Green water, nooooooo!

[Lohoyan]

I can't believe this, my ponds tuning green, same as last year. This year I relocated it into the shade to try to avoid this. I also put a few plants in but they are mosly just wasting away instead of multiplying and absorbing all the light. I could buy a uv filter but the cheapest ones seem to be 300 bucks. What the heck, do I have to put my pond in a cave underground or something to not get algae????

Should I do a blackout or something, cover it over with plywood for a few days? Then let a sliver of light in for about an hour a day for the rest of the summer? I'm sick of green water!

It's a 105G above ground with pump and filter with seven commons in there.

 

[jlk]

Do you do regular water changes? 7 commons in a 105g is quite heavily stocked for fish that can grow well over 12inches. How do your water parameters look? High nitrate levels may be a contributing factor to an excess of algae.

 

[Lohoyan]

Pond first filled 5 weeks ago
Fish went in just 2 weeks ago
Parameters from 3 days ago
Ammo 0.2, nitrite 0.3, nitrate 5, I'm guessing my filter is about half cycled.
1/3 water change 2days ago

I would load the pond with plants if I could but can't get them where I live, I only have 2 water lettuce that lost all there big leaves since I added them and are now just small buds and 2 hyacinth which have also deteriorated. Also have another plant that from last year that I kept indoors over the winter. Don't know it's name, it has long thin tapered leaves that grow out of the water then lay down flat on the surface when they get long. It repotted it in potting soil with gravel in top before I put it in. Do you think that clump of soil could have enriched the water and enabled the green algae?

Oh, the commons are only 2 inched long at the moment so I don't think I'm overstocked or anything.

 

[jlk]

Thanks! I would stay on top of the water changes for now until your cycled before dealing with the green water. I am not a pond expert by any means, but Ive been applying alot of tank basics to my pond since starting it. I did have green water initially & was able to clear it up completely with water changes & good filtration ( and lots of polyfill). I know there are chemicals you can use (check out the other thread in this section on algae) but I would wait until its fully cycled before considering this option. Have you considered ordering pond plants online if your local selection is lacking? Just a thought!

 

[Lohoyan]

Yes, I'll change the water a lot. I'll be able to get a couple more plants during an upcoming trip but to buy enough to cover the pond would break the bank. I was hoping the ones I had would grow eventually. I'm also looking into a uv clarifier but those are pricey too. Chemicals would be last on my list of things to try, in fact I wouldn't even bother.

Trouble is the pond season is only June till September where I live, hardly time to get established. Also the sun is up for about 20 hours a day here right now and there is no darkness, so even in the shade my pond is getting a LOT of light I would guess.

 

[jlk]

Wow, 20hrs of sunlight would definitely play a part here! The best I can suggest is plant cover and/or perhaps a large patio umbrella to offer some more direct shade. Hopefully, some of our more experienced pond keepers can offer some other insight beyond my suggestions.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I agree with jlk. 20hrs of daylight is alot even if its mostly in the shade. You could try blocking the sun closer to the waters surface so less ambient light penetrates.
Thats a tough one. To fight greenwater with that much light and no uv clarifying. I don't blame you for not wanting to use chemicals though. Goodluck

 

[Lohoyan]

I suddenly realized that there is one local plant that lives in the lakes around here and is a floater. Duckweed! Picked up a load of it and have about 75% coverage on my pond now. I might even get some more. I'll bet that will turn things around eventually. Should I put some fertilizer in the water? All I have is nutrafin plant gro.

Also looking at a uv sterilizer. So far I've found this one, I'll be able to pick up on an upcominng trip. Any good? It's only 9 watts but my pond is only 110 gallons.

smartpond®

 

[jetajockey]

Greenwater thrives in the presence of ammonia so it may subside as the pond gets cycled.

Other options for plants, pick some marginals and put them in pots so you can move them around easily.

Giving the pond partial sun is definitely a huge help as well, I have some tubs that stay perfectly clear because they are shaded for nearly all of the day.

 

[rylake]

Leave the duckweed in to do it's thing and out compete the algae for the nutrients. Once things balance out you should be left with some green, but greatly reduced. Also, try not to feed the fish and they will snack on the algae on the surfaces. By not feeding every day, you will also reduce the ammonia, which starves out the algae. Ponds turning green is just part of the process. Just don't be too hasty with chemicals as they can have a bigger detrimental effect.

Water changes are usually good (with a good de-chlorinator), but if you have some plants in there "stealing" nutrients from the algae, changing the water usually just results in there being an abundance of food for both the algae and the plants. Let it sit for a week or so and see how good a job the plants do before getting discouraged.

 

[Lohoyan]

Thanks, I actually picked up a UV clarifier yesterday and should be able to install it tommorow. I'm hoping that will deal with the algae. The pond looked so good when it was clear.

 

[Lohoyan]

UV fiter installed, hope it works quickly. I set the flow through it fairly low, I read that if it's too fast it's ineffective. Not sure how fast it should be exactly.

 

[rylake]

Good luck! Hopefully it kicks starts some changes in the water colour. Keep the plants and everything going though. Even though the UV will help the cause, there is no replacement for the difference plants can make to the water quality.

 

[Lohoyan]

My waters almost completely clear after six days of UV filtering. There's just a slight murkiness left but I can see my fish. And they seem happy, chasing around with each other, I think they like the cover that the duck weed gives them. They have a great appetite too, they are eating like crazy. Water change tomorrow, I'll clean the filter and hopefully that's the last of that nasty green algae!