I need some help - Please

Koiandturtlepond0000

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sorry koi we pond napped your thread .Was wondering on that metal could it be causing some of your problems also .I started to look at it better and just wondered .Do you have a liquid test kit .

That sounds an interesting idea actually.. No i haven't, where would i get one from? Supermarket?
I would say the metal has been there for just over 10 years now..
Any idea exactly what i would be testing for or what change it might do?

Thanks for the help by the way, Sissy and Talal101, hopefully i can sort my pond out with your expertise!
 

sissy

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the test kit I use is API .It tests for ph,nitrite ,nitrates ,ammonia and phosphate .You may have fertilizers or something being washed into the pond also by rain .Like here I am seeing a lot of pollen
 
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I think the UV light will help some. Definitely get an air pump going. Do you have any splash / movement in your pond...it looks very still.

Although not pleasing to we humans, the fish actually don't mind the green water:)
 
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Hi Talal101, thanks, yes i have actually got a fake heron next to the pond (you can just see it in top left of 2nd picture), it doesn't do much. Our heron literally goes from pond to pond in the area.. so i think its caught on.. haha!

Anyway, i will try and get an aerator in the next couple of days thanks..
I agree the net is a eye sore, but if I'm honest there is very little to see at the moment haha, so i will sort the net after the water clears up a bit.

Silly me! how did I miss that fake heron, it is very possible he has caught on.....you could try a motion detecting sprinkler although I am not certain if it has to be built in or not and how/where you can get it from. LOL agreed, sort out the water and then sort out that net/cage!

That sounds an interesting idea actually.. No i haven't, where would i get one from? Supermarket?
I would say the metal has been there for just over 10 years now..
Any idea exactly what i would be testing for or what change it might do?

Thanks for the help by the way, Sissy and Talal101, hopefully i can sort my pond out with your expertise!

You can get one from probably any aquarium/fish store. You can even take a sample to the fish/aquarium store and they will test it for you and tell you if something is up. Speaking only for myself here, I am far from an expert, I have been keeping fish for 14 years though so I have gained a lot of experience from trial and error. You are very welcome, these forums are founded on the principal of people helping people so sissy and I love to help!
 

Koiandturtlepond0000

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I think the UV light will help some. Definitely get an air pump going. Do you have any splash / movement in your pond...it looks very still.

Although not pleasing to we humans, the fish actually don't mind the green water:)

Hi Tula,
Not really, I've raised the filter feedback tube more now though, to create a bit more splash.
It has made quite a bit more movement in the pond.
 

Koiandturtlepond0000

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I see the fountain bath and hose or cord up to it but it is not enough .

So, i am going to get a pond aerator after this Bank Holiday Weekend (all shops closed), is there anything else i need to make the pond more aerated?
Thanks
 

Koiandturtlepond0000

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Silly me! how did I miss that fake heron, it is very possible he has caught on.....you could try a motion detecting sprinkler although I am not certain if it has to be built in or not and how/where you can get it from. LOL agreed, sort out the water and then sort out that net/cage!



You can get one from probably any aquarium/fish store. You can even take a sample to the fish/aquarium store and they will test it for you and tell you if something is up. Speaking only for myself here, I am far from an expert, I have been keeping fish for 14 years though so I have gained a lot of experience from trial and error. You are very welcome, these forums are founded on the principal of people helping people so sissy and I love to help!

I will probably take a sample to my local fish store then.
In comparison to me, you are probably an expert haha
 

Koiandturtlepond0000

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I will get on and try and get the aerator and quilt batting soon. I will let you know how i get on and post pictures soon. Hopefully the new filter and pump should work well.. Been told it will probably take a month to clear apparently. I'll let you know what my water tests show me as well!
Thanks for the help!
 
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First of all, your pond is too small for all those koi. The "standard advice" is that a pond that contains koi should be at least 1000 gallons and that you should provide at least 300 gallons per koi. I know they are small now, but they become big very quickly. If you keep the same number of goldfish and cut down to two koi, it should be workable. This is not the cause of your green water, but it certainly helps to keep it green.

Secondly, you are seriously underfiltered. A good rule of thumb is that the pump should claim to turn over at least 2 times the volume of the pond per hour. Your pump claims less than half that. You have a good pump for a 350 gallon pond. The filter claims to be suitable for "1000 gallon max pond size." What that means is that this filter is inadequate for any pond over 1000 gallons, even if it doesn't have a fish in it. While this is not exactly false advertising, it is certainly intended to deceive, and virtually all of us fell into that trap when we started. The company's more detailed description says the filter is suitable for ponds from 250 to 1000 gallons. The 250 gallons is for ponds with lots of fish like you have. Underfiltration contributes to green water.

