Puzzled

[Custard]

My pond is murky. can anyone help please. Have cleaned the filter and the pump replaced uv bulb. Changed and replaced three quarters of the water and chlorine remover added a bomb. crystal clear powder green water application and blagdon clear pond. Done a chemical test all within excepted grid. but still unable to see the fish at the bottom of the pond..I’m scratching my head as to what to do next. Thanks

 

[KDubU]

Can you tell us more about your pond? Size? Depth? What equipment are you running? How many and type of fish? What plants do you have in the pond? This may help with recommendations.

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome to the GPF @Custard !

@KDubU said exactly what I was going to - more info on your pond would make any advice way more helpful!

 

[Custard]

Hi the pond is 10ft x 6 ft 5 ft deep there are 9 koi biggest being 14 ins due to losing fish last year with power cut..the UV is a advantage 25 watt the filter is a nexus the pump is a pond eco plus E 8000 hope this helps

 

[Lisak1]

OK, so about 2000 gallons. You probably have about as many fish as you should for the size of your pond. You might be a bit overstocked.

When you say "murky" is the water green? Tinted brown like tea? If you take a sample of the water in a drinking glass, will it settle out and be clear on the top with sediment on the bottom?

 

[Custard]

Hi it appears green but when I do the chemical test it has no murky appearance I am told maybe the pump is too fast for the uv to clear it so I am putting something on pipe to slow the pump down do you think this would help also there are 2 baby gold fish and 2 baby ghosts we only have 3 original bigger fish thanks

 

[KDubU]

Do you have any pond plants in the pond? Also from my newbie experience, tea brown or green water does not necessarily mean a bad thing. It could be as @Lisak1 points out, you are maxing out on fish or close to it and that can contribute.

My relatively new pond has taken on a tea brown color when it was crystal clear only a week ago. I am not too concerned as it is new and going through it’s cycle. I have a bog for filtration and have planted a number of plants in it and the pond for aesthetic and practical reasons. My water test yesterday had good numbers for everything and I am not going to worry about the color and I can still see the bottom 4’ down. It sounds like you have it a bit worse.

Can you post your water test results?

 

[j.w]

@Custard My water is green also and I think I have too many fish. I just put clean water slowly in yesterday while letting some old water out. My pond is well established for many years so lots of good bacteria in there. Too much poo tho!

 

[Tula]

If you use a UV, it's less effective if the water flows too quickly through it. Slowing the water flow may help, but it's not the "cure" for why the water is green.

Are you running aeration ? I find lots of O2 helps almost everything. Your fish load is on the high side, so I wouldn't over feed them and plants would definitely help.

I have 4 adult koi in 1700 gallons and it's still a challenge to keep up with the fish waste!

 

[Custard]

Do you have any pond plants in the pond? Also from my newbie experience, tea brown or green water does not necessarily mean a bad thing. It could be as @Lisak1 points out, you are maxing out on fish or close to it and that can contribute.

My relatively new pond has taken on a tea brown color when it was crystal clear only a week ago. I am not too concerned as it is new and going through it’s cycle. I have a bog for filtration and have planted a number of plants in it and the pond for aesthetic and practical reasons. My water test yesterday had good numbers for everything and I am not going to worry about the color and I can still see the bottom 4’ down. It sounds like you have it a bit worse.

Can you post your water test results?

Hi we've had this pond for about 20 years and all the test results are within the guard lines only did a test last week and all was ok there two floating plants only thing different is that there is a lot of activity with the fish spawning its seems since then the water is looking murky I'm wondering if the fish are causing this I've done everything possible and are now slowing the pump down so that the uv can cope with the amount of flow thanks

 

[Custard]

If you use a UV, it's less effective if the water flows too quickly through it. Slowing the water flow may help, but it's not the "cure" for why the water is green.

Are you running aeration ? I find lots of O2 helps almost everything. Your fish load is on the high side, so I wouldn't over feed them and plants would definitely help.

I have 4 adult koi in 1700 gallons and it's still a challenge to keep up with the fish waste!

I yes but a lot of activity with the fish spawning and I am cleaning the filter every week never had this in 20 years that's why its puzzling

 

[Lisak1]

Remember that as your fish grow larger, the bioload on the pond increases as well. And not just fish poop, but just their breathing and living in the pond increases what is excreted in the water.

I am personally not a big UV fan - I know they work, but it's only dealing with the symptom, not the cause. Green water is caused by too many nutrients in the pond - too many fish, too much food, too much rotting organic material, not enough plants to uptake the nutrients. And fish spawning can indeed affect water quality - you've probably seen the foaming or even smelled the results. I would just give it some time and things will balance out.

Also remember that adding fresh water can upset the balance of the pond as well - especially in the amount you said you did. All the bombs and chemicals and additives in the world are no match for mature pond water. Make sure you've addressed all the things I mentioned above (and if you only have two plants in the pond, there's one area you can make things better - more plants!) stop throwing "fixes" at it and you'll wake up one morning to a clear pond.

 

[Custard]

Than you for advice not much anything I can do and slowed down the pump flow so now let nature take its course as I've exhausted all avenues so time to chill and see what happens much appreciated x