Preplexing problem - Murky Water

[nijinski]

hello all, not exactly new to having a pond but new to actively wanting to learn about pond keeping. My problem is murky water. The pond is oblong and 6'x9'x1.6' with a shelf 1' deep all round. I have two pumps, 1 for the waterfall and the other to create movement of the water.

The main pump is a Hozelock Bioforce 4500 that runs the waterfall, the smaller pump is the Fishmate 2000 Pond Pump which was utilised from the first pond that was much smaller and I use it to create water movement. It is situated at the opposite end to the waterfall and under the bricks that the lily plant is sat on.

I have a Lily plant situted furthest from the waterfall, four other various plants on the shelfs and a reasonable amount of crispa in the bottom of the pond. there are 3 small koi carp abt 7-9 ins, 2 large shubunkins abt 14 ins and a small shubunkin abt 5 ins, 1 large goldfish abt 7-8 ins and 3 small goldfish abt 3-5. The pond actually has 2 very cheap gazebos over the top of the to prevent too much sun from hitting the pond surface. Sun sits on the pond during the summer months in the mornings up to about 11.30 am then its in shade for the rest of the day.

Any advice on how I can improve the appearance of the water as it permantly looks brackish or the pond arrangement. I have tried the shop bought treatments for green water, but nothing happens. The fish appear to be more than happy and have even bred in previous years, although after a recent water change the Koi developed whitespot, this was immediatly treated and have had nothing further.

Thank you
Anita :100: :coolgleema:

 

[DrCase]

i never saw the word (filter).

 

[nijinski]

Sorry

This is both a filter and pump Hozelock Bioforce 4500

Anita

 

[DrCase]

i looked your filter up ,on the page it said it does not clear murky water,unless you get the uv lite...i dont no whats in it ,,do you clean it often?have you thought about a simple,55 gal drum filter?

 

[pondlady]

I agree a UV light will improve the clarity of the water. I had the murks this spring. Got the UV's going and before I knew it I could see all the winter gunk at the bottom. this water is 30" deep. The best thing for murkys is UV

 

[sammy85430]

Yep the UV light works wonders...I swear by it!

 

[nijinski]

Thank you Dr Case, Pondlady and Sammy for your swift responses

I do not have a UV light, but have heard of them quite a lot recently. So, it looks like thats what I shall be getting. I had also thought of getting another pond lily to give a little more surface cover to the pond.

I shall let you know in the future how I get on.

Many thanks to all again.

Anita

 

[DrDave]

There are no UV lamps on all the clear waterways and streams we have... Why? It is because mother nature has a better method. Good circulation, and a Bio system second to none.

I live in Southern California where our geography is considered a desert. We have relentless sunlight and over 100 degree temperatures in the summer. I can see grains of sand in the bottom of my pond at the 30" depth and I don't have a UV filter.

Having a 55 gallon Bio filter and good circulation is the key. Water is pumped to the bottom of the drum and then must percolate its way up before overflowing into the waterfall and back to the pond. While working its way through 7000 little pieces of plastic tubes cut at 1.5" long, the anerobic bacteria and gravity remove all the green algae.

All this settles in the bottom chamber and is dumped once a week by simply opening a valve for 30 to 45 seconds. Thats it!

People are quick to buy gimmicks and chemical that are pricey and for the most part, barely work.

There are lots of pictures here and on the Internet to help you if you decide to build one. It is not rocket science, but you do have to have an electric hand drill and a couple hole saws to build it. These are a lot cheaper than the commercial filters that don't work as well.

 

[sammy85430]

...lol....cool...your the man...awesome idea!

 

[lollyfrog]

I have to agree with Dr. Dave. I have a 1100 gallon pond that was new about three weeks ago. I built a 55 gallon drum biofilter. My water turned green and murkey just over a week ago. I did put in some bacteria and enzymes to give it a boost but low and behold on Sunday morning my pond was clear and today I can see all the way to the bottom which is 3'6'' deep. The water is even clearer than when I first put it in. If you can go to a 55 gallon bio filter. They are easy to build. If I can do it anyone can

Lolly

 

[DrDave]

Thank you for the confidence. They work if built right.

 

[nijinski]

Hi all

This is something I will have to seriously look into. I like a challenge and from your all your previous posts I have been reading up on them.

Thank you all for the input and I shall get back to you all soon.

Anita

 

[Bytestalker]

I'm in agreement with Dr. Dave also. I've used a variation of the 55 gallon on all my previous ponds. I'm building another one at my new home and going to use it again. The filter has a huge surface area for bacteria colonization. The bacteria consume the phosphate in the water and it eliminates the nutrients the algae need. Low phosphate - no algae. Works like a charm.

Robert

 

[Bytestalker]

If your water is brackish - meaning brown - it could be caused by a couple of things. What type of dirt do you have in your pots? If they contain peatmoss you will get a brown tint to your water. A lot of dirts like Miracle Grow are made with peatmoss. Go to a more clay based dirt or just pea gravel in your pots. Also various types of leaves and pine needles decaying will give you a brown color to the water.

Robert