I agree with the recommendations others have made to aerate the pond, to plant some water lilies, and to filter the water through quilt batting.

I disagree with using anything other than covering the pond when you already have a heron visiting. If it is physically possible for that bird to get the fish, it will do so despite noise, water, or other discomforts. These all might work on a bird that has never fed from your pond. I actually find the grid interesting as is, but if you paint it black, it will be quite inconspicuous.

My additional recommendations are:

decrease the number of koi, this can be by a few each year if you can't bear a huge rehoming;
get another pump as large or larger than the one you have now,
use that pump to feed a DIY barrel filter or, better, a bog filter.​

Our addy1 is the web guru of bog filters, and many have followed her example, so you can get plenty of help here. I have never heard of a pond with a properly-constructed bog filter that has green water. Plus, a bog filter grows big beautiful plants that are an asset to your landscape.

Finally, a request. Please give us a location. Climate makes a big difference in how one maintains a pond.
 

Koiandturtlepond0000

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Secondly, you are seriously underfiltered. A good rule of thumb is that the pump should claim to turn over at least 2 times the volume of the pond per hour. Your pump claims less than half that. You have a good pump for a 350 gallon pond. The filter claims to be suitable for "1000 gallon max pond size." What that means is that this filter is inadequate for any pond over 1000 gallons, even if it doesn't have a fish in it. While this is not exactly false advertising, it is certainly intended to deceive, and virtually all of us fell into that trap when we started. The company's more detailed description says the filter is suitable for ponds from 250 to 1000 gallons. The 250 gallons is for ponds with lots of fish like you have. Underfiltration contributes to green water.
Finally, a request. Please give us a location. Climate makes a big difference in how one maintains a pond.

Hi Shakaho,

I appreciate the advice. It is something i may think about doing, but a fairly expensive solution after i had just bought the new pump and filter last week.
Just a note, but i have checked and the Fish Mate Pond Pump 7000 claims 1560gph (7100LPH) which i know taking into account that is its max rate and it is still not 2 times the pond volume per hour.. But i don't believe it is too bad... Some people have told me half the pond every hour...

I do accept that the filter is too small i think. The people in the shop suggested it for my size pond, thats why i got it.. But i think i may get another one of that size or maybe a bigger one- the 15000 maybe!

Thanks for the advice,
I am from the UK (*boooo*)
 
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I will get on and try and get the aerator and quilt batting soon. I will let you know how i get on and post pictures soon. Hopefully the new filter and pump should work well.. Been told it will probably take a month to clear apparently. I'll let you know what my water tests show me as well!
Thanks for the help!

Alright, good luck with that! let us know how it goes.
 
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Hi Shakaho,

Just a note, but i have checked and the Fish Mate Pond Pump 7000 claims 1560gph (7100LPH) which i know taking into account that is its max rate and it is still not 2 times the pond volume per hour.. But i don't believe it is too bad... Some people have told me half the pond every hour...

Oops. I must have put in the wrong number when I searched for the pump. Sorry. That pump is OK.

What people told you was at the slow turnover limit of the recommendation of a turnover every 1/2 to 2 hours. It would be suitable for a large pond. A small pond or a heavily stocked pond should be toward the opposite limit.

The manufacturer's claim is based on the rate at which water comes out of the pump with nothing attached to it -- no hose or filter to provide friction. Under real pond conditions, the turnover is usually about half of the claim, at least on the ones I have measured.

You can split the flow from that pump into two filters. You really should look into building a filter. It sounds scary, but it isn't hard and is very inexpensive. Take a look at the DIY forum.
 

Koiandturtlepond0000

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You can split the flow from that pump into two filters. You really should look into building a filter. It sounds scary, but it isn't hard and is very inexpensive. Take a look at the DIY forum.

Would that work, would it not decrease the flow for each filter then? If so, it would probably be better getting a new pump as well wouldn't it?

The thing is about building my own filter is that it just wouldn't really fit in from the ones i have seen people build themselves on here.. There is no way i could get a waterfall to feed into the pond.. Thats why the pond mate filters are great, i can dig it into the small rose bed (just) next to the pond! You can see it in the top right of the picture - quite inconspicuous behind some roses..
I will have a look for some more ideas of how i could fit one in..
Thanks
overall pond pump.jpg
 
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Is it possible something could be done with the statue / fountain, on top of your grating? Perhaps it would splash some water down, looking very nice and creating water movement and aeration ?

I too, use a commercial type filter, as I hide it behind a hydrangea bush:)
 

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