Brown Water

[Mike Lewis]

I have a small pond in the garden which I dug over thirty years ago when my son was little. I am in no way a pond enthusiast as such although I love to watch the wildlife it contains. It is completely natural with no pump or other equipment but the water is brown. A few months ago, I repaired a couple of leaks and topped up with tap water and it remained clear for a few weeks. I’ve now tried to clear the water with Blagdons Pond Clear but it has made absolutely no difference. I mixed the required amount in a watering can with water from the pond and applied through a rose. I’ve now treated the pond three times but to no avail. Any ideas?

 

[brokensword]

my first thoughts are; a type of cyanobacteria, a brown algae, or tannins in the water. If brown but still transparent, it's tannins. Some algaes are brown but not usually the free-floating type. Cyanobacteria can be various colors but usually is blue-green. Without any water movement and/or aeration, this can happen with nature as she takes over. If you have no fish/wildlife that you worry about, you can clean and refill, but you'll probably get the green free-floating algae as it cycles again.

Other than that, anything get into the pond that isn't normal?

Generally, we don't promote putting ANYTHING re chemicals into the water; most of the time, they do more harm than good. There's usually reasons for problems and if you attack with natural in mind, it works better long term and is less harmful to anything living in your pond.

Hope this helps.

 

[poconojoe]

my first thoughts are; a type of cyanobacteria, a brown algae, or tannins in the water. If brown but still transparent, it's tannins. Some algaes are brown but not usually the free-floating type. Cyanobacteria can be various colors but usually is blue-green. Without any water movement and/or aeration, this can happen with nature as she takes over. If you have no fish/wildlife that you worry about, you can clean and refill, but you'll probably get the green free-floating algae as it cycles again.

Other than that, anything get into the pond that isn't normal?

Generally, we don't promote putting ANYTHING re chemicals into the water; most of the time, they do more harm than good. There's usually reasons for problems and if you attack with natural in mind, it works better long term and is less harmful to anything living in your pond.

Hope this helps.

Explain the glass test to the OP. Filling a clear glass or jar with pond water and let it sit.
I'm not positive on explaining it. I don't want to give the wrong info.

 

[brokensword]

@poconojoe I think it goes like this (never did it, never had a reason; we ARE boggers, right????)

You take a clear glass of pond water and let it sit. If the brown settles out, it's not tannins. If it remains brown, it's tannins. Tannins come from debris from various trees, if you have such around your pond. The prevention is to net at the prober time and keep such debris out of the pond in the first place.

 

[poconojoe]

@poconojoe I think it goes like this (never did it, never had a reason; we ARE boggers, right????)

You take a clear glass of pond water and let it sit. If the brown settles out, it's not tannins. If it remains brown, it's tannins. Tannins come from debris from various trees, if you have such around your pond. The prevention is to net at the prober time and keep such debris out of the pond in the first place.

Thanks. That's pretty much what I thought, but I didn't want to give out the wrong info.

Like you, I have never actually done that, just read about it here.