Green water

[Olcoach]

I have a 3200 gallon pond and I can't get the water clear. I have all the bells and whistles but the water is still so green I can't see my fish. I have an EVO55 UV light and the pond is still green. The pond guy I bought it from assured me that it would clear up the water but it hasn't (and yes the light works) and I'm about ready to give up. There is no business around here that I can hire to look at my pond. Any one have a suggestion that works I'll be forever grateful.

 

[morewater]

Know your volume, know your dosage.

This stuff works.

 

[sheribe]

I dose my pond monthly with barley pellets and also use Microlift bacteria monthly. I have a 1600 gallon pond. I very rarely have a problem with green algae. I use to use a biological filter with the plastic bio-balls but got tired of the cleaning aspect as I am getting older so I switched to a swimming pool type filter made for ponds. It is made by Little Giant and wonderful to use. Nothing to cleaning, Turn it off, turn the knob to back flush turn back on run a few seconds to clean it out then off again, back to filter and back on. So easy now to clean. All I have to do is scoop the leaves out. There is something in the barley that inhibits algae growth as the barley breaks down. I have been using both products for many years now. You need the bacteria to help eat out the bad stuff in your water your fish deposit. The fish deposit is what brings on algae. Also have you check your ph and other chemical levels. What is your nitrate levels? If those are not in sync, that can bring on the algae also. All the bells and whistles won't make the water clear. Just like in a garden, if you don't have the right mix of nutrients in your soil, your plants won't grow. Get a water testing kit and test your water. Good Luck

 

[morewater]

Barley and barley extract simply tint the water brown so as to reduce the amount of light penetration, thus reducing photosynthesis for the algae.

The original poster did not mention his filter type (skippy, pressure, bio, etc.), but merely wanted a "quick fix".

No water parameters were offered, No population numbers, types or size, either.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Barley and barley extract simply tint the water brown so as to reduce the amount of light penetration, thus reducing photosynthesis for the algae.

The original poster did not mention his filter type (skippy, pressure, bio, etc.), but merely wanted a "quick fix".

No water parameters were offered, No population numbers, types or size, either.

Also did not mention age of pond or level of plantings.

 

[sissy]

How many fish ,how often do you feed them ,water temps .and have you tested your water also size of fish and what kind

 

[Faebinder]

You need:
- more plants
- less fish
- less feeding
- better filtration
- all 4 above.

 

[sissy]

Sellers of pond equipment will sell anything and promise everything and there pockets get green just like your water .I use home made filters and plenty of aeration in my pond

 

[moby]

How long has the UV been operating? Is it a new bulb? It may well be working, as in it lights up, but it may not be doing an efficient job. Is the filter box overflowing so the water is bypassing the filter medium as in some box filters? Is the UV installed before the filter as that's the best place?
Can't see anywhere in the OP where a quick fix is asked for???

 

[sissy]

Well if you have green wate you must be asking what to do to resolve it. the uv is not enough some times .Water temps. at this time of year should be cooler and that means something is off in the pond like faebinder said .Something is wrong some where and that means testing the water first and then slowly checking things off .Not that they go on to other things on the list and soon you will solve the problem .Sometimes a quick fix may work just get to see what is going on in the pond .I saw one guy that was scrubbing his liner and had bad water and could not figure out why .

 

[mgmine]

There is something wrong with the uv light. Possibly the water is going through it too fast, possibly the bulb is bad, possibly it is not the right kind of bulb. UV will work within a few days and it is the only thing guaranteed to work. Check out the TMC Pro Clear light. Not cheap but not that expensive for something that will solve your problem.

 

[moby]

Mgmine, yes, as I said above, my initial guess is the UV. One other thing, does the filter need cleaning out? With the initial stages of trying to clean green water that sounds as thick as this, its amazing how much goo the filters can get bunged up with. They need to be relatively clear on order to strain out more, else as in the case of some types and I'm thinking box filters here, they will overflow and not work efficiently however much the UV's are clumping the algae. The pump could also be clogged or faulty...Is the flow reduced?

 

[budgenator]

That light should almost have your water sterilized, it handles 7,264 gph and your pond is half that.
How about some picture of all your pond and all those "Bells and Whistles" along with any model numbers or specifications. and some water test results like ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels, pH, pK, gH and phosphorous.
How many fish and how big and more importantly how much you feed them, your profile says 20 koi,10 goldies, 1 shubunkin, that a lot of fish for 3200 gallons!

 

[moby]

Almost three weeks since the OP, think they've forgotten they posted on here else they would have been back surely?

 

[gblazzo]

Try Ultimate Koi Clay. Its natural, inexpensive and it works fast. Just put in more than the instructions say. I bought it a year or so ago when i couldn't get rid of green murky water. I think the directions said 1 tablespoon per 1000 gal of water once a week. I followed the instructions and it never did any good. But early this summer I was talking to my local pond lady and mentioned my poor water clarity and she said use koi clay so i told her I had tried it with no luck. She asked how much I was putting in and she said don't follow the directions , put in a quarter cup, two times a week for a pond my size (1700 gallons). I did and within a few days it cleared right up. I've stuck with that regimen all summer and my pond looks clear as spring water. It makes all those super small, super fine particles clump together and it gets pulled into your filtration and caught there, instead of remaining so tiny and flowing right through it and back into the pond as it used to do. You just have to clean your filtration more frequently so it doesn't cause any problems clogging anything up, but that's only necessary until you get the bulk of it out, then it settles down and you can resume normal filter cleaning schedule again. Best of all its a natural clay that has minerals that are said to be good for koi, its not some chemical that your putting into your pond. Good luck!