Dirty water again

[Donna F]

Hi All,

My pond is about 12 years old and about 5000 gallons.

When I originally dug the pond, I had a hard time finding an affordable liner large enough so I used a tarp.

Of course it leaked – slowly, but still leaky - so I set up a float level to a water hose to keep the water level consistent.

It has been a learning process and I have changed things as needed trying for the right set up.

Last fall a hole developed in the tarp and the leak became a problem. I purchased a better liner and basically started over.

Now the pond does not leak. I have turned off the hose and if I get thru this summer without needing to add water, I will remove the whole float system.

I have one Tetra Pond Debris-Handling Pump, Energy Efficient, UL Listed, Up to 4,000 gallons attached directly to the waterfall.

I have one Tetra Pond Debris-Handling Pump, Energy Efficient, UL Listed, Up to 4,000 gallons that flows thru a UV filter and a mechanical filter with balls for growing beneficial bacteria and 3 levels of foam filters, then to the waterfall.

I have one VIVOSUN 8190 GPH Submersible Water Pump 500W Ultra Quiet Pump with 20.3ft Power Cord High Lift for Pond Waterfall Fish Tank Statuary Hydroponic that flows thru a skimmer filter to the waterfall.

For algae growth I use the UV light and I have barley bales around the edge. I also treat the water with peroxide when needed. When all that is in place and working properly, green algae is kept at bay for the most part. In the summer in SC I'm not convinced it can be totally eliminated.

I do not have a bog. When I started, I didn’t understand how to do it or the importance of having one. Since then, I have resisted adding it. Dirty water has been a constant fight – an on and off problem. I won’t go thru all the steps I tried to take care of that, but before the leak developed, the water was clear and my filtration seemed to be working well. I thought maybe I had finally figured it out.

But now the dirty water is back with a vengance. Black gunk seems to settle or grow on everything and the water is cloudy and dark.

This has become a huge problem really quickly after replacing the liner. All my reading, including a lot of posts on this site, keeps bringing me back to needing a bog filter. Makes me wonder if my leaky tarp/liner and the plants that had grown into the pond had a kind of natural bog effect. Regardless, I guess it’s time for me to add one now.

I’ve been looking at options for adding one to an existing pond and trying to understand how it works.

I’m hoping to get some advice from the experienced pond owners here.

I’m just a grandmother who took this on alone as a DIY backyard project, so I need to keep the expense and hard manual labor to a minimum. No digging LOL – this pond is as large as it is going to get.

Buying another pump is not out of the question, but I don't need it. I’m thinking I can tie into the one that goes straight to the waterfall if necessary.

I have a ledge/step about halfway down that runs around the shallow end of the pond. It’s not a consistent height or level, but I think I can use it.

My question – after the obvious “will a bog help solve my problem?” is:

Instead of building a structure to hold the bog, can I just line the step with large planters or maybe laundry baskets (better water flow) to hold plants? I will use gravel and screen wire to hold that and any dirt I need, and allow the water to naturally flow thru. Will that give me what I need? Or do I need to use a more structured set-up with a pump to force water thru?

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[Mmathis]

One observation — it won’t cure your problem, but might help you understand about a pond’s ecosystem. When you changed the liner, you were removing a good proportion of the biofilm that supports beneficial bacteria. It will take a while for this little ecosystem to stabilize, but it’s not a bad thing — just something that happens that we call ”new pond syndrome.” And yes, a bog with plants will help in the long run and in the short run (is there such a thing as a “short run”?).

As to bog-building, I will leave that up to our creative experts here to give you advice. Yes, it will be possible….I’m just not the one with the brain to figure it out.

 

[mrsclem]

Looking at your photos, it looks like the edge of the pond is right at ground level. Is it possible you are getting runoff from your yard when it rains?

 

[Mmathis]

Looking at your photos, it looks like the edge of the pond is right at ground level. Is it possible you are getting runoff from your yard when it rains?

Good point!

 

[Donna F]

Looking at your photos, it looks like the edge of the pond is right at ground level. Is it possible you are getting runoff from your yard when it rains?

The pond is kind of on a mound - the ground around it slopes off, so I don't think I'm getting any runoff. And the liner laps over the edge under the blocks which are just barely lower than the lip around the pond. I'll check that out next time it rains just to make sure there are no problem areas. Thanks

 

[Lisak1]

What a pretty pond!

One thing I notice right off the bat is no plants in the pond - that would help as much as a bog to clear up the water. It's an amazing process to witness - when you put a bare root plant into the pond and leave it for a season, you'll find that it's collected it's own ball of dirt around itself. Multiply that by the many plants you can add to a pond and you'll have a much "cleaner" pond.

I do also think you may be getting run off from the surrounding area. Your liner should be several inches higher than the surrounding dirt to keep that from happening. Yours appear to be at ground level in at least several spots.

One thing to remember - the water not being clear won't bother your fish one bit. It's just an issue for you.

 

[GBBUDD]

you also had a leak and automatic water valve . This is a constant water change clearer water . No more leak no more water changes. Now the dirty water collects and does not get diluted

 

[Donna F]

Thanks everyone for the fast responses and the good advice. It all makes sense and fits with my personal experiences.

I checked the layout closer and I guess you are right about the runoff. I was so sure that was not the case, but now that I specifically look for that, I see what you are talking about. Looks like I will have to dig after all - ugh. But not too much I think - I think there is just one problem area and I can direct the runoff away without too much trouble - at least I hope. Or maybe I'll just build a little wall there.

