stuck in green stage?

[micaaronfl76]

no strong algae just greenish water

 

[micaaronfl76]

BUMP any other ideas, could the slate i used could be causing this? its the only thing i put in the water different from last year

 

[callingcolleen1]

The black slate can increase the heat factor for sure, expescially on the hot south side of any building. I'm getting better with this tablet now, and went back to page one and saw your video of your pond, and it looks very nice around the deck by the way. I did not wee plants inside the pond, you need to green up inside the pond with pond plants. I would recommend Sedges, such as cat tails, water iris, rushes or grasses. These plants can help starve off algae of all forms, by eating the phospate. It might also help to get some floaters to help "green up" the pond until the large sedges get established. When planted these pond sedges will also help to cool and shade the black slate and reduce the heat factor.

Here's some examples from my ponds of the Yellow flag Iris, and the plant with the fake Heron is the Sweet Flag.

 

[Waterbug]

BUMP any other ideas

Nope. 138 posts pretty much covers every possible idea from realistic to fantasy. Unless you want to get into using magnets, electric current, and sonic wave generators. Or into the metaphysical. Oh wait, I think that was already covered.

could the slate i used could be causing this?

Not unless you have a very good imagination.

its the only thing i put in the water different from last year

Thinking a pond will be the same from year to year, or month to month, or even week to week, unless a human does something, ignores one small component...nature.

 

[micaaronfl76]

i was going to give it a few more days and then drain it clean it and restart but with this time use the uv and the plants from the beginning.

 

[sissy]

Could your plants have something in them also feeding the algae ,like plant fertilizer spikes .I found that it is better when you buy plants to clean them good and get rid of what ever they were planted and use some thing else like kitty litter or pea gravel and remember to also soak them first in another tub or something else that can hold water .Get the fine dust out .I never put plants in my pond that are preplanted I always give them a week or 2 before I introduce anything new to my pond .

 

[micaaronfl76]

awww sissy you might be on to something. i was told to use plant sticks before i put them into pond and no itook them from the plant store and put them right into my pond. any idea on how to fix without draining,

 

[micaaronfl76]

alsot to note that the stream is crystla clear and the filter pads do not have much green water coming off of them.

 

[sissy]

Take the plants out and clean then good and repot them and make sure you hose or soak them well before putting them back in the pond .My neighbor did the same thing and called me in a panic because her water and gone from clear to green and we took the plants out and hosed them off well .I use quilt batting to pick up the finer algae and when i take the quilt batting out i hose it off and soak it in peroxide and hang it to dry and put a fresh piece in and if you fold it neat it is easier to work with .I just go back and forth between the two pieces .I guess you may have city water since you are in Philly .Oh 2 weeks now and my neighbors pond is back to clear her husband says next time ask first since sissy takes care of the pond half the time .I fertilize all my plants outside the pond and then wait and clean hem again and then put them in the pond .Never had much luck with putting fertlilized plants in the pond so why take the chance .

 

[sissy]

If you drain your pond you are just starting over so no do not drain and give yourself that headache .Give it time it will clear up .I use a lot of activated charcoal in dollar store fine laundry bags that are used for womens finer clothing ,they are the green bags .I buy my activated charcoal at pet mountain 4.68 for a 3 lb bag .I usually buy 4 or 5 bags at a time plus the osi treats and the tetra food

 

[callingcolleen1]

Pea green water grows best in very clean tap water. If you don't believe me take glass jug of clean tap water and put in the sunny window and watch how fast it turns green. Algae likes phosphate, phosphate comes right out of the tap you drink water from. When you constantly clean pond and restart with nice clean tap water, you may be getting more phosphate right out of the tap. Taking your pond constantly apart and cleaning and refilling is the one of the reasons you are still "stuck in green water". You must just grin and bear the pea green water and clean your filters to keep pumps running fast. See if you can find something called "green water clarifier" Laguna sold this years ago, not harmful chemical, it will bind the single cell pea green water together so that your filter can pick up the pea green water. When you use this make make sure you clean filters daily. I used it 20 years ago and I'm sure they still have it. It's not expensive, was not 20 years ago anyway. Plant lots of sedges and other plants as that will fix the problem eventually as they get growing.

Constant cleaning and taking the water out and then putting fresh tap water back in, it's a vicious cycle that never ends. Your pond can't get established in accordance with nature when you are messing with it. I have no UV light, no Skimmer, just cheap filters and lots of plants. I have lots of things falling into the pond, the pond and the plants eat the waste, convert into sludge, that sludge I net out only some, and only in the spring. Good luck and don't feel bad, we have all been there before!

 

[micaaronfl76]

sissy before i taker the plants out i might try the batting again in the skimmer and the activated carbon i might try, should i place the carbon in the waterfall underneath the filter pads? also how much carbon at one time and do i ever need to change it out?

 

[callingcolleen1]

Yes Batting should help too, and activated carbon is good too, I would not mess with the plants, they are trying their best to get established, the plants spikes are OK, just don't put anymore in at this point.

 

[sissy]

I put carbon where ever there is moving water ,in my filters and in my water fall in the bags and yes it needs cleaned off .I would also try the sedges like callingcolleen says .I put 4 plants in mine so far .I guess any kind of grasses would work .I also use crushed oyster shells to stabilize my ph and zeolite .I have kept my carbon in my pond for over a year but clean it in peroxide and some pond water .

 

[sissy]

colleen knows more about the sedges than i do and i had them last year but not near the moving water .I had them on the edges of my pond and love them .Now I know more about them with her help and added more