pond in full sun

[stroppy]

i have read a few threads on here about ponds in full sun, but havent really found an answer to my problem my pond is in my front garden just infront of my living room window it is in full sun most of the day ( yes we do get sun here in the uk) :0)
problem is i need some shade but dont know what to use as i dont want to go blocking light into the house .. my soil is clay so hard to plant much ... also many plants dont like it ... my pond is suffering loads of green sludge on the sides and the whole linner is green and floating plants arnt growing and turning yellow ... does anyone have any ideas on how i can solve my problem ....goldfish seem ok i have put in an airpump to help them ... oh and is there anyone else on here from this side side of the pond (uk):icon_smile:

 

[c2c7390]

you could use lilies to shade the pond water...or umbrellas for the entire pond

 

[koiguy1969]

you dont have any filtration ? if you dont... make one!!! you need to circulate and filter the water, to remove the nutrients produced by your fishes waste, uneaten food,decaying plant matter, etc.... when all these are minimalised the algea has a lesser food souce, and the plants can take care of the rest. there is a couple different style biofilters on this site, scale one down if neccessary to a smaller container. how big is the pond? how about a small lattus to provide shade? run your air pump and stone too, the oxygen does the pond good.

 

[DrDave]

Stroppy
Post your location by going to the User CP.

 

[stroppy]

done that now DrDave ...or at least i think i have, new to forums
pond water is now green ... so much sun here over the last couple of days ... and i have lilys in the pond but they are not growing to well either ... i cant do much over the weekend as i have my son home so unable to get out to buy anything to help with shade

 

[koiguy1969]

o.k now what are you doing for filtration?

 

[stroppy]

i have a bioforce 5500.... had a blagdon midi untill recently, but it was just to small after the pond was made larger last summer ... i know your going to say a skippy and yes that probably would be the best option ... but i dont have the tools or dare a woman say the know how to make one ... i know i need more plants in the pond .... but as they keep dying im not sure how im going to manage it thinking of some kind of veggie thing maybe just put plants in baskets or something with rocks to hold them in ... i should add i used pond balance in my pond as was getting blanket weed and things seem worse since then ... fish seem to be okish but spending lots of time near the air pump and not eating much ... has anyone tried useing those big snails and if so do they work ?

 

[koiguy1969]

trapador snails are definately a plus, feeding exclusively on algea and are live bearers, tadpoles eat algea also. if at all possible chemical free is the way to handle it. algicides kill the alge but leave the dead alge to feed the next round. as far as the skippy filter, yeah, i would reccomend one and they are really simple to make. that said a shade structure seems to be a strong option for you, but i will say my pond is in full sun 14 hours aday in summer, a thin layer of blanket weed is normal, so is string or hair algea sometimes ugly but kept in check is actually beneficial to the pond.

 

[stroppy]

thanks koiguy for being so helpfull ... i shall have a go at a skippy if i can get the things i need :icon_smile:
do you think a part change of water will help at all also taken some of the plants out and put them in large bucket of water to see if i can bring them on in there ... looked for snails on line but havent found any in the uk yet

 

[koiguy1969]

well if youve got that much algea youve got nutrient rich water... your plants should pull thru. small water changes will help, but if you go too big , youll basically be restarting the cycle. is your algea only on surfaces or is the water real green?

 

[stroppy]

water is green clearer early in the morning but gets worse in the afternoon

 

[koiguy1969]

you might want to try a u.v clarifier. as far as green water they work wonders. this being that you dont want to, or cant supply shade.

 

[stroppy]

the bioforce filter has a uvc in it .. i was looking at your pond on here .... very nice :icon_smile:

 

[DrDave]

That is expected this time of the year. As the day warms up the algae rises and as it cools, it sinks again. I skim mine out with a net if I'm home when it rises.
This goes away with the string algae later in the season.

 

[stroppy]

thanks for that DrDave ... i guess im expecting to much too soon ... the water is much clearer today ... but then very little sun here ... still cant find any trapdoors did read a bit about them and seems your meant to feed them !! surely thats defeating the object :confused2: and give them this snail tonic !!