Need a LOT of advice! Algae, sludge and a messed up waterfall!

[Jenn812]

So I originally posted a thread regarding algae and sludge removal products. It lead me to further investigate what exactly is going on with my pond.

A little background. We inherited this pond in the summer of 2014 when we bought our house. We received NO instructions on how to care for it and it was very obvious the previous owners did not care for it at all.

The pond is ~1800 gallons or so according to my measurements and does have fish in it. The fish are very alive and well and seem to be multiplying!

Right now the pond is full of algae and sludge. I purchased a hose/water pressure powered pond vac last year but had limited success getting the sludge out. I have purchased Sludge Away and AlgaeFix for use this year.

The pond has a skimmer box with a new pump we purchased last year when the old one totally died. The "waterfall" appears to be no more than a barrel turned upside down with the side cut and bent to make a spout.

We have 2 waterl lilies in the pond but they didn't seem to grow much last year and didn't provide the surface coverage the pond needs to help with algae.

I have not done any water quality tests to this point.

I have included pictures of the pond I took today of various components.

My questions are:

1. How do I best get rid of the sludge at the bottom and the algae?

2. Is there any way I can "fix" this waterfall? As in, buy a waterfall that will fit into what I have or do I just need to start over?

3. Is an aeration kit necessary?

4. Please recommend some pond plants for my growing zone (6A)

Please also know I am operating on a limited budget for the pond. We need new AC this year and the comfort of the people in the house takes precedence over the fish outside! LOL

 

[MitchM]

A few things that should be improved upon -
-your current water circulation is less than 1450 gph. It should be at least 3600 gph. That could be a combination of circulation within the pond and water put through the skimmer.
-somewhere in your water circulation pathways there should be a filter medium that is set up so it will trap detritus that you can then remove from the system.

What is your budget like and what are your DIY skills like? Do you want to try to work with what you have, or do you want to replace the waterfall barrel with a commercially available filter?

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[Jenn812]

Hmmmm…..I'm a little annoyed to hear the pump is less than required for the size of our pond since it was just purchased last year at a pond shop with the help of an employee that recommended it! It was actually rated higher as far as gph as the broken pump that we removed from the pond!

I don't have a particular number in mind as far as a budget goes. I'd just like to improve the quality of the pond with minimal change to what we currently have (if that's possible). So basically, I want just the essentials to improve it for now.

As far as the waterfall goes: If it's possible to add media to what we have that would be a preferable option. I can always add more rock around the barrel to improve the look. If not, what would be involved in replacing the waterfall?

I'm a DIY'er whenever possible!

 

[MitchM]

This is kind of what I have in mind to replace your current waterfall setup:

http://www.backyardbirdwatcher.com/product1437.html

If you could get a picture of the inside of your waterfall barrel, that would help.

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[Jenn812]

Theres not much to see inside. Just a small opening in the bottom (probably about 2" diameter).

What would be involved in replacing the waterfall? I was looking on the drsfosterandsmith.com website and they have several waterfall options at a lower price point. What exactly should I be looking for in a waterfall?

Also, can I add media to what I have now?

 

[MitchM]

Hmmmm…..I'm a little annoyed to hear the pump is less than required for the size of our pond since it was just purchased last year at a pond shop with the help of an employee that recommended it! It was actually rated higher as far as gph as the broken pump that we removed from the pond!

..

I don't recognize the skimmer you have.
It may well be that it is undersized for your pond and can only handle the water volume that your pump is rated for.
In that case, a pump that is placed inside your pond to keep the detritus stirred up will help.

.

 

[MitchM]

Theres not much to see inside. Just a small opening in the bottom (probably about 2" diameter).

What would be involved in replacing the waterfall? I was looking on the drsfosterandsmith.com website and they have several waterfall options at a lower price point. What exactly should I be looking for in a waterfall?

Also, can I add media to what I have now?

If you can add some Matala pads inside the waterfall circulation to trap detritus, that would help for now.

http://www.matalausa.com/subcat73.html

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[MitchM]

...
What would be involved in replacing the waterfall? I was looking on the drsfosterandsmith.com website and they have several waterfall options at a lower price point. What exactly should I be looking for in a waterfall?

If you can find something less expensive that will work for a waterfall filter, that's great.
I posted that Laguna filter as an example.

As far as what is involved in replacing the waterfall barrel, disconnect the plumbing, remove the barrel, put on whatever plumbing adapters are needed to to hook up to the new waterfall filter and install the new waterfall filter.

Increase the water circulation and pond aeration as much as possible and clean the filter pads frequently until the detritus amount that is collected is reduced significantly.
After that, check the filter pads frequently and clean as needed.

With a DIY setup, sometimes the cleaning part can cause more grief than it's worth.

.

 

[Tula]

Another suggestion along the lines of what @MitchM suggested, is :

http://www.webbsonline.com/Item/Savio-Livingponds-Filters-67550

I don't have one, but believe @RobAmy ,may have one, so could provide information based on his experience. I recently ordered their filter from Web's Water Garden and asked them to price match and they did. Perhaps , once you find what you like, you could shop for lowest price and then ask whoever you want to deal with, if they'd consider price matching.

 

[Jenn812]

Would purchasing a waterfall box and adding media be a viable option?

 

[MitchM]

Sure.
Anything that allows you to trap detritus and remove it from your pond would help.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

It is essential to the ultimate health of the pond and the fish that any pump and/or filtration be sized to accommodate not only the present fish biomass in the pond but also what the future ultimate fish biomass may be. Filtration, in particular should be sized to fish load not the size (capacity) of the pond. As MitchM suggested the pump should be able to turn over the entire pond capacity (water) 1.5 to 2 times per hour.

 

[Lisak1]

since it was just purchased last year at a pond shop

I think I would be back at the pond shop asking for a refund on my purchase. This is such a peeve of mine - if you're going to run a business, educate your employees. Otherwise teach them to say "I haven't got a clue!" Ugh.

 

[Jenn812]

I think I would be back at the pond shop asking for a refund on my purchase. This is such a peeve of mine - if you're going to run a business, educate your employees. Otherwise teach them to say "I haven't got a clue!" Ugh.

It's probably too late!

I guess I could have them look up how long ago I bought it. I don't know what kind of warranty/return policy it has. I don't know if it'd do much good though. It's been about a year.

 

[Lisak1]

I wouldn't let that stop me. They sold you the wrong pump. They should stand behind what they sell if they have any integrity in my opinion. But if worse comes to worst you should be able to sell it and at least recoup some of your investment.