All of a sudden my pond is green

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So the temps out here have been warm. Since they have been warmer. And my pond is in direct sunlight. I have been putting algaefix and barley max in my pond. To reduce the algae. I hate the blue dye! As well as vacuuming it! Well yesterday it just turned green! Now my koi haven’t eaten anything but worms for the last week. They usually will eat their food everyday and I let my neighbors kids come over with a handful of Cheerios about once a week. And they haven’t touched it! After doing my research the algaefix can make fish not want to eat!!! ( I’m not using that anymore) Now I was just about to order pond shock cause I don’t know what else to do). I need some advise. So I’ve had this pond for a couple years. But last year I was leaking water cause a chipmunk ate my waterfall liner and I was filling my pond up a lot!! Like I was losing 600 gallons a day!!! Yeah don’t ask me what my water bill was. I didn’t know the problem till this year. Cause I waited for the winter to make sure it held water and it was just the falls and not the whole liner. So I was filling up my pond twice a day.. so I never had water issues. Now that I do, I don’t know what to do. Help!
Thank you
 

mrsclem

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First thing to do is stop adding chemicals. So many people come to this forum because their fish died after they added one chemical or another- usually algaecide. Do you have any plants in your pond? Lots of plants will help with the green water. It's not bad for the fish! What type of filtration do you have?
 
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Agree with @mrsclem. Lots and lots of plants to starve out the algae. It's the safest most natural way to combat algae blooms.

You could also put up something that will shade the pond from the direct sunlight.

No chemicals, please. Algecide has been known to kill fish.
No pond shock either. That's a waste of money.

You need to shut down the waterfall until you get the leak fixed.
If the falls is the only place water returns to the pond, then disconnect the hose feeding the falls and temporarily reroute it directly into the pond.
 
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First thing to do is stop adding chemicals. So many people come to this forum because their fish died after they added one chemical or another- usually algaecide. Do you have any plants in your pond? Lots of plants will help with the green water. It's not bad for the fish! What type of filtration do you have?
Yes I do have plants in the pond. I need to find a place that has more. I don’t know what they’re called but I got them about two weeks ago. I also have the pond master filter. The pump on it is for the size of my pond. It is not the pump that goes with the pond master. I got the pond with the house and it looks like the old owners found a bigger pump.
Agree with @mrsclem. Lots and lots of plants to starve out the algae. It's the safest most natural way to combat algae blooms.

You could also put up something that will shade the pond from the direct sunlight.

No chemicals, please. Algecide has been known to kill fish.
No pond shock either. That's a waste of money.

You need to shut down the waterfall until you get the leak fixed.
If the falls is the only place water returns to the pond, then disconnect the hose feeding the falls and temporarily reroute it directly into the pond.
I just bought more pond plants literally have them in a bag next to me in the car. No more chemicals!!!! My waterfall is fixed. I fixed it as soon as I figured out why I was losing so much water. Now that I’m not adding water so much I’m having problems
 

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Glad you found and fixed the leak. That's a big plus!

When you say "I'm having problems ", I guess you are referring back to the green water.

Green water (algae bloom) is nature's way of correcting the imbalance. You have a lot of excess nutrients that occur from fish waste and because you don't have enough or possibly any plants to feed on the nutrients, nature provides the algae to do that.
Your water may not clear up until you add lots of plants and they have time to take hold and mature.

Nature won't give you instant gratification.
So, you'll need patience.
 

addy1

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What about a water change? Like taking 200 gallons out? Or just leave it alone?
I would leave it alone, let it settle down, let the plants grow . I have never used a UV and never have green water, but I have a ton of plants filtering my ponds.
 
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duck weed it will cover the pond algae will fade let plants grow
 
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You could change out some water, but chances are that new water will just turn green.
You need to get at the root of the problem. You need plants to compete with the algae.

Floating plants work two fold. They thrive on the excess nutrients which starves out the algae, and they give surface cover, blocking sunlight from getting to the algae.
They are the easiest plants to add. Just toss them in. Plus they grow fairly quick.
Water lettuce, water hyacinths, duck weed, fairy moss, there are many floating plants.
 
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I've had my 3500 gallon pond for 12 years and fought algae every way possible year after year. I finally retrofitted a UV light system and believe it not, I finally have clear water. I'm so mad I didn't do this years ago. Yes, I know it possible using some magic combination of plants and what-not, but this is 100% easier
 
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I've had my 3500 gallon pond for 12 years and fought algae every way possible year after year. I finally retrofitted a UV light system and believe it not, I finally have clear water. I'm so mad I didn't do this years ago. Yes, I know it possible using some magic combination of plants and what-not, but this is 100% easier
easier yes, but have you located the reason for the green water? Killing the free floating algae won't stop it from coming back if you have not found the source. Typically, overstocked and under-filtered, over-feeding, and a lot of debris decaying on the bottom. That's why many here use bogs; you don't kill anything beneficial and it gives you clear and healthy water with only an initial setup expense/labor. UV won't cure your problem.
 
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I actually have it all under control!!!!! I changed out about 200gallons to get some of the chemicals out of there and some green water. added about 6 more plants and I added a 2nd filter lol.and vacuumed it again. So my water goes through two filters before going back into my pond the other filter has a uv sterilizer. I also put the one filter into the deeper section of my pond.which is further away from the waterfall. So it’s not the same water getting refiltered over and over. The water turned clear within 2 days!!! My koi are eating again, acting normal and I can see them!! No more chemicals for me!!! Thank you all for your help!!!
 
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easier yes, but have you located the reason for the green water? Killing the free floating algae won't stop it from coming back if you have not found the source. Typically, overstocked and under-filtered, over-feeding, and a lot of debris decaying on the bottom. That's why many here use bogs; you don't kill anything beneficial and it gives you clear and healthy water with only an initial setup expense/labor. UV won't cure your problem.
The reason for the green water is the sun. More than once, I filled an empty pond with fresh clean water and watched free floating algae quickly start to invade. I've never had fish. UV has already cured my problem.
 

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The reason for the green water is the sun. More than once, I filled an empty pond with fresh clean water and watched free floating algae quickly start to invade. I've never had fish. UV has already cured my problem.

It’s not the sun it’s the nutrients in the water with nothing to consume them. If it were the sun everyone that has a pond would have green water all the time. Your fresh clean water out of your tap isn’t as clean as you think, most have nitrates and phosphates present in their source water, which fuels algae blooms. All new ponds have the dreaded green water phase also known as new pond syndrome, will always happen as the pond is esablsih8ng the base of the food web (phytoplankton) and starting maturing process. If left alone it will clear on its own, at least initially.

Great that the uv light works for you, but definitely not easier than using plants. Unless you are going for a water feature without fish and plants....
 

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