Olive drab colored water

[2vettes]

yes i did a search and found confusing info . late last year our water turned murky olive drab color and i could not get it crystal clear again . ice is gone and water hasn't changed it still looks terrible . i've tried algacide , a powdery clay , vacuuming , fiber batting in the filter with approximately zero improvement . think the heron has fish population down to one but truthfully i can't see in water to be sure . i want to get some more comets next month but if i can't clear water will be probably give up ponding a choice i am not happy about . suggestions appreciated , thank you . . . peace . . . ps . need to point out there is no sign of alga other than water , no stringy stuff or growth on plant containers .

 

[mgmine]

Green sounds like algae to me. Some will say to let it go and it will clear itself. Maybe it will but how long are you willing to give it? I would get a good UV light and clear it up in a few days. Once cleared you can turn it off.

 

[addy1]

Some use UV lights I use plants and pea gravel to filter my ponds. My water is always clear.

 

[Tula]

If you're considering giving up the pond due to frustration, get a UV light to clear it....then focus on plants and aeration to keep it clear

 

[Lisak1]

Water can be stained from tannins - leaves and decaying matter in the pond. Try this - take a glassful of the water and let it sit. Does anything settle out and leave clear water, or does it stay green? If it's floating algae you can filter it out. If it's tannins, you can use charcoal to clear it up.

A few more details would be helpful. How big is your pond? How old is it? What kind of filtration do you have? Do you get a lot of leaves dropping in the pond? How many fish do/did you have? What kind of plants and how many? Photos would be helpful, too!

 

[2vettes]

just stumbled across a chemical product called ''nualgi'' is any one familiar with it ?? had a uv light a few years ago it was expensive as was replacement bulb . it developed a basically mechical issue and is long gone . haven't feed fish in MONTHS but have always wondered about how to determine proper amount and suspect that might have been a contributing factor to start of problem late last year . thanks for the kind replies/suggestions . . .peace

 

[bagsmom]

My pond water is dark olive green now too. All the oak trees in the area have dropped their little pollen "doodles." (Caterpillar looking tassel thingies.) They make the water look horrible, along with Springtime algae. I'm just going to give mine a chance to clear up and clean the skimmer basket and matala filter pad every day. Last year, it was fine within a few weeks.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

In general adding chemicals to a pond to "clear" water should be avoided. So many times I have read that someone treated a pond because the water was green, only to end up killing their fish.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Forgot to mention, when I had brownish colored water it was from my pond liner slipping. Ended up dirt was washing in the pond. Once I fixed that issue never had the brown water again.

 

[2vettes]

for the last week the water clarity has improved every day . it has become at least 70% better and probably somewhat more than that . no , i can't explain why . . .peace

 

[j.w]

It just happens...................it's magic

 

[sissy]

add koi clay .I use food grade because it is cheaper and better .I have used it for years .It binds with anything in the water .It turns cloudy but clears up in a couple of hours .I buy at least 12 lbs a year .Each bag is 6 lbs each and for food grade that comes to about 19 dollars .I just ordered it because I use it myself also .

 

[2vettes]

water has become clearer , actually almost crystal clear for a couple days about a month ago , but it just won't get clear and stay that way . for years it was like looking through a window glass and i want that again . the filter gets full of ''dirty dark green '' material , algae i assume . i clean filter several times a day except when brushing it when i change it several times an hour initially and that tapers off to every couple hours . i don't think brushing helps because it seems like the material i'm removing is material that has settled and it should not be affecting water clarity unless i disturb it . considering time i spend working in yard every week i've reached the point i ''hate'' summer . rather shovel snow couple hours a week instead . . .peace ....ps. by the way , we have several large trees to east of pond so it doesn't get much sun until after noon .