Green pond, please help!

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Hi guys

New to this but desperately need some advice!

I have turned an old metal water trough from cattle into a pond, around 2000litres.

I have around 15 goldfish, multiple plants, lots of stones at the bottom, a decorative fountain and an ALL POND SOLUTIONS pump.

For the life of me I cannot keep the water clear! No matter what I try, special products, cleaning it out once and week, it always always goes pea green.

Can anyone help?! I did wonder if it was because the trough is metal, and the sun would naturally make the water go green, but I’m at a loose end now and would love to be able to see my fish daily again!

Thanks in advance 🐟
 
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Can you posts pictures? The algae is living on the nutrients from the fish waste, so you need to reduce the nutrients and increase the competition. I would cut the feed in half, rehome most of the fish, and add some plants to the trough.
 
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Thanks guys!

Attached a few photos, as you can see very green. I have plants, but can definitely buy more if it’s going to help.

I have an all in one pump / filter that does 2000l/h. I’ve also tried various products that claim to clear pond water, they work for a day or so then back to square one.

Hoping that rehoming some of the fish would be a last resort!
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j.w

I Love my Goldies
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Howdyfish.gif
and welcome @FayPeaches
So 2000 liters equal about 528 gallons in U.S
Think about 50 gallons for 2 fish is what I read online. Less is better for your water.
You need way more plants! Stay away from adding chemicals as they can do more damage then they are worth. A nice potted Sedge type plant can really help suck up extra nutrients and they are nice looking.
There are many other plants to choose from too.
 
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Thanks so much!

So far I have hornwort & lilies, are there any particular plants I should be looking out for?

Also, with the trough being metal the plants don’t have any soil to grow into, is this still ok? I have stones in the bottom, and have only purchased plants that come in a basket, but would floating plants work better?

Any advice is taken on board!

Want to try & give my fish the best life 🐟
 
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You need more filtration. Filters are usually rated at twice what they can actually handle, so you have about half of what you need, at the minimum. I'm a firm believer that you can't have too much filtration, so the more the better, at least twice what you have, but 4 times or more would be better, especially with the number of fish you have. If you have excessive filtration, you can pull off having more fish than is recommended, but it can still be risky. They grow quickly and may still overwhelm the system when they get larger.

More plants would help, too. Irises are good for filtering the water. Sedges are good, too.

I put all my pond plants in planters that can be anything from cat litter boxes to small plastic storage bins. Some plants are planted only in small rocks in those posts, some, like the irises, are in sand. Some people use plain, unscented cat litter, the cheapest kind available.

Having green water in a new pond is pretty common. Look up "New Pond Syndrome".

And, yes, please stop adding things to clear the water. That's only treating the sympton, not the problem.
 
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You need more filtration. Filters are usually rated at twice what they can actually handle, so you have about half of what you need, at the minimum. I'm a firm believer that you can't have too much filtration, so the more the better, at least twice what you have, but 4 times or more would be better, especially with the number of fish you have. If you have excessive filtration, you can pull off having more fish than is recommended, but it can still be risky. They grow quickly and may still overwhelm the system when they get larger.

More plants would help, too. Irises are good for filtering the water. Sedges are good, too.

I put all my pond plants in planters that can be anything from cat litter boxes to small plastic storage bins. Some plants are planted only in small rocks in those posts, some, like the irises, are in sand. Some people use plain, unscented cat litter, the cheapest kind available.

Having green water in a new pond is pretty common. Look up "New Pond Syndrome".

And, yes, please stop adding things to clear the water. That's only treating the sympton, not the problem.
Thanks so much, this is great advice, could you recommend what size filter I would need to upgrade too? And is an all in one pump / filter still a good enough machine to use? As I said complete beginner here so I’m in over my head looking at different filters!
 
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I'll chime in to sum up:

1. You need more plants. Lilies are pretty much useless when it comes to eating up pond nutrients. Try some floating plants if you can find them
2. You need fewer fish - or to feed them less
3. Stop using chemicals
4. Better filtration. While you may find a pump/filter combo that is rated for your gallons, it's likely not meant to filter a pond with fish

And then add a number 5. - no more clean outs! Every time you clean your pond you start. All. Over. Do 1 - 4 above and then put your patience practice mode into good use!
 
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I don't know anything about all in one filters, so maybe someone else can help you with that. But you should increase the filtration by 2, 4, or even 10 times what you already have if you can. As I said I don't believe you can have too much.

And pack the pond with plants. They will also help to filter the water. Many here use bogs for filtration where plants do most all the work of filtering the pond.
 
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You can set a potted papyrus and an elephant ear in there and they will help immensely. Potted mint is also good. I set mine on cheap plastic shelves, like those made for kitchen cupboards, with the top of the pots at or just below water level.
 

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