Need help, exlarge pond with green water

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Hi, thanks for adding me, this is the place iv'e been looking for, so much information! I have a 50,000 gallon pond with green water. It was fine then it rained and now it is green. I have called a couple of pond places that I use and had a pond friend come look. Iv'e been told to use D'Solve or Algaefix or wait 3 days then use EcoBoost and Pond Clear. I called 2 weeks later and they said to do a 50% pond change and then keep with the chemicals. I was stupid and did about a 30% pond change and it pretty much ruined more than half of my plants and the water looks even greener. I have an 8000 GPH pump and a waterfall but my friend said I need a 25000 GPH pump. The pond place said a 25,000 GPH would not fit and it will blast out of my waterfall. So iv'e been looking at UV sterilizers/clarifiers and pond pumps and I don't know what i'm looking at plus it is soooo expensive for this big of a pond. Last year my water did the same thing and I couldn't fix it then early spring it was as clear as a bell until it rained. Does anyone have any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
 

Meyer Jordan

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Could you post some photos so that we can get an idea of the configuration of your pond?
What are the actual dimensions....length, width, average dept?
What do you have for biological filtration?
How many and what size fish?

Based on what you have posted you may need to correct more than one thing. Can respond more when above requested info is posted.
 
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Hi there, my pond is shaped like a bean or kidney. It has a skimmer at one end and a waterfall at the other on the top side. The waterfall has the mat then bioloical fiter and lava rock on top. It's 4 1/2 ft deep at the waterfall end and 2-3 throughout. I don't know the exact words but I have a Atlantic Gardens Bahama filter falls with skimmer. The waterfall is 36" across and 24" deep, the skimmer is a 7000 with an 8000 GPH pump, the pond is 4 years old, it's never been green till the end of last year. I will try to send pictures, I'm not very good at sort of thing. I have Koi that are around 12-15" long for the big ones to 5" for the small ones. I should have a gazilion fish but I get those big ugly birds sometime and I think they keep it thinned out, I never see dead fish. Thank you so much for your reply!
 
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Welcome! You will find lots of help here - and @Meyer Jordan in particular is a good guy to pay attention to. He's been around ponds for a few years!

As for posting pictures, if you can get the photos on the desktop of your computer, all you need to do is drag and drop them into the text box of your response. Very simple!
 

Meyer Jordan

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Hi there, my pond is shaped like a bean or kidney. It has a skimmer at one end and a waterfall at the other on the top side. The waterfall has the mat then bioloical fiter and lava rock on top. It's 4 1/2 ft deep at the waterfall end and 2-3 throughout. I don't know the exact words but I have a Atlantic Gardens Bahama filter falls with skimmer. The waterfall is 36" across and 24" deep, the skimmer is a 7000 with an 8000 GPH pump, the pond is 4 years old, it's never been green till the end of last year. I will try to send pictures, I'm not very good at sort of thing. I have Koi that are around 12-15" long for the big ones to 5" for the small ones. I should have a gazilion fish but I get those big ugly birds sometime and I think they keep it thinned out, I never see dead fish. Thank you so much for your reply!

Atlantic is a wee-respected company...nice people.
One more question--- How often and how much are you feeding your fish?
 
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I didn't feed them for a long while. I feed them about every day one time a day and I try to feed what they will eat.
 

Meyer Jordan

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Hi there, my pond is shaped like a bean or kidney. It has a skimmer at one end and a waterfall at the other on the top side. The waterfall has the mat then bioloical fiter and lava rock on top. It's 4 1/2 ft deep at the waterfall end and 2-3 throughout. I don't know the exact words but I have a Atlantic Gardens Bahama filter falls with skimmer. The waterfall is 36" across and 24" deep, the skimmer is a 7000 with an 8000 GPH pump, the pond is 4 years old, it's never been green till the end of last year. I will try to send pictures, I'm not very good at sort of thing. I have Koi that are around 12-15" long for the big ones to 5" for the small ones. I should have a gazilion fish but I get those big ugly birds sometime and I think they keep it thinned out, I never see dead fish. Thank you so much for your reply!

You don't specify how many fish total.
 
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I really don't know. If I had to guess I would say around 30?? Not sure....
 

Meyer Jordan

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Thanks for all of the info.

50,000 gallons (if this is indeed the correct capacity) is quite a large pond and is of more than sufficient capacity to comfortably support the 30 fish that you now have. but there are two (2) areas that do need to be addressed. Your total flow rate is number one. Your friend is correct in their assessment that you need at least 25,000 gph for this size pond. With your present pump your pond has a turnover rate of once every six (6) hours. This is comparable to the turn over rate of a swimming pool. 25,000 gph will give you a turnover rate of once every two (2) hours which is sufficient with the current fish load. Number two is that you are very deficient in your level of biofiltration. The model filter that you have is an excellent filter but is rated for a pond with a maximum capacity of 8,000 gallons. 30 fish would be entirely too many for an 8000 gallon pond with this filter and since the fish mass to available filtration is what determines the appropriate level of biofiltration, even with 50,000 gallons you are underfiltered.
You did not mention a bottom drain, so i am assuming that your pond does not have one. With the low comparable flow rate to the pond capacity most organic detritus will settle out long before the skimmer can remove it where it will decompose and release nutrients into the water. You likely do not have enough plant material to effectively take up this nutrient load leaving it to support an algae bloom.
The biofiltration needs to be increased, not to aid in controlling the algae, but to support your current population of fish. It may take a little longer than the typical pond, but even this large capacity pond will eventually have a problem with high Ammonia levels unless some remedial action is taken.
To put it another way, you may have a 50,000 gallon pond but it only has a support system designed for 8,000 gallons or about 1/6 the size of your pond.
Throw away the chemicals and treatments and, for now, forget about a UV. What must be done is to correct the source of your problem.
I know that you do not want to hear this but my recommendation is to have your pond retrofitted with another larger skimmer and waterfall filter and two (2) additional 8,000 gph pumps. And, if possible, add more plantings.
This will maintain your water quality at an acceptable level.
 
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You are absolutely right, that's been my fear the whole time. I also forgot to tell you that I have a good filtration system and another 6500 pump (just bubbling) in the pond, but I do know you are right on needing another system in there. Thank you so much for your help, I will try to put a picture up.
 

Meyer Jordan

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I am quite sure that you had this pond constructed by others. I feign from calling them professionals because I find it hard to believe that anyone with any knowledge of aquatic ecosystems would intentionally leave you with a system that was not adequately supported biochemically.
 
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No, I have to say we did it ourselves, BUT, we told them how much water it held and the size of the pond. I am thinking they either didn't believe me or didn't know what they were talking about. I all of the time get "you mean 500 or you mean 5000" and I say no, 50,000. It has been a huge money pit but has been worth it. I take some of the blame for not researching it at first myself, I know a lot but sometimes I just thing they know better. Oh well, I will just chalk it up as a lesson learned! I have tried to put my pictures up and it keeps saying they are to big. I will get it up one of these days!
 
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Perhaps adding some aeration will help with water circulation in the areas receiving little or no water movement.
 
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Hi Mitch, I have an airmax aerator already! Thanks for replying though!
 

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