Pond clear I used to buy is no longer for sale.
And to top things we had rains of a very thorough kind and loads of nutrients got into the pond.
I now have a pond which has a green problem.
Algea party.

The pond is filled with plenty of oxinating ( don't know the proper word) plants.
There are Iris and Japanese knotweed in pot. And other marginals that do feed from the pond.

Advice needed on what to do now

p.s. Waterlily was removed in July and the pond was fine until now

[andy]

It's a tricky one Dutchy. When the weather warms up and the day lengths increase, the water warms and cools quicker than the plants can grow....and therefore take up the nutrients. we also start feeding our fish (or in some casese, just increase the feed) about now too so they're producing the nitrates and phosphates which the algea thrive on....yet the poor old irises and other marginals are still fairly dormant.

It always happens.....my pond at work is gin clear for 50 weeks of the year....2 weeks end of march/beginning of april sees the pond turn to pea soup....and the gin clear again as everything else wakes up.

[Dutchy]

So it is a wait and see job.
I'll be patient then and if it does not go clear I'll ring the bell again, thanks Andy.

[Dutchy]

The pond is clear but now there is green gunge on all the plants Looks like some sort of algea/living thing. At least the newts don't mind.

[francegarden]

I find the only way to clear the algae is to actually scoop it out. You can use a rake or anything that will pull it out.
You twist it around like eating spaghetti!
Leave the algae on the side of the pond for a couple of days to give anything trapped in it a chance to get back into the pond.

[Dutchy]

But how does one get rid of these green algea ?
They are the slimey substance surrounding the air bubbles. Those are definitely not eggs of any frog toad or newt.



Not sure if you can see.
All natural pools around here have this but my pond being a pond liner man made thing I thought I would not get this.
It is not long threadlike stuff but green that sticks to every surface be it liner or plant.

[lholroyd]

A few years ago a pond was dug in the recreation grounds across from where we live and my daughter enjoys sitting at the pond to see what creatures are inhabiting the water, particularly at this time of the year. However, this summer the pond has become so thick with algae - the spindly blanket weed type.


The suggestion to plant the right aquatic plants and the appropriate number according to pond size sounds a logical approach, but I think we first need to strip-off as much blanket weed from the pond first before we can take further steps to improve the natural balance of this pond, which has gone from slimy green to black. The pond doesn't get much sunlight as there is a tree right next to the pond shedding light over it for much of the day - probably need to cut that back too! The leaves from the tree falling into the pond probably also add to the problem is the debris is creating too high a nutrient level in the pond. I wonder if I need permission to clean-up this pond? Or make suggestions to the council? Are my suggestions valid as it seems such a pity to leave this pond to go to ruin as I am sure wildlife appreciate it - when it is healthy looking ?

[snowowl]

If it was me lholroyd i would make a sugestion to the councill they will probly tell you not to do it yourself because of health and safety.
But like you say it a shame to see it get in that state.

[Dutchy]

Blanket weed is indeed because of too much "food" in the pond.
Ducks and breadcrumbs don't help.
My home one I can wind things out with a stick but a big one as you are talking about seems like a pro job for the council. In with Snowowl there.
At some point in the future it will get a balance but it just takes some time.

[francegarden]

Cheerypeabrain.
I have used a product - natural -called Oxyjet Algae Pro, available from www.greenthinking.com
or 01823 680043
I find this effective for algae - don't know about green ponds - but the man I spoke
to was very helpful. You just sprinkle the powder on the surface of the pond every day for several days and then weekly. it also gets rid of nasty pongs.
Hope it helps.

[Cheerypeabrain]

thanks very much, will pass on the message to my friend. ;D