Newbies in need of advice!

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Hi everyone! Great to be a newbie but it's also terrifying so we can definitely use your advice on how to best care for our koi and goldfish in these ponds. We purchased a home in the Pittsburgh, PA area with these ponds, and they look pretty murky. We got rid of some of the sludge that was backed up by the waterfall but it still looks very murky and we're concerned for the fish. Any advice on how to clear it out without adding harmful chemicals or removing the fish? There might be about 20 koi and goldfish.

Thank you so much!
 

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Hi everyone! Great to be a newbie but it's also terrifying so we can definitely use your advice on how to best care for our koi and goldfish in these ponds. We purchased a home in the Pittsburgh, PA area with these ponds, and they look pretty murky. We got rid of some of the sludge that was backed up by the waterfall but it still looks very murky and we're concerned for the fish. Any advice on how to clear it out without adding harmful chemicals or removing the fish? There might be about 20 koi and goldfish.

Thank you so much!
Welcome to the group! You came to the right place for answers...Many very experienced, knowledgeable people on this forum. Looks like a beautiful pond and it has a bog to boot! Tell us a little more about your set up...How many gallons, water parameters (if you don't have one may I suggest that you purchase an API Pond Master Kit ) ect...
 
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Has it always been murky?

Is the water green?

Note that this time of year you will find the water may become murky for a period due to the the ecosystem recovering from winter. It should clear up in a month or so.

When the plants wake up and the beneficial bacteria regrow, it should clear up.
Just be sure to have plenty of plants that can help consume all the excess nutrients produced by the fish waste.
 
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Welcome! Don't be terrified. Lots of advice here, just take things slowly and see how it goes for a few weeks. Is there a pump and is it running? Is there a filter or a skimmer box? If the pump is on, keep an eye out for potential leaks for a day or two (sounds as if you already have with clearing the waterfall). It's ok to gently scoop any leaves off the botton of the pond (if you catch a fish by accident, gently return it to the pond.) Don't feed the fish until the water temperature is above 50 -55 degrees.
 
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Thank you all so much!

So we tested the water and all looks good. There's just a lot of sludge on the top, where the waterfall comes out. I'm not sure how many gallons the ponds are. The pond's deepest area is around 3 feet, and 9 feet in diameter. And the previous owners of the home haven't taken care of the pond for the past couple of years.

Any thoughts on using barley based sludge destroyer and algae cleaner? Also, do you have any recommendations on a pond vacuum? We've come across different kinds but don't want to invest in the wrong type especially if the pond has sludge built up on the bottom
 

mrsclem

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I would not use any chemicals as long as the fish are in there. Too many stories of people killing their fish with algaecides, etc that were fish safe. Get a long handled net and slowly scoop the bottom to remove sludge and debris. Take your time, a little at a time. Keep the pump running and let the plants clear the water.
 
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Agree with @mrsclem.

I use a standard pool leaf net on a telescoping pole.
Go real slow along the bottom and scoop up the sludge and other debris. The net I use has a plastic frame which won't hurt the liner. The net part itself has tight holes and can hold the sludge. If the holes are too big in the net, it won't work.
Because you stirred things up from netting, your water may look murky for a while, but that's actually good because your filter will suck in those floating particles.

I have tried both barley bails and concentrated barley extract in the past. It seems neither did much to get rid of green water.
The best things are lots of plants and good filtration.

And I will mention again that during Springtime your water may experience cloudiness due to the beneficial bacteria having to reestablish itself from dormancy during the cold winter months.
The plants need to wake up too.

Patience is important this time of year. Your pond's ecosystem takes time to wake up.

My water is a bit cloudy right now too, but otherwise it's normally crystal clear with my bog filtration.
 

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