I have one water lily that, at one point, covered over half the pond. I cut it back drastically and reset it inside the new liner. It is still recovering.
Before the rebuild I had lillies and ground cover around the pond and they were growing over the edge and into the pond.
I had to uproot them all to lay down the new liner. They are now planted around the edge, but are not in the water.
I now have blocks around the edge, and the roots wouldn't be able to grow thru the liner like they did thru the tarp.
I need to fix that - maybe with pots around the edge - maybe get rid of the blocks?
I attached a couple of pics of the pond before the change.

Thanks again for the advice. I feel like I have some direction now and an idea of what to try.
Keep it coming.
It's going to be 100+ degrees all week so I guess summer is here.
I won't be doing too much outside until it cools some, so it could be a while before I start on any major changes.

This is a great place to brainstorm. I get new information and ideas, but it also helps to hear others verify what I'm thinking and reading here and other places - gives me the confidence to move forward with plans that I am considering. I knew nothing about ponds when I started and, years later, I'm still figuring it out as I go. I started this project the year after my husband died and it's been my go-to distraction to get thru the hard times. Engineering and hard work does wonders for the attitude.

 

[Donna F]

What a pretty pond!

One thing I notice right off the bat is no plants in the pond - that would help as much as a bog to clear up the water. It's an amazing process to witness - when you put a bare root plant into the pond and leave it for a season, you'll find that it's collected it's own ball of dirt around itself. Multiply that by the many plants you can add to a pond and you'll have a much "cleaner" pond.

I do also think you may be getting run off from the surrounding area. Your liner should be several inches higher than the surrounding dirt to keep that from happening. Yours appear to be at ground level in at least several spots.

One thing to remember - the water not being clear won't bother your fish one bit. It's just an issue for you.

You are right about the fish. Early in the project, the water got so nasty at one point that I could not see any fish at all - ever. I was sure they had all died. I eventually had to drain the water to clean it and all my fish were all there - happy and healthy in the gunk at the bottom.

 

[Lisak1]

You are right about the fish. Early in the project, the water got so nasty at one point that I could not see any fish at all - ever. I was sure they had all died. I eventually had to drain the water to clean it and all my fish were all there - happy and healthy in the gunk at the bottom.

Yup - the clear water is for us... they probably prefer the cover of the murky water!

When you finish your edges - however you choose to do that - you want your liner to come up BEHIND the edging rock (or block or stone or whatever) and get folded down behind. Then you back fill with dirt. That way you have a barrier of liner to keep runoff from finding it's way under your edging and back into the pond.

 

[mgmine]

Do you have a skimmer? If so, put some batting in to filter the water. If not get a small utility pump and a small bucket and put some batting in the bucket. Pump the water into the bucket and let it run out the bottom back into the pond. Clean the batting out every couple of days.

 

[poconojoe]

Add lots of plants. They are an essential part of your ecosystem.

Yes, you can use the shelf you have to place plants on. It's best to have them bare root. No pots. You can plant the roots directly in gravel or use rocks to hold them in place. If that's not possible you can use mesh planting bags. You can buy them or make them from nylon screening. The mesh will allow the roots better access to the nutrient rich water. A lot of us use pure clay kitty litter as a medium instead of soil. Get the cheap kind without any additives, just pure clay. The clay is also healthy for the water.

Also, if not prohibited where you live, you can throw in floating plants. No pots or soil needed, just toss them in and they help a lot with water quality.

Also, you can stick pieces of Parrot's Feather in between the rock edges with their roots in the water. Add as many as you can.

I agree with @GBBUDD. You were getting constant water changes previously with that hose setup. I dont know if that was actually a good practice though. I dont do water changes, but some do.

Plants and more plants is probably your best bet.

 

[Donna F]

I've decided to rent a skid-steer to move the dirt and level around the pond so I won't have any runoff problems.

I cleaned out my big filter with 3 layers of filter material. It was aweful - the worst I've ever seen it with big clumps of black gunk, and I've waited longer between cleans.

I started adding plants. I'm using pots filled with gravel. I thought about using concrete blocks to make a wall to hold the gravel on the ledge, but I'm not crazy about that idea. I have plenty of plants and plenty of gravel, but I'm going slow. I may need to change the plan. Right now, when the pond is full, the top of the pots are right about at water level, but when it goes down they stick up out of the water. Doesn't look great. I'm sure it will get better when the plants fill out again.

My water lily is blooming, after all the trama I put it thru last year. It's indistructable.

I'm leaking water again. I found some punctures in the liner around the edges. Looks like claw marks. We have cats and there are lots of stray dogs and cats running around. Plus all the wildlife. I patched what I found but I'm still losing water. I don't know if there are more leaks or if it's evaporation and splash from the waterfall. I have a float level hooked to the water hose. I was hoping I could get rid of that, but I guess not.

I haven't decided how I want to finish around the edges this time. I need a way to discourage the animals from clawing the liner.

It's a work in progress.

 

[Faebinder]

As poconojo said... you need plants. If you dont have space for them in the pond, which is the case i bet, then you need a bog.

 

[Donna F]

What do you know about the pond die that I'm seeing ads for.
If it works like the ads, I like it. The blue water may not be clear but at least it won't look like dirty swamp water.