Need help on how to improve neglected ponds

[lamby]

I have taken on the task of improving and maintaining the two large ponds in my townhouse complex in Vancouver, B.C. One pond is about 30,000 gallons, and the other one is about 15,000 gallons, each with a fountain and pump but no filters other than screens to keep out debris. We do not have fish, as the herons eat them. Both ponds have been ignored for many years and have several problems. I spent 6 months last year physically cleaning the sludge out of the bottom by scooping it out with a fish net. Gross work and physically very demanding for a woman in her 60's! This year should be easier since I can now maintain it. One pond has a big algae problem due to too much sun exposure and fairly shallow water. I will be adding lilies to provide some shade but what to do about all this algae?!!!

I'm doing lots of research, have consulted with some pond companies but since I am doing this myself, I want to be sure that any money I spend is worth while. The strata has given me a small budget and I must spend wisely. Do barley bales really work? What about pond dye? I scoop the algae out one day, and two days later it is back. If I leave it, it eventually drops down to form sludge on the bottom. A UV filter is out of the question, as the strata will not agree to such an expense.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[MitchM]

Hi Lamby, welcome to the forum.

Where in Vancouver are these ponds? I know the area fairly well.
Can you tell us what there is for pump gph?
Has the strata agreed to any expense at all?
What is the end goal?
Pictures would help a great deal.

No to pond dye. No to barley bales.
We don't have anything to sell you here.
Let's go over your system before you consider spending any money with local suppliers.

.

 

[lamby]

Hi MitchM,

I don't have any idea of the gph of the pumps, and I doubt that anyone here would know the answer to that. My goal is to keep the algae at bay...last summer it was like a science experiment in one of the ponds---ugh! I'm interested to know what you have to say about the idea of barley or dye.

I've read contrasting opinions and am loathe to waste money on things what won't work. I will attempt to attach photos of the two ponds, but am unsure of how to do this. If successful, you will see two ponds. One is deeper and has more shade so I expect to have better luck with keeping it healthy. The other pond is shallow, completely sun-exposed and the liner is littered with stones, making cleanup very difficult. That pond is the one with the terrible algae issues.

 

[MitchM]

lamby,
The idea behind using pond dye is that the dye colour will reduce sunlight penetration into the pond water which in turn will limit algae growth. That is a cosmetic solution only.
The idea behind using barley straw for algae reduction is strictly anecdotal where barley will somehow reduce algae growth. There are no reliable studies anywhere that show the effectiveness of using barley straw.

The pond that you pictured looks like it has good aeration, but in order to pinpoint where we can improve on algae control, we need to know what we are dealing with.
Someone is paying the electric bill for running the pump, so we need to see what pump you are using.
Leaves are falling into the pond which are providing a source of phosphorous for the algae. Some sort of filtration is needed to remove the decaying leaf matter (otherwise known as detritus).
There has to be a skimmer or pump intake somewhere that can be filtered so you can remove the accumulating decaying plant matter.

.

 

[Smaug]

If your have no fish and the end goal is just clean looking water then I vote for dye. We have a really nice mini golf course here that has several big bodies of ornamental water that use dye. It's the easiest, cheapest way to go. If you wanna have fish and clean clear water it's gonna cost much more then dye and be very work intensive.

 

[lamby]

lamby,
The idea behind using pond dye is that the dye colour will reduce sunlight penetration into the pond water which in turn will limit algae growth. That is a cosmetic solution only.
The idea behind using barley straw for algae reduction is strictly anecdotal where barley will somehow reduce algae growth. There are no reliable studies anywhere that show the effectiveness of using barley straw.

The pond that you pictured looks like it has good aeration, but in order to pinpoint where we can improve on algae control, we need to know what we are dealing with.
Someone is paying the electric bill for running the pump, so we need to see what pump you are using.
Leaves are falling into the pond which are providing a source of phosphorous for the algae. Some sort of filtration is needed to remove the decaying leaf matter (otherwise known as detritus).
There has to be a skimmer or pump intake somewhere that can be filtered so you can remove the accumulating decaying plant matter.

.

Previously, there has been no removal of falling leaves, they have just been left to decay in the ponds and contribute to the sludge problem. Last fall, I raked and skimmed off as much as possible so I hope to see an improvement this year. In the fall there is a terrific buildup of debris against the screens, which I manually removed. If pond dye is the only solution, then I am willing to try it....but I'd hoped to avoid it, since it looks so artificial.

 

[MitchM]

Pond dye is not the only solution.

 

[lamby]

I agree. I'll keep you posted on my progress with these ponds. Meanwhile, I'm grateful for any input.

 

[Smaug]

Pond dye is not the only solution.

I agree as well. Plenty of other solutions all of which involve daily maintenance and bigger more expensive pumps.

 

[lamby]

Is there a way that I can determine the size of the pumps? One of the them failed last year so needed to be replaced but that was before I got involved, so I have no idea what was installed. I should know what size is recommended so that if one goes in the future I can advise about the replacement. How do I calculate the size needed for my ponds? Actually, that sounds like a job for an expert. My guess is that the previous decisions have been made by a plumber, who may not know what is needed for pond health and was only thinking about what was needed to run the fountains.

 

[MitchM]

lamby, is it a submerged pump or a pump that is mounted in a protective housing?
Can you post a picture of the pump?
Perhaps there is an old invoice that shows the pump model that the plumber replaced.
Is there a skimmer anywhere or filter that needs to be cleaned?

Both of those ponds look very poorly designed - they both look like catch basins for surface runoff. That makes proper filtration even more important.

.

 

[Smaug]

[QUOTE="MitchM, post: 300574, member: 4402"

Both of those ponds look very poorly designed - they both look like catch basins for surface runoff. That makes proper filtration even more important.

.[/QUOTE]
I agree,it's also another reason that keeping them clear is unlikely without extraordinary effort. These sorts of bodies of water in natural circumstances are usually algae and weed choke bullfrog havens.

 

[MitchM]

I think there are 2 options for these ponds
- if there are not going to be any fish kept, and the budget is quite small, you could schedule regular clean-outs of the ponds. Drain, clean, pressure wash, refill. How often they are cleaned out is up to your strata council to decide.
or - install pumps and filters that will provide sufficient water movement so the filters will be the only thing that have to be cleaned out regularly.

.

 

[lamby]

Oh, wow....so the consensus is that my efforts will be wasted? That's tough to hear. I don't feel ready to give up, at least not since I've just started. I will see how things go this summer when I provide shade with lilies and continue to clean as best I can. One of the suggestions from the strata council has been to fill in the shallow pond which has the big algae problem and turn it into a rock garden, keeping the fountains. As noted, the ponds were never properly designed in the first place but I can't change that now.

 

[MitchM]

If the leaves are going to fall into the water, then the water has to be filtered - one way or another.