Foam on the water

[Priscilla]

Pond is 4 months old
PH - 7.5
Ammonia - 0
Phosphates - showing up as a yellow color instead of a greenish color (could be a zero - hate these test). Matching the colors is not an exact science!
Nitrites - 0

This morning I noticed a small amount of foam spreading from the waterfall, I know its from organic build up. Its just a small amount at this time (picture attached). But nonetheless its there, better to deal with this before it explodes. So the question is, how do I deal with this?

I've been netting the bottom of the pond, cleaning filters weekly, small water changes every two weeks or so. I know there are a few leaves on the bottom, I can't get every one, but I'd say its pretty good.

There are some floating nets of water hyacinths, I suppose I could take all those out and clean them up and empty out the nets, I haven't done that in a few weeks.

What am I missing? What can I do?

One more thing - ponds are real time suckers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mucky_Waters]

What am I missing? What can I do?

A skimmer?

 

[crsublette]

Yeah, the foam is organic build up and foaming usually happens in the morning time due to the air's humidity and likely other variables. Foaming is inevitable to some degree since, even just from the fish waste momentarily being in the water, there will be an organic build up. As with anything, the matter of degree and its environment is what determines if organic build up will become a problem. In a particular pond environment, that is without plants and strictly oxidized or has little aeration, then this organic buildup can encourage microorganisms to quickly reproduce thus quickly consume the water's oxygen to the degree of organic build up. Initially, the foam just becomes an displeasing in the aesthetic sense, but, as mentioned before, if it is allowed to continue to build up, then it can cause problems.

You take them out with a protein skimmer (which is what aquarium folk call them) or foam fractionators (is what pond folk call them) or phoam phraxionators (if you're from California where everyone is "hip" )

Check out threads : 1) DOC and foam fractionators ; 2) protein skimmer ; 3) post#22 in UV or Not UV thread.


And for some reason... the "embed hyperlink" button is not working for me... so here are the direct hyperlinks.

1) DOC and foam fractionators https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/doc-and-foam-fractionators.12691/
2) protein skimmer https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/protein-skimmer.12062/
3) post#22 in UV or Not UV thread. https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/uv-or-not-uv.12471/page-2#post-182902

 

[Troutredds]

Exellent stuff Charles. I get a lot of foam production in our system from hyper trout and waterfall agitation, but it all collects in a skimmer box upstream of the waterfall filter.

 

[Priscilla]

Yeah, the foam is organic build up and foaming usually happens in the morning time due to the air's humidity and likely other variables. Foaming is inevitable to some degree since, even just from the fish waste momentarily being in the water, there will be an organic build up. As with anything, the matter of degree and its environment is what determines if organic build up will become a problem. In a particular pond environment, that is without plants and strictly oxidized or has little aeration, then this organic buildup can encourage microorganisms to quickly reproduce thus quickly consume the water's oxygen to the degree of organic build up. Initially, the foam just becomes an displeasing in the aesthetic sense, but, as mentioned before, if it is allowed to continue to build up, then it can cause problems.

Okay, lots of information there. Let me try to respond.

I don't have a skimmer. I won't be adding one for several reasons, bad planning, already have a bunch of money in the pond, no time, no clue how to do it.

Is this small amount of foam okay, if its just in the morning? I don't notice it by the afternoon.

I do have lots of plants in the pond, good aeration (from a fairly robust waterfall).

 

[crsublette]

Yeah, that small amount of foam is definitely quite fine. It should disappear later in the day. It is just a particular sign that should be kept in mind. If you can do good aeration, such as a bubble disc or something else of the sort to keep the water agitated, then you should not have any problems.


Unfortunately, there is only three ways to remove the stuff : 1) a slow major water change of 40% or higher ; 2) a debris skimmer and then you would have to scoop the foam out of the skimmer ; 3) a foam fractionator that I mentioned above.

For a thread that has somewhat better instructions on " How to Build a Foam Fractionator ", then check out the thread: the MINI phoam phrxionatie (http://www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?109010-the-MINI-phoam-Phraxionatie). Ethan25 at koiphen is a major DIY'er into these contraptions and he has created many useful threads on how to build them. So, look into the threads he has created since he has many interesting experiments with them and different ways to do them.

You could even convert a roof rain downspout into one of these devices. Simply attach a "rain downspout filter" (https://www.google.com/#q=rain downspout filter). Some how attach a gutter trap, or make your own, near the bottom of the gutter, that is around 4 inches or so above the exit inside the gutter. The trap is used so to hold the bio-balls. You don't want the trap at the very bottom, that is the exit of the gutter, since this would mix the foam back into the water instead of allowing it to be created so to be skimmed off. Then, do some plumbing so to pump the pond water into the top of the gutter and plumbing at the bottom so to allow the foam to escape and allow the water to enter the pond. It would actually even work better whenever it would rain due to how rainy weather is more adept at producing foam and the rain water will help it as well. Although, if doing this, then I would also add a carbon filter to the end of it, before water re-enters the pond, to ensure removal of any nasties that could be added due to water draining down a roof.


