Can my water be too clean

[Bart]

My pond is about 4800 gals. 34" deep in the middle. About 50% is covered with water lilys. In addition there is also a patch of water hyacinths that covers about 16 sq ft of the surface. These water hyacinths have been in there about 2 months. They have multiplied very little. Yesterday I noticed that some of them are dieing. The water is pretty clear. I have around 50 goldfish ranging from 3" to 8" with the most being in the 4 to 5" range. I tested my water and PH is 8.0, the others, nitrites, ammonia and phosphate all read 0 ppm, My question is, could it be that the water is to clean and there is not enough nutrients in the water for the plants? If this is the case what can I put in the water to feed them that won"t cause a algae bloom.
Thanks
Bart

 

[addy1]

some people take them out and put them in a tub with some miracle grow for a day or so, then back into the pond. That gives them what they need.

 

[koidaddy]

Its interesting with all the plants that you have green water, you did mention you have almost clear water, is this a current pic?. Maybe the alge is taking most the nutes so the plants aren't getting as much. Do you have a boi-filter?

After looking again maybe its just the pic that looks green.

 

[Bart]

No this is not a current picture. THis was taken about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Since then the water has really cleaned up.
I do have a skippy type filter.

 

[j.w]

Could the fish be eating the roots as fast as they get them?

 

[Bart]

No this is not a current picture. THis was taken about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Since then the water has really cleaned up.
I do have a skippy type filter.

 

[koidaddy]

j.w. has a good idea. Do you notice any new root growth?

 

[fishin4cars]

Bart, Looking at your pond I don't think that style of pond can be over filtered or too clean. Koi keepers keep ponds that have no plants, fish only and are spotless clean.
I've seen ponds with plants that had lots of filtering and great growth so I think your original question is not the problem.
Here are some of the thinking's I have COULD be some of the problems,
Koi? If so they could be eating the roots right off the plants. But you mention goldfish only so I'm doubting that is the case.
Heat, Your in Texas and I know some areas in Texas can get extremely hot this time of year. 34" deep water should be ok but check the water temps, temps above 90f can cause issues with some plants however tropical water lilies like that kind of heat, hardies usually do better in slightly cooler water. (80f is about the max temp for hardies for maximum growth but they will survive, grow and bloom at higher temps just not as well.
carbon dioxide deficiency. Hard to believe that this could be happening in that well stocked of a pond but you could try adding oxygenating plants to see if it will help. Oxygenating plants produce oxygen in the day and carbon dioxide in the evening, they will usually take over the nutrients the algae like to feed on and out compete them for it. So do water lettuce and Hyacinths but they release the oxygen and carbon dioxide to the air not the water.
Last is what are your Nitrate readings, Plants feed off of nitrates but I have seen and heard where the nitrates were so high that it caused problems with the plants. Optimal Nitrate level for a fish/plant pond is nitrate reading of above 5ppm but no higher than 80ppm for plants, Fish should be as low as possible and I like seeing it below 40ppm for my fish/plant ponds.

 

[stroppy]

i have much the same problem ... they just dont seem to grow and have gone a little yellow, all have roots, and yes i think it might be because my water is too clean, also water hardness, i live in a very hard water area and i have read that plants dont grow so well in hard water

 

[Bart]

Bart, Looking at your pond I don't think that style of pond can be over filtered or too clean. Koi keepers keep ponds that have no plants, fish only and are spotless clean.
I've seen ponds with plants that had lots of filtering and great growth so I think your original question is not the problem.
Here are some of the thinking's I have COULD be some of the problems,
Koi? If so they could be eating the roots right off the plants. But you mention goldfish only so I'm doubting that is the case.
Heat, Your in Texas and I know some areas in Texas can get extremely hot this time of year. 34" deep water should be ok but check the water temps, temps above 90f can cause issues with some plants however tropical water lilies like that kind of heat, hardies usually do better in slightly cooler water. (80f is about the max temp for hardies for maximum growth but they will survive, grow and bloom at higher temps just not as well.
carbon dioxide deficiency. Hard to believe that this could be happening in that well stocked of a pond but you could try adding oxygenating plants to see if it will help. Oxygenating plants produce oxygen in the day and carbon dioxide in the evening, they will usually take over the nutrients the algae like to feed on and out compete them for it. So do water lettuce and Hyacinths but they release the oxygen and carbon dioxide to the air not the water.
Last is what are your Nitrate readings, Plants feed off of nitrates but I have seen and heard where the nitrates were so high that it caused problems with the plants. Optimal Nitrate level for a fish/plant pond is nitrate reading of above 5ppm but no higher than 80ppm for plants, Fish should be as low as possible and I like seeing it below 40ppm for my fish/plant ponds.

I got into my pond this morning and cut off all the dead leaves and stems from the hyacinths and noticed they all had a large mass of roots hanging down. So I dont think fish eating the roots is a problem.
My test kit does not have a test for nitrates so I don't know what that reading is.
At 2 PM the water temp was 86 deg.
I have 3 types of oxygenating plants anchored on the bottom and they are growing good.
I may have to feed them outside the pond.
Thanks
Bart

 

[addy1]

Mine have been from nice and green to yellowish back to nice and green without moving them. The ones in the small ponds are greener. As long as they have nice roots and are helping the pond I am happy. They seem to be touchy plants to keep nice, like being close to each other.

 

[CountryPond]

My water hyacinths have always done really well, but since I added the fish, I also salted my pond and the hyacinths don't do well with that. Do you have any salt in your pond.....also too much bright sunlight can burn them.

 

[addy1]

no salt ever in mine, full sun all day, no sun burn

 

[fishin4cars]

My water hyacinths have always done really well, but since I added the fish, I also salted my pond and the hyacinths don't do well with that. Do you have any salt in your pond.....also too much bright sunlight can burn them.

I'm sorry to say but hyacinths grow here in the saltwater to the point they block water ways, This is saltwater marsh area and the water hyacinths and water lettuce gro like wildfire. i use salt and they grow just fine.

 

[KurtG]

Sometimes the plants are lacking potassium. I think the Miracle gro dunk is probably the easiest. In my planted aquarium, I use potassium nitrate and potassium sulfate fertilize the plants.