Waterfall & Pond will not stay clear
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Posted: Apr/23/2008 9:03 AM PST
Hello Everyone: My husband built a beautiful pond and waterfall for me about two years ago. The pond is 550 gallons, pump is 1800 gph, and we have a filter with water running through volcanic rock. I am so proud of his crafmanship (he is a bricklayer) and love my pond but shortly after I fill it, the pond will turn green. No matter how much chemical/product I put in, it won't clear it up. I drain the pond, clean it and start over. Water bill is horrendous, I am tired of doing this, and my pocket book is yelling from buying what seems every product on the market to keep the water clear to no avail. Any solutions for me? Thank you so very much. CALgal Attachments:  |
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Posted: Apr/23/2008 7:59 PM PST
You do have a beautiful pond. I have never been able to keep mine clear either. I used to change the water and scrub my pond every year and like you used every product that I was recommend but it never stayed clear. Then I was told my pond had to rippend and as long as I was changing water and cleaning it wouldn't rippen. So I stopped everything and added plants (irises, water hycinths, lillies and a fiber optic plant) and my pond stays a lot cleaner. You need enough plants to cover about 2/3 of the water. There are so many different plants to chose from. I don't use any chemicals at all. I have fish in mine and only feed them about once a month. They eat the roots from the plants. This was the advice given to me and it has really made a difference in my pond. |
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Posted: Apr/24/2008 10:23 AM PST
Beautiful pond..wow your hubby did a great job. Our pond wont stay clean either, I have gold fish in mine also, but no plants. It seems to me that when its cloudy outside it stays clean and when the sun beats down on it it gets very cloudy, and stuff forms on the top of the water. I feed my fish a couple times a day, little bits at a time. |
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Posted: Apr/24/2008 12:21 PM PST
I have fish tanks and so far no pond, though it is a dream. Cloudiness is either bacterial growth or algae or both. A pond has to go through a nitrogen cycle and without plant and snail or fish life will likely not stabilize. First, bacteria that convert nitrogen from dead plants (or algae, which will grow with sunlight in any pond) to ammonia develop. If you have fish, you need to be careful that the ammonia level doesn't get too high or it is toxic. Gold fish are pretty hardy and are good to start the pond cycle. Once ammonia begins to build up, bacteria that comvert ammonia to nitrite develop. Nitrite is less toxic than ammonia, but still pretty toxic to fish. THen, bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrate develop and nitrates accumulate in the water but are faily non-toxic. Nitrates will be high in the sludgey stuff that gets down in the bottom of stagnant ponds. Now plants can use some nitrates, but in my fish tanks I have to remove some of the water periodically and replace it with fresh or nitrates and debris will accumulate. In a natural pond, rainfall does this, and the natural balance of plant and water life keep the cycle in check. If one of those bacterial types finds conditions just right, they will 'bloom' in great numbers and cause cloudiness. If the cloudiness is greenish, then it is likely an algal bloom. Some shade can limit this or as noted, covering the water surface with lilies and other plants can limit sunlight, thus algae. I would rather not use chemicals, so to me plants and/or fish! BTW-It is a most gorgeous pond! I am jealous! |
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Posted: Apr/29/2008 10:35 AM PST
Thanks to all the replied. This may be the silliest question ever, but have never shopped for these. Where would one buy plants for a pond? And I am understanding, it is best to not use chemicals, but the plants and possibly a few gold fish will keep the green water in check? You guys are the best...thank you so much. |
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Posted: May/01/2008 8:30 AM PST
I'll have to look into the water plants also. When we first baught out house they had a water plant in the pond, but the problem was it was a "dirt" filled planter and everytime we tried to clean out the pond and put that plant back in all the dirt would get the just cleaned pond (by my hubby) dirty. So we started putting that plant into the "frog pond" instead. Never thought of adding water lillies, they just float on the top. |
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Posted: May/01/2008 9:00 AM PST
Both major Toy Stores (Lowe's and HD) in my area now carry a fair variety of aquatics, but so do my favorite locally owned nurseries, so that's where I go for mine. |
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Posted: May/01/2008 1:09 PM PST
Thanks for the idea Stereoman...where were you when we needed our surround sound hooked up?? 
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Posted: May/01/2008 5:54 PM PST
back channel. |
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Posted: May/02/2008 5:36 PM PST
My little flower pot fountain/pond gets lots of green algae. I used to try to wash it off. Now I just tell anyone who comments that I'm experimenting with algae- based bio- diesel 
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