Pond cloudy

[Pondman662]

I have a pond over 1000 gallons, it was pea soup like a week ago, i added algaefix, a small amount, then over the couse of time, I've added microbelift special blend bacteria and have added barley, i did add aerators to the pond and recently added Lilly pads to the pond. Test results from the pond are shown except nitrite. Its clearer than a week ago, i do use aquascape pump and filter. Bulb's not been replaced since last yea. I also did a 10 percent water change but the pond seems cloudy with a tinge of green, how do i get this crystal clear? I have koi as well.

 

[Mgessert]

That pond is just begging for plants! They will help clear up the water.

 

[Pondman662]

Won't the lily pads help? I talked to aquascape and tetra, they reccomend uv light replacement, and keep feeding bacteria to the pond. Its 6 years old this pond, ive had it crystal clear countless times over the years but its a constant battle. There's really no shade that might be a huge problem. I mean i tested water chemistry, the water seems ok. They also reccomend a flocculant like rapid clear. I get it clear then goes to green then clear then green, then now this pond seems like the hardest its been to get crystal clear. Never had this amount of trouble.

 

[poconojoe]

Agree! Add plants and lots of them. They will compete with and starve out the algae.
You can use floating plants. They are easy. Just toss them in.

 

[Pondman662]

Agree! Add plants and lots of them. They will compete with and starve out the algae.
You can use floating plants. They are easy. Just toss them in.

What causes cloudy water then? I've fed barley tablets, which have enzymes and bacteria too. That made my water like an oily film on top but went away. Yeah before it was pure pee water, but from the photo, you can see its clear but cloudy with a tinge of green. When i placed the lily pads, i had clay soil in it with gravel on top, will the nutrients from the soil affect water quality? Its plain clay soil from the place i got it from. I know with lily pads, i was reading you have to fertilize them like twice a month or something not sure. Yeah i heard get plants that add oxygen to the water, and take away nutrients from algae. Last week the water was horrible, looked like someone put green dye in it, but it dud clear up but its just cloudy with a very faint green. Ph is pretty high idk if that affects anything but all my other tests came out low on nitrates, ammonia, chloride, idk about nitrites. I didn't test that

 

[poconojoe]

Won't the lily pads help? I talked to aquascape and tetra, they reccomend uv light replacement, and keep feeding bacteria to the pond. Its 6 years old this pond, ive had it crystal clear countless times over the years but its a constant battle. There's really no shade that might be a huge problem. I mean i tested water chemistry, the water seems ok. They also reccomend a flocculant like rapid clear. I get it clear then goes to green then clear then green, then now this pond seems like the hardest its been to get crystal clear. Never had this amount of trouble.

Remember, your fish keep growing and probably reproducing too. That means more of a fish load, more waste produced. This may be why your getting more algae than in the past. Your pond may have hit a tipping point where the filter can't keep up.

Please stop adding chemicals, especially algaecide. We get an awful lot of threads here where someone used algaecide and it killed all their fish.

These statements are my opinion:
I have found that barley doesn't help at all. I've tried the bails and the liquid concentrate. I believe I wasted my money.

The same goes for store bought bacteria. Your pond will make it's own as long as the water temperature has reached 55 F.

UV lights kill even the good stuff and the dead remains are just more food for algae.

Plants and more plants.

 

[Jhn]

Agree with everyones comments on plants. The pond being in full sun isn’t why it’s green, it is out of balance there are more nutrients being produced (via fish waste) and very little of the end product of the nitrification process being consumed (Nitrates). This can be done by adding aloooot of plants that consume nitrates to grow, lilies are not great for this.

water changes can lower the nitrates as well, but some tap water has phosphate and nitrate in it, so it may not help. Also, bacteria is a waste of money to buy, you have all the bacteria you need in the pond, already. Uv light will kill the free floating algae p, but guess what that algae will do when it dies dump it’s consumed nutrients back into the pond just adding fuel for the next algae bloom.

The nitrate reading is low because of the free floating algae consuming it to grow. Plants are the way to go, quick growing ones that are easy to weed back as the spread are the best. The faster a plant grows the more nutrients it consumes.

 

[poconojoe]

Lilies are nice and they do provide some shade, but they are not the best at extracting excess nutrients from the water.

 

[poconojoe]

I find you need a lot of patience with a pond. Changes don't happen overnight.

 

[poconojoe]

Get a bunch of plants and let them do their magic.

 

[Pondman662]

Remember, your fish keep growing and probably reproducing too. That means more of a fish load, more waste produced. This may be why your getting more algae than in the past. Your pond may have hit a tipping point where the filter can't keep up.

Please stop adding chemicals, especially algaecide. We get an awful lot of threads here where someone used algaecide and it killed all their fish.

These statements are my opinion:
I have found that barley doesn't help at all. I've tried the bails and the liquid concentrate. I believe I wasted my money.

The same goes for store bought bacteria. Your pond will make it's own as long as the water temperature has reached 55 F.

UV lights kill even the good stuff and the dead remains are just more food for algae.

Plants and more plants.

I find you need a lot of patience with a pond. Changes don't happen overnight.

I did use algaefix in the past and it killed my baby fish, i didn't aerate either lot worse. It stressed the big fish, but once i added aeration they seemed to be relieved. But for the baby ones had to dispense of them. So more plants then, what plants help to control nutrients? Im actually using two filters because i also think the filter i currently have isnt big enough to cultivate beneficial bacteria. I also tried to use lava rocks and pea gravel as a media.

 

[Jhn]

I did use algaefix in the past and it killed my baby fish, i didn't aerate either lot worse. It stressed the big fish, but once i added aeration they seemed to be relieved. But for the baby ones had to dispense of them. So more plants then, what plants help to control nutrients? Im actually using two filters because i also think the filter i currently have isnt big enough to cultivate beneficial bacteria. I also tried to use lava rocks and pea gravel as a media.

Man made filters only help with the first part of the nitrification process, converting ammonia to nitrite then to nitrate, filters, lava rock pea gravel do nothing to lower nitrates, in fact they can produce more nitrates if not cleaned regularly, that is why you need plants they will consume nitrates.

 

[GBBUDD]

Lillies need fertilizers at their roots so no they do not help much they are not a fast grower or easily removed

 

[j.w]

@Pondman662
Sedge plants are great muck suckers! Koi prolly won't bother them either like they will the lilies unless you have some non-lily eating koi.

 

[GBBUDD]

additives are a general bandaid to a bigger issue.

My set up is probaly 25 to 30 percent bog to the ratio of the pond.

Where the fish are youll find foxtail lillies and peach fuzz on the rocks with crystal clear water 5.6 feet deep. And getting shallower by the day the koi keep knocking rock to the bottom.

Even though its clear im debating about building my own sieve filter