Savio skimmer leaf basket blocking UV light

[ElKayHaus]

Hello!
Context: We bought a home with a pond so all things pond are new to us!
2500 gallon pond with pump, bog filter, and waterfall plus about 50 large and small goldfish.
We have the large savio skimmer and recently have been fighting with green water. I think we may have inadvertently thought it was bad algae blooms so we treated with algaefix for over a month (might have inadvertently ridden algae that would have eaten the micro algae floating around, I've learned).
This week we investigated our UV light, realizing it hasn't been on perhaps since June when we moved in.
TODAY I found after testing the light and resetting the transformer that the LEAF BASKET blocks the UV light. I can tell it's been this way for a while because there is a lighter patch on the back portion of the basket where the UV light emits.

I also noted that there are now leaf baskets for sale with that corner portion missing (theoretically allowing the UV light to shine through the water).
Is this a common issue? Or, am I overthinking it and the UV light still works from behind the closed basket?
Thanks in advance!

Portland Pond Noobie.

 

[WaterGardener]

Can you post a picture of this set up?

The UV lights that I'm familiar with are encased in a tube and are part of the plumbing. The pond water passes through the casing and is exposed to the light. Is yours sitting freely in the water?

Algae is a result of too many nutrients in the water. It lives on the ammonia created by those nutrients. Killing off the algae can cause a spike in the ammonia level in the pond which can be dangerous for the fish.

A better approach might be to find what is causing the problem and correct that instead of focusing on the symptom of the cause. There may not be enough filtration for that many fish.

 

[ElKayHaus]

Thanks for this. Below is the setup. I just got confused because that light is behind the basket, making it invisible to my eye and so I was wondering if it needs more exposure to the water. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

To your point, I am going to grab some more plants today to help lessen the burden.

I was also considering muckaway or something similar to also combat the silt/muck in my bog pond which I'm assuming is affecting its ability to properly filter. (More plants on the bod pond in spring).

We're heading into rainy fall here so I'm not sure what else I can do. Maybe I'm overthinking it all. I do have pond salt at the ready if needed. Thanks!

 

[WaterGardener]

Thanks for the illustration. The light just has to be where water is continuously passing by it so it seems that set up is fine.

It would be good to clean out all the muck in the bottom of the pond. You can net it out or use a vacuum. Just go slowly and try not to stir it up too much. Hydrogen sulfide can build up in that muck and that is toxic to fish and people. So proceed carefully.

 

[ElKayHaus]

Thanks for the illustration. The light just has to be where water is continuously passing by it so it seems that set up is fine.

It would be good to clean out all the muck in the bottom of the pond. You can net it out or use a vacuum. Just go slowly and try not to stir it up too much. Hydrogen sulfide can build up in that muck and that is toxic to fish and people. So proceed carefully.

Thanks - we have tried to use our pondovac a couple times already this year and the head is so hard to control, we hardly know what it's up to, but will consider another pass for muck before winter. Thanks!

 

[j.w]

and welcome @ElKayHaus

 

[Tula]

I have the same skimmer and the UV light is meant to be behind the skimmer basket, with only a small opening to check to see the light is on. It's not good for your eyes to look at a UV light.