Kermit the frog water

[Melott]

I have inhereited this 50 gallon pond when I bought my house. I have 3 goldfish, a waterlily, floating plants, and I have a smart pond floating filter that has a uv and a fountain feature but I still have green pee soup algae. I can't see my fish unless there near to top of the water. I don't want to use a Chemical algae fighter but I don't know what to do. I'm worried I'm gonna kill my fish if I use a chemical algae fighter. Should I get a secondary uv machine like the green killer???? I need some help

 

[MoonShadows]

No...no...no! Tell us more about the filter...what brand...model, etc. How often do you clean the filter? How big are your fish? How much are you feeding them? Do NOT use a chemical algae fighter or get a secondary UV light. These things will NOT fix the problem...maybe only provide a temporary "solution" if that! Is your pond in full sun, partial sun, no sun? Do you have aeration? How much muck is on the bottom of the pond? Remember, even though you have thick green oea soup, that is probably bothering you more than your fish. Stay tuned for more input and questions from more experienced members, too. We'll get you on the right track.

 

[sissy]

Ho old is the uv bulb and is it working .

 

[Melott]

Thanks everyone. I now have a smartpond floating filter with uv light and a fountain. It's all in one and every part is working includeing the UV light. It has been in my pond for only a few days. I'm just not seeing any improvement. Before this I had a laguna pump filter with a fountain in it for the last 2 months. With that pump/filter I cleaned it every 3-5 days. until this week when I put the floating one in. My pond is in the full sun, which I know is a probably with algae. There are some banana trees that give it a little shade. I have 3 fantail gold fish. One fish is regular sized and the other 2 are babies. I feed them once a day and only alittle bit.
The pond has been there for 3 years and it and the original fish weren't taken care of. Now I have bought this house, so I'm trying to make it right. We couldn't get the pond to clear with just the regular laguna pump, so we emptied it out /cleaned it about a week ago. It was clear for 3 days. The bottom is clear, I have a hornwort plant sumeraged there. Just can't figure out what to do with this rebloom of algae, I would love to see my fish.

 

[MitchM]

If you emptied and clean out your pond only a week ago, your pond has not cycled yet.
You should do some water tests using a liquid test kit like the one API makes:
http://www.petmountain.com/product/...502771/api-pondcare-pond-master-test-kit.html

I would also disconnect the UV portion of that filter for now because the algae is probably protecting the fish from ammonia poisoning.

 

[Lisak1]

We couldn't get the pond to clear with just the regular laguna pump, so we emptied it out /cleaned it about a week ago.

And at that point, you started from square one. It's a hard concept for people to grasp sometimes, but your pond has to go through a complete cycle before it gets balanced. Part of that process may include pea soup water. Cleaning and refilling just starts you right back at the starting line. Another thing to remember is this is a very small pond - they can be much harder to manage than larger ponds as the balance is upset much more easily. Be patient. Remember the green water is A. helping, not hurting and B. your fish don't mind it at all. Are you sure it's 50 gallons? You have a lot of stuff in a very small space if that's the case.

We'd love to see pictures of your pond. We are a visual bunch! And welcome to the GPF!

 

[Melott]

This is half of it. From end to middle. I'll try to take a full picture of it when I'm home tomorrow. Does anyone thing I should try to put a stone aerator in it as well.?

 

[moby]

You could get the max volume of water in it if you filled it almost to the brim. I can see there's more capacity there that isn't being utilised at the moment, not only will it will benefit your fish by adding more space, it will slightly help in adding volume to a small pond which as Lisa rightly says fluctuate wildly in conditions, it will protect the preform too as they can degrade to some extent when exposed directly to the sun. Ponds also look much better when full.

Fresh rainwater collected in a clean container can be used to keep it topped up as it's so small. That would be better than adding tap water as that contains chemicals that encourage green water....but sometimes it's the only option ppl have, so in general tap water is treated with a specific product to neutralise the effects of the additives in it......a de-chlorinator which all good pond supply shops would stock.

You could also maybe build the soil level up a little more surrounding it and then set some flattish rocks around the edge, overhanging very slightly to disguise the edge of the preform. Some grasses planted amongst the rocks would also soften the edge and make it blend in and look more natural. They could also offer some shade which your fishes would also appreciate.

Seeing as the pond is in full sun, have you considered a solar aerator, one may work well for your situation? Don't know how much sun you get in your location, but I bet it's more than I do with my UK pond!

Just a few sugggestions and thoughts for you to consider.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our group! You will get a lot of good help from these great ponders!

 

[Melott]

News update. I cleaned all my filters out and I did the pond water test and everything was pretty normal. My PH is elevated but everything else is good. I have decided to put my old filter in with new filter and see if maybe that will help the algae. I have ordered a aerator for the pond that should be in tomorrow. As of this test I guess I will add a PH treatment to my shopping list. Here some picture of this, pond, and my blooms. Enjoy