How long has your pond been up & running? Things that cause green water: excess nutrients in the water and too much sun light. You have koi and they produce a lot of waste. Are you checking your water parameters: ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH? If your pond is still new, it may not have completely cycled. Can you check your water and get back with us with the results [actual numbers, not "normal levels"]? If the pond is in direct sunlight all day, providing shade [like with a shade sail] can make a big difference. Adding plants can help, as the plants compete with the algae for nutrients, however, koi are hard on plants. Water lilies can help shade the pond, but they aren't for removing nutrients. Also, do you have any aeration: airstones and air pump? That might help, plus you have a lot of koi in there, so any added aeration and water movement will help. Be sure you aren't over-feeding.
As to adding beneficial bacteria, most of us don't think that really helps. The bacteria that will eliminate fish waste are already there -- in the air, in the water, in the soil. They have to go through a "cycle" of stages, each one building on the others, and each one specialized in what it converts. And this process takes time for each stage to complete, so adding extra bacteria isn't going to hasten the process. The main ingredient is called patience!
If you're still having problems posting pictures, let us know and someone can walk you through it.
I was a Maternal-Child nurse. I worked mostly post-partum and high-risk antepartum, but did some L&D and Nsy. How about you?
Our pond has been up and running only about 5 or 6 weeks. I don't have other plants for two reasons, haven't been able to find any (got some from Ebay and they came in like snot..lol) been Sooooo hot, the we have a 150 gal. Stock tank as our filtration that has a thick growth of water celery on top. Thought that would help. Most of our koi are small (5-6 in) we do have about 4 that are large 12 in or so.
We do need bubbles at the end away from the waterfall. Would love any suggestions as to brands, pumps, diy stuff etc. I know we need tiny bubbles.
We are careful about feeding, the biggest problem we probably had around that issue is for a couple of weeks they didn't seem to eat at all...at least not while we were watching! The large ones do now. Feed what they eat in 5 min. 1X daily.
What is the "sail" thing you spoke of? Our pond has been baking!! It has been extremely hot and dry here for us. It gets tons of sun. I have put a bit of "shade" in the pond but not real dark. Pretty much gone now I think.
I was a pyschiatric/detox nurse. Usually supervision. Opened a crisis unit for our community mental health center and managed it for about 10 years. Did forensic psyc, adolescent, community mental health, medical detox. Lab tech prior to being a nurse and do you believe I haven't gotten a test kit yet??? Just ordered one. (We did lose my mother in law recently and have been trying to deal with various issues that come with that so.....I've had my hands full)
Interesting about the bacteria. Just watched a you-tube video of an English gentleman who filmed a 5 week trial with barley concentrate and algae, no help. His was very different than ours though, he had dark green thick ag. mostly on the bottom and sides etc but his water was clear as a bell. I can't even SEE our fish.
BTW, my mother in law did the exact same nursing you did for 40 years. Graduated from Christmas hospital (diploma) around 1942! She loved her babies. Personally, I lost 5 boys, preemies, d/t severe hypothyroidism, incompetent cervix. All died within a short time after birth. For ten years I had kids and have none to show for it. It was hell.
Well, any suggestions as to getting some bubbles and I'm going to work on pics! Ty