Also, the foam is nutritious for various plankton-ic microorganisms that help to keep your pond water healthy. Here is an article about the foams impacts in oceans. Sea Foam Lathers Up the Ocean (http://science.kqed.org/quest/2011/05/02/sea-foam-lathers-up-the-ocean/)

Even though it may sound counter intuitive to some, that is adding more plants (i.e., organic matter) helps to settle the organic matter to make the pond more clear, it is true that plants can help make the water to be more clear. The plants will help force some organic matter to settle in the water due to plants excreting agglutinins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agglutinin). The agglutinins, which kind of functions like a polymer or flocculant, helps to coagulate, which allows increased sedimentation of organic matter to the water's bottom or near the plant's roots so they can get extra nutrition from it.


Here is a picture of when it is not healthy... from another thread called "mounstrous foam" (http://www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?129325-monstrous-foam)

 

[Priscilla]

Lol! Okay, I will be SURE NOT to let it get to that state! Wow!

 

[morewater]

Looks to me like somebody doesn't like him, and fired some dish soap over the fence......

 

[Waterbug]

Foam can go away on it's own, but generally the small amount you're seeing is likely stick around. Very common.

A skimmer can reduce a build up of foam, but you'd still see some foam on the pond as it moves from the falls to the skimmer. And in extreme cases the amount of foam can overwhelm a skimmer, it can only hold so much.

Plants have no effect on foam because plants can only consume matter at the nutrient level. The stuff causing the foam is much larger. For a example, a leaf in a pond can't be consumed by plants. Bacteria have to first start eating up the leaf. As this happens the leaf starts falling apart and little chunks start floating around in the water. Bacteria continues to chew on those chunks and the chunks get smaller and smaller. When the chunks are a certain size they begin to act like soap and foam can be formed. As the chunks continue to get smaller they stop acting like soap. The chunks continue breaking down until they're so small they're nutrients plants can use. Actually the plants are using what the bacteria produce from eating the matter.

Foam fractionators are more of a way to reduce foam (amount and/or duration) rather than eliminate foam. The problem is if a fractionator is producing foam there's a good chance the falls will be too since a falls and a fractionator are basically the same. There can be a small window where the fractionator is producing foam and the falls isn't at all, but I wouldn't count on it. The amount of foam in the picture is a very small amount.

What I do is build a catch basin for the falls. That contains the foam there so you never see any foam at all on the pond. And if you like you can scoop the foam out of the basin should there be a build up, so it would act as a foam fractionator. I also like that I get 2 uses from the water flow for a single pumping cost. I get the look and sound of a falls plus the water flow is directed to the bottom to greatly improve O2 and sweep some of the bottom clean (acts as a free TPR). Makes cleaning easier if 1/2 the bottom stays clean.

The design looks like this:

In practice it looks like this:

As you can see there is some foam in the basin but zero in the pond. The basin also stops ripples on the pond surface which makes seeing the fish and rocks in the pond much clearer. Of course that depends on whether you want to be able to see fish and the bottom. Waterfall ripples can help hide liner wrinkles, muck, pipes, hoses, and such so some people say they like foam and ripples.

To install these in exiting ponds I lower the water level so I can mortar concrete block or rock on the bottom and build up. I put a couple of 3" pipes at the bottom for water to escape and sweep the bottom. Cost of materials is in the $20-50 dollar range. Pretty simple to build.

You can fill the basin with media to create a moving bed bio filter, but I don't like to.

Another option is to create a floating rim. Use a polyurethane foam (like Great Stuff) or insulation board (styrofoam or expanded polystyrene) or even styrofoam packing material. Mortar or glue rocks on top, make it U shaped like in the picture. Embed some rope at the ends to anchor to shore. Cost it around $6-10. Basically the same as a floating island, build instructions for these are around.

You won't get as much benefit of directing water to the bottom but you'll never have a bit of foam on the pond surface again. And that's a good thing imo.

 

[crsublette]

For clarification, the foam is created due to an increase in the surface tension so it is not that the "stuff causing the foam is much larger". In fact, when agitation is reduced, this "stuff" will dissolve back into the water so to be captured by other elements living within the water. Actually, much of the foam is created due to various organic decaying elements that was forced to be released back into a fluid state throughout the water. This is why significant agitation is required to break the weak coagulating bond, dispersing the remnants, so that they become trapped in the bubbles, increasing the surface tension, thus the foam is created. If these bubbles are not soon captured, then they quickly dissolve back into the water and the coagulation process starts over, which plants contribute to this weak bonding coagulation process.

