Keeping water clear?

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Can someone tell me what is the best way to keeping your water clear between cleanings. Have tried different things but haven't found the exact thing that does the job i'm looking for.

Thank you
 
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Are you having algae problems or just murky? Try a UV sterilizer for algae and some type of mechanical filter for dirty water.
 
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I have a UV sterilizer as well built into my filter. I also add barley each spring. The biggest help is having enough floating plants to shade your pond and to eat the poo the fish make.
 
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You usually find it at any petstore. It's called Barley Extract. I does seem to work.
 
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The best way not to have algae is to have a lot of oxygen making plants in your tank. They will steal the CO2 from the algae and it won't be able to grow.

One thing you definately do NOT want to do is buy snails and put them in your pond. Your pond will be overrun.
 
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I agree don't add snails. Barley extract is not the same as the food. If you'll email with more details on how big your pond is and what seem sto be causing the problem I'll email you back with some more info. Thanks, Gail (e-mail address removed) We can also vistit the water treatments page of http:www.richdeer3pondsupplies.com
 
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There's also an alternative to keeping your pond clear, but it would cost some time for it to come into effect. Ever heard of Skippysstuff? http://www.skippysstuff.com/ This stuff ACTUALLY WORKS! I'm not joking or trying to advertise it or anything. I've build one for my 500 gallons pond, is is kinda small and gets green very quickly. The only drawback is that you have to wait 2-6 weeks for the filter to mature and the water will start to clear up. Also, UV's are pretty good, but they also kill some of the bacteria in the water need for your aquatic plants to live in, so I recommend Skippy's Stuff before purchasing a $500 UV light.
 
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An ultraviolet light. I have a 15x25 pond, 4' deep at one end, 3' in the middle, and 1' at the shallow end. My pump is 2500 gph with two streams and a series of waterfalls in each.

The UV light kills all green algae and any bad bacteria, and the water stays crystal clear right to the 4' bottom. I still get string algae in the streams and the fuzzy algae that sticks to the side, which is good for the pond but no pea soup.

These lights come in different sizes. There's a black plastic housing that the water flows through. Inside the housing is a long glass tube that the light bulb slides into. Doesn't use much juice, so it's not expensive to run. I leave mine on all year, but, I suppose you could just use it when you get green algae.

It's the best money I've spent for the results I get.

I've tried the barley and the chems, and at least for my pond, it was only a temporary fix that lasted a few days.
 

koiguy1969

GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
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using barley extract is far quicker than barley bails the bales have to break down,ferment, produce humic acids, and eventually turn to basically hydrogen peroxide,slowly to produce results. the extract eliminates this legnthy process that can take two months. and begins being effective in 7/10 days.pellets will turn your water brown, but are still faster than bales. all are most effective when started early in season before algea blooms begin. japanese trapdore snails and other live bearers dont present the problem of overrunning your pond like egg layers. but still need monitoring.
 

koiguy1969

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oh, and crowbar is definately right, u.v lights will clear the worste of blooms in no time, and keep it clear.a nine watt tetra pond u.v cleared my 500 gallon pond in 3 days and kept it crystal clear all season. once the water cleared, i ran it on a timer 6 hours a night, with its own dedicated pump into the filter. after a week 4 hours.
 

koiguy1969

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if you turn off you u.v for 24 hours when you add beneficial bacteria, you will give it time to set itself onto surface areas and further colonize. the only bacteria that a u.v kills is bad bacteria wich stays suspended in water or in the muck on the bottom. the death of the algea and bad bacteria actually creates food for your plants because the lack of the next round of algea that would normally feed on it.
 

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