Green water

[Dave Turner]

I have been running my pond for a number of weeks now and the water still does not seem to be clearing. I am running a pondopress 10000 with water returning to pond down water cascade. I have read that water could be flowing too quickly through uv, could it help if I fitted a reducer in line to slow water flow thereby giving uv chance to work more efficiently. Any replies most appreciated. My pond is now well planted up

 

[Jhn]

What size is your pond? How well, is well planted i.e. % of plant coverage in pond?

I would turn off uv for now, it is killing the algae, but it is just adding more nutrients to the pond with the dead algae. If you have enough circulation in the pond and the pond has plenty of plants, the green water will eventually disappear.

Keep in mind uv lights just treat the symptom green water (free floating algae), not the cause (nutrients in the pond). This is typical in new water features. Just requires patience, don't worry about any quick fixes.

 

[sissy]

All uv's need the water going into them to be slower .How much do you feed your fish ,overfeeding can add to water quality problems and do you test your water or know the temperature of your water .I use quilt batting in a crate with a pump running water into it in m waterfall area and it picks up the fine algae

 

[moby]

Jhn, re your comment in post #2, whilst I'm not familiar with the particular filter that the OP is using, I would imagine that it has an integrated UV within the filter itself......the water runs past the light and then goes through the filter material. That is the way UV' s should be installed within the system to clump the algae making it large enough to be caught in the filters. Minimal dead algae should then go back onto the pond, so why would you suggest turning off the UV? Its a pointless to have the UV in your system after the filter as that's when all the clumped algae that it's knocked out gets shoved back into the pond. I would most certainly leave it on, but I guess we all have our own way of doing things.

As for the water flowing too quickly past the UV, yes it wont work well if it's flowing too quickly......but are you using a pump that is recommended/matched to that specific filter? Is the tubing of the correct diameter, too big a bore and it will flow too quickly.

Also, filters work best when they are partially blocked, cleaning them too often reduces their effectiveness to some degree. How often are you cleaning the filter media, and how? Assume it's a pressing the sponges together action based on the filters name?

 

[Jhn]

Moby, I agree if the uv is integrated or before the filter like it should be then they could leave it on. I have seen too many times where the uv is just placed in line on the return after the filter.

It doesn't really matter, until the higher plant forms get growing to outcompete the algae for nutrients or the cause of excess nutrients is solved the uv clarifier is kind of a band aid.

 

[Dave Turner]

Jhn, re your comment in post #2, whilst I'm not familiar with the particular filter that the OP is using, I would imagine that it has an integrated UV within the filter itself......the water runs past the light and then goes through the filter material. That is the way UV' s should be installed within the system to clump the algae making it large enough to be caught in the filters. Minimal dead algae should then go back onto the pond, so why would you suggest turning off the UV? Its a pointless to have the UV in your system after the filter as that's when all the clumped algae that it's knocked out gets shoved back into the pond. I would most certainly leave it on, but I guess we all have our own way of doing things.

As for the water flowing too quickly past the UV, yes it wont work well if it's flowing too quickly......but are you using a pump that is recommended/matched to that specific filter? Is the tubing of the correct diameter, too big a bore and it will flow too quickly.

Also, filters work best when they are partially blocked, cleaning them too often reduces their effectiveness to some degree. How often are you cleaning the filter media, and how? Assume it's a pressing the sponges together action based on the filters name?

I am using 25mm tubing which was supplied with the pump and filter would I benefit by going to a smaller bore tubing say 12.5mmor maybe fit a flow reducer in line.

 

[mgmine]

If the UV light is separate from the filter then you can add a valve before and after the light and adjust the flow that way.

 

[moby]

Jhn, sorry I can't advise on that as I know a certain amount but not all, so I wouldn't like to say what your best option is. My pump and filter with its integrated UV all run on the 42ml bore pipes that the kit came with and I've not needed to alter anything so far!

 

[sissy]

For uv's you can buy a cheap pump for just the uv .

 

[CometKeith]

Hi Dave. Welcome! The green water will go away eventually as long as you have a bio-filter and plants and you don't have too many fish. I would not feed your fish until the water quality improves.

 

[Dave Turner]

Hi Dave. Welcome! The green water will go away eventually as long as you have a bio-filter and plants and you don't have too many fish. I would not feed your fish until the water quality improves.

Hi just an update on my pond water is now crystal clear as you suggested give it time

 

[Dave Turner]

What size is your pond? How well, is well planted i.e. % of plant coverage in pond?

I would turn off uv for now, it is killing the algae, but it is just adding more nutrients to the pond with the dead algae. If you have enough circulation in the pond and the pond has plenty of plants, the green water will eventually disappear.

Keep in mind uv lights just treat the symptom green water (free floating algae), not the cause (nutrients in the pond). This is typical in new water features. Just requires patience, don't worry about any quick fixes.

Just an update on my pond about green water, pond is now crystal clear it has taken about eight weeks to clear but well worth the wait.

 

[IPA]

Just an update on my pond about green water, pond is now crystal clear it has taken about eight weeks to clear but well worth the wait.

That's great. I wonder, besides the UV fighting the symptom of green water algee does it also provide a benefit of reducing pathogens?

 

[cas]

Glad to hear that your pond has cleared! Patience is the key. Every year I have an algae bloom. It usually lasts for about two weeks. Some years it is worse than others. This year it was particularly bad. The water was very green. I couldn't see the fish until they came to the surface. Here are a couple of pictures - the first when the algae bloom was at it's worst, the second pictures is two days later. I did nothing but wait it out. No chemicals or UV.

 

[CometKeith]

Dave, Great news. Yes they all eventually clear unless people start dumping in chemicals. Some ponds never clear because of the stuff people add.