Help!?!

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Hi

New to the forum so hi.
We have a problem with our pond.

Basically in our locality the rain brings a LOT of sand with it. The pond keeps getting filled with sand. The fish do not like it. This is not run-off as the people at the garden centre keep saying, it is nothing to do with the surrounding soil and the stones surrounding the pond, we've ruled it out. Why? Because every time it rains the vehicles in the street are covered in red sand, windows are covered in red sand and gutters are lined with red sand.

It's also not a local problem i.e. building works - sister-in-law lives 5 miles away and told us her windows had just been cleaned then were full of sand after the rain.

We keep having to empty and refill the pond. We left it a while before the most recent clean and it nearly killed all the fish - they were down the bottom gasping for air. We've invested in yet another filtration system which hopefully will help but the people at the garden centre down seem too sure that it will remove sand from the water - they seem to think we're crazy and don't seem to believe about the issue and the rain causing it.

2 weeks ago we spent an afternoon clearing the pond, refilling, standing etc, re-introducing the fish. 2 days ago it rains and we're back to square 1 - pond full of sand.

What are we to do?

MTIA
 

addy1

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Wow never heard of that either. Do you have some pictures?
 

koiguy1969

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if its falling with the rain..then covering the pond with a tarp, "tented" over it should keep the pond clean...at least if you try this and you still get it in the pond youve eliminated it as falling in the rain...it really sounds more like a silt or dust in the wind situation and the water and wet surfaces is giving it a place to collect.
 
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Here's a pic
brownpond.jpg


Not really sure if a tented tarp is viable - it gets quite windy here, things such as 8x8 wooden gazebos have been smashed to bits in the past.
 
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Until a couple of days ago it was clear - not long refilled etc. We had some rainfall, then this. Fish down the bottom again and not feeding.
 

addy1

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wow that is brown. Can you set up a mechanical type filtration, when it happens flip it on to suck out the sand, dust etc.
 
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The new filtration system I've got is a Hozelock one - also has a UV filter etc. Just in the process of wiring up. Don't know too much about it tbh but the guys at the centre recommended it. It's a 'Cyprio' which combines waterfall, fountain and filtration system but as I say the guys there were shrugging their shoulders re sand/grit.
 

addy1

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That looks like a nice filter, it may get clogged up fast with the sand dirt stuff. You might want to have a prefilter before your bio filter, even just a barrel that the water is drawn into upflow through some mesh type stuff that will collect the sand and dirt, then pulled out to your filter. check the diy section read up on prefilters, mechanical filters etc.
 
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OK, thanks, I'll check it out. Is what I've got a biofilter then? Inside it's got a piece of blue sponge and a million pieces of plastic that I've got to figure out how it all fits together.
 

addy1

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per the internet it is a mechanical, bio filter. If I looked at the one you have. I don't have any hands on knowledge of them.
 
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Just had a quick search - it's an 'Ecopower+'. As you say it says it's mechanical and biological. I guess mech is the sponge and bio is..no idea LOL. I'm going to have to learn about filters and pumps and what nots now aren't I ;)
 

addy1

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The million pieces of plastic is the bio, the bacteria will grow on them
 

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