Pond Dye?

[Eps28]

I'm a new Koi pond owner 1600 gallon pond with 8 Koi in it at the moment PH and all levels have been tested and are doing great i have a UV filter on it and the water is nice and clear anyway to my question my mom ordered this stuff called pond dye i was just curious what are the PROS and CONS of this product is it safe and does anyone recommend this stuff any advice would be great help Thanks in advance Jon

 

[addy1]

makes the water blue, goes away eventually, might cut down algae. I don't use it. If your water is already nice and clear I would not use it, but I don't like the artificial blue look

welcome to our group

 

[sissy]

Don't ask me my neighbor used it and I really got mad when her pump went out and I had to take it out of the water and ended up with blue arms and it it did not wash away for a week .Don't know if the changed it but if she uses it again she will go to work with blue arms .I hate the stuff .I was a smurf .They have it in black too .

 

[Craig58]

Ditto.

Craig

 

[fishin4cars]

Jon, being a new pond owner and keeping koi I have a recommendation. Don't add any chemicals unless three or more people recommend it. That will give you a chance to learn more the pro's and cons. I also recommend that you read through as many topics in introductions as possible. start to finish, then move to the next. being new to the hobby and already having the pond you want to learn as much as possible on a new owner scale as possible. Most new introductions are either people that are in the same position you are, or they are joining the site looking for specific help. either way great way to learn.

 

[ididntdoit99]

My uncle uses it every spring, helps block the sunlight until some of his plants start growing, he says it cuts down on the initial algae bloom in the spring.

I have never tried it personally.

 

[jhenkel]

Shalom - I have fish and clear water to see the fish, and as mentioned above, don't add anything you "REALLY" don't need. best additive to the pond is you being patient with nature.

 

[icsd71]

Have to be careful how much you use. I found out the hard way when i added the recomended dosage on the bottle. I couldnt see anything. Took for ever for the plants to grow also. I have not used any since. Yes you will get stained skin from it also. I'd say dont use it ( But that is just me) that way you can see your fish and plants.

 

[Kevin Koloff]

I realize this thread is antique, but I am new with needing more information on dye. I have a pond 16x20x2 ft deep, 80% is in sunlight, my concern is algea. I have "internetted" sites on both pro/con dye. Don't want to put anything in the water, but am concerned about UV. This is at a school, so funds are an issue.

 

[dieselplower]

What do you mean you are concerned about UV? What concerns you about it?
Ponds, lakes, and oceans have thrived for what, thousands, millions, or billions of years? Noone has dumped blue stuff into the oceans that Im aware of, or any of the local lakes etc, and they are all "fine".

 

[Kevin Koloff]

Algae.

 

[dieselplower]

If you have algae, you have too many nutrients in the water. The algae grow to keep the level that they can keep the nutrients at bay. If I had an algea problem I would be sure to get all the debris off the bottom of the pond, clean out the filters, and take measurements for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic to fish. Does the pond have fish? Nitrate and Phosphate are what algae get most of its "food" from. If these levels are high you could do a water change to lower them. Is that even possible at the school? Best bet to keep algae down is to keep as much debris out of the pond as possible. Leaves, plant matter, fish poop, etc. This all breaks down and provides food for the algae. I dont think the blue stuff will hurt anything. Ive used it in large ponds before, as well as my pond.

 

[jhenkel]

I realize this thread is antique, but I am new with needing more information on dye. I have a pond 16x20x2 ft deep, 80% is in sunlight, my concern is algea. I have "internetted" sites on both pro/con dye. Don't want to put anything in the water, but am concerned about UV. This is at a school, so funds are an issue.

 

[jhenkel]

Never have used it. What about lilies to help shade the surface, floating islands - you mention a school , so would involving the children making projects a possibility - plant a lilly, plant flowers in an island? Some perimeter plants, bushes can help shade the pond. I use Iris in an island since they are tall they help shade the island. the more water flow, the more aeration, the more filtration less algae.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Actually, it is not entirely true that algae comes from too much nutrients in the water, algae will grow in a clean pond that has no fish or waste just as well if not better than a pond with fish!!!! The fish will eat the algae too!

The blue dye will help block out the strongest spectrum of light that causes the algae to grow. The blue dye is very safe and many years ago I did use it, but it does not last too long and the filters will filter it out.

In nature, the water can be dyed naturally as in the case of my pond right now. Caterpillars are here and they are dropping potent little dung pellets that cause my water to turn golden color, and that is helping to block the strongest spectrum of sun naturally. My water is still very clear, but it can go quite golden this time of the year, but the effects only last as long as the caterpillars are there, but soon they will cocoon and be gone.

Also some of the rivers north of the 57th parallel {northern Alberta} have a brown color to them as the hard wood trees that grow along the waters edges cause the river to look brown and dirty, but the river is just that way naturally in some cases. You can get the same effect from large amount of peat extract, the water will turn a rich golden color as well, like in nature, as nature does provide a color for the water too!