Is this part of the new pond process?

[bagsmom]

The new pond is 2 to 2 1/2 months old. I finally have all the plants in. They seem a little pale and slow to do anything, in spite of fertilizer spikes in the growing medium. I have some long, flowing trails of string algae in a couple of places. The waterfall and skimmer are working together great! The pond is around 9' x 12'. 3 feet at the deepest point -- two good sized plant shelves which take up some of the room for water -- but one shelf is hollow with a large fish cave carved into it. 10 goldfish, ranging in size from 2" to 6".

Fish are happy and active! They seem to enjoy the frenzy of eating a little food -- but don't act like they are starving, by any means. My ammonia readings are 0. pH is 8.

I've been through the stage of greenish, murky water. The water has since cleared up nicely and the thick algae overgrowth on the rocks seems reduced a bit. All seems well.

But I am wondering if this latest stage is normal too: the water is very clear and I can see perfectly down to the bottom -- but it has a very brownish tint. Is this another sort of algae growth?

I've mentioned before that the plants don't seem very happy. The lotus leaves look a bit "burned" on the edges and have some spots. Some of the other plants are more yellowish, rather than a good green. I bought a water celery plant that looked great, and since being in the water, it is sad. Maybe the water temps haven't gotten consistently warm enough for a good burst of growth? But here in the south, we have definitely been warmed up for a while. (I'm getting a bunch of water lily leaves. One has 13 and another has 10. Smallish now, but growing bigger.)

Just wondering if the brown tint is normal and if any of this rings any bells.

 

[sissy]

Fish need to poop more to feed the plants .Could brown tint come from the fertilizer .I know when I add liquid barley with peat in it it gets a soft brown tint for a day or 2 .I use koi clay also to help with clarity

 

[Lisak1]

If the brown is what you'd call tea colored, it could be from organic material - leaves in the pond, mulch around the pond, clay or soil washed in... all possible.

The plants - give them time. They may have a little transplant shock, but once the weather stays consistently warm and the fish start "contributing" they'll start doing their thing. Our water celery took a whole year to take off... then it was everywhere!

 

[bagsmom]

If the brown is what you'd call tea colored, it could be from organic material - leaves in the pond, mulch around the pond, clay or soil washed in... all possible.

The plants - give them time. They may have a little transplant shock, but once the weather stays consistently warm and the fish start "contributing" they'll start doing their thing. Our water celery took a whole year to take off... then it was everywhere!

Yes, I'd call it tea colored. I am starting to think it is from all the oak tree "doodles." We have tons of oaks in the neighborhood, and the water color started to change about the same time the doodles started to fall. They are the little tassel-looking things that I think hold pollen. The skimmer gets a lot of them, but I know many have ended up caught up along the water's edge.
I wonder if I will need to do a water change to remedy that?

 

[addy1]

I get apple leaves, maple seeds etc this time of year. lots. The water changes a bit then cleans up again. Maybe wait it out and see what happens.

 

[Lisak1]

I would wait it out. It's not harming anything - other than your clear pond dreams! - and water changes bring their own issues in my opinion. My number one pond keeping strategy is "meh. Whatever."

 

[bagsmom]

I get apple leaves, maple seeds etc this time of year. lots. The water changes a bit then cleans up again. Maybe wait it out and see what happens.

It's brown -- but it is a reddish brown. Clear, though. The dark color makes it hard to see to the bottom, but mid-range visibility is fine. I wonder if it is a combination of the tree doodles and maybe some algae too. I figure at this early stage of the game, waiting a while is probably the smartest thing.

 

[cas]

Tea colored water can be caused by tannins in the water that could be from oak leaves, pollen, peat washed in from the yard, mulch, caterpillar dung, or from potted plants put into pond. For years my pond always had a slight brown tint. Clear, but a brown tint. Then I started keeping a net on my pond year round which helped keep the oak leaves from getting into the pond. Slowly the water cleared. Also I have read that adding activated carbon can help clear the water. However, if you can't get rid of the source, it doesn't help.

 

[bagsmom]

Tea colored water can be caused by tannins in the water that could be from oak leaves, pollen, peat washed in from the yard, mulch, caterpillar dung, or from potted plants put into pond. For years my pond always had a slight brown tint. Clear, but a brown tint. Then I started keeping a net on my pond year round which helped keep the oak leaves from getting into the pond. Slowly the water cleared. Also I have read that adding activated carbon can help clear the water. However, if you can't get rid of the source, it doesn't help.

I'm betting it is the oak pollen tassels. Probably something that will happen every year! I'll get in and clean out the skimmer today, then I'll go around the pond edge with my little net to try to get the ones that didn't get pulled into the skimmer.

 

[sissy]

oh I love that oak tree doodles

 

[bagsmom]

oh I love that oak tree doodles

I've even got my husband saying that!
Picture a big, hairy, 6' 2" guy standing in the driveway, looking up and saying "I guess it's time to get the ladder and clean those dang doodles out of the gutters."

 

[sissy]

I wonder what he would do if some one threw a bag of doodles from the store up in the gutter .

 

[bagsmom]

I wonder what he would do if some one threw a bag of doodles from the store up in the gutter .

He would CUSS!

 

[sissy]

OH would I love living near you just to try it My neighbor drives a big rig and when he brings it home and backs it up you hea the beep beep beep .Well I did him one better .I was mowing my property down by the road when he came home and yelled over to him Louis watch this .I backed my lawn mower up saying beep beep beep the whole time .He doubled over laughing and his wife came running out thinking something was wrong .She got a laugh at it also .The one neighbor always complains about his truck making noise and not sure why since Louis only comes home 2 times a week and it never bothers any one else .In the county there are no noise complaints because farms make noise all the time so you can't file a complaint for noise

 

[bagsmom]

OH would I love living near you just to try it My neighbor drives a big rig and when he brings it home and backs it up you hea the beep beep beep .Well I did him one better .I was mowing my property down by the road when he came home and yelled over to him Louis watch this .I backed my lawn mower up saying beep beep beep the whole time .He doubled over laughing and his wife came running out thinking something was wrong .She got a laugh at it also .The one neighbor always complains about his truck making noise and not sure why since Louis only comes home 2 times a week and it never bothers any one else .In the county there are no noise complaints because farms make noise all the time so you can't file a complaint for noise