This is why foam fractionators have an impact in cleaning the water. Sure, waterfalls, or anything creating agitation, will be creating this foam, but, once the agitation ceases and dependent on the surface tension bond, then the foam will soon dissolve back into the water so to be captured by the foam fractionators.

As shown in the picture, the reason why the foam still remains is due to the strength in the bubbles surface tension, which was likely created by some other compound or chemical once dissolved into the water.

This, that is the surface tension factor, is the main reason why fractionators, or protein skimmers, work better in marine salt water and why they are less efficient, although still doable, in freshwater. Water with a very high salt content has a much higher surface tension factor.

As the huge bubbles can be seen in post#6's picture, I bet that those huge singular bubbles were made possible due to the pond owner likely adding liquid pond products to the pond, which also increase the surface tension, or, as Morewater put it, someone launched dish soap over the fence.

 

[sissy]

Since my pond is new there is no organic matter and it breaks up and gets absorbed .No big deal for me .

For clarification, the foam is created due to an increase in the surface tension so it is not that the "stuff causing the foam is much larger". In fact, when agitation is reduced, this "stuff" will dissolve back into the water so to be captured by other elements living within the water. Actually, much of the foam is created due to various organic decaying elements that was forced to be released back into a fluid state throughout the water. This is why significant agitation is required to break the weak coagulating bond, dispersing the remnants, so that they become trapped in the bubbles, increasing the surface tension, thus the foam is created. If these bubbles are not soon captured, then they quickly dissolve back into the water and the coagulation process starts over, which plants contribute to this weak bonding coagulation process.

This is why foam fractionators have an impact in cleaning the water. Sure, waterfalls, or anything creating agitation, will be creating this foam, but, once the agitation ceases and dependent on the surface tension bond, then the foam will soon dissolve back into the water so to be captured by the foam fractionators.

As shown in the picture, the reason why the foam still remains is due to the strength in the bubbles surface tension, which was likely created by some other compound or chemical once dissolved into the water.

This, that is the surface tension factor, is the main reason why fractionators, or protein skimmers, work better in marine salt water and why they are less efficient, although still doable, in freshwater. Water with a very high salt content has a much higher surface tension factor.

As the huge bubbles can be seen in post#6's picture, I bet that those huge singular bubbles were made possible due to the pond owner likely adding liquid pond products to the pond, which also increase the surface tension, or, as Morewater put it, someone launched dish soap over the fence.

The soap part could be a mad or jealous neighbor who knows.I have one of my hoses with a ball valve on top of the water and it breaks the foam up real fast .People can be spiteful

 

[Troutredds]

The huge northwestern evergreens in our area produce copious amounts of pollen at this time of year. The pollen grains leave a yellow/green blanket of coarse ash-like dust on everything - including the surface of our pond. The biological tug-of-war between surface tension and particulate breakdown is definately on display here this spring. Thankfully our skimmer collects the resulting foam. Thanks to Waterbug and Charles, I now have a concrete explanation for what I see occurring. Thankfully, their posts are based in observed reality and not just regurgitated myth found on the internet.

 

[sissy]

I get lots of pollen turns everything green and never had a big problem with foam and the little bit of foam i have now I attribute to it being a new pond .Lots and lots of pines here .I guess it all depends on what is filter the pollen out also .I keep heavy quilt batting in my crates during pollen season .

 

[Waterbug]

For clarification, the foam is created due to an increase in the surface tension so it is not that the "stuff causing the foam is much larger".

For clarification, the foam is in fact caused by organic matter of a specific size, 0.22 to 0.7 micrometers depending who you ask. The general term is dissolved organic carbon or dissolved organic compounds. This material is responsible for decreasing (not increasing) the surface tension which allow the foam to form. It is the size of the material that allow it to act as a surfactant (soap). It's the same as adding soap to water will decrease surface tension.

When these bits are larger they're called particulate organic carbon. As bacteria break them down more they become dissolved organic carbon and only then act as a surfactant. Break down more and they no longer act as a surfactant.

So saying the surface tension is in some way responsible for foam is kind of like saying if I hit my thumb with a hammer that the hammer is responsible for the action. It certainly would be sort of true, in a weird way, but I would consider myself to be the responsible party. Otherwise we could say lots of things causes the foam, air, water, gravity, bacteria, sun, etc. Not very useful.

Didn't have time to read the rest.

 

[Waterbug]

Pollen is very large compared to dissolve organic carbon which cause foam, generally about 1,000 times larger. The smallest know pollen is 8 to 27 times larger than dissolve organic carbon. So pollen would have to be broken down by bacteria a lot before causing foam.

The biggest source of dissolve organic carbon in our ponds has to be decomposed algae imo. I've seen many posts that point the finger at pollen and spawning, things we can see. But the smart money is on boring decomposing algae as the primary factor.