Thick layer of "gunge" settling on pond plants and weed. Killing them off !!! help please.

[Brian L]

Over the past couple of years the pond has started to deposit a layer of "sludge ?" on the pond plant leaves, rocks etc ( If it was inside a house you would say years of dust, a thick layer over every surface). The lily leaves get covered and die off. The picture shows some of the pond weed after a shake to "wash" it off but it soon returns. Goldfish are fine, no problems with them.
So what might it be and what is to be done.
Thanks
Brian.

 

[Tula]

You might need to improve your mechanical filtration to filter out the sediments accumulating on the plants.

 

[Brian L]

You might need to improve your mechanical filtration to filter out the sediments accumulating on the plants.

I have a dustbin type filter, sponge layers inside and plastic blocks. That gets cleaned about twice a year, always lots of fine sludge in it. Perhaps I need to clean more often ?
Cheers
Brian.

 

[mrsclem]

Can you post a picture of your entire pond? I'm thinking you may have a low edge on your pond that is allowing dirt to wash into the pond.Where is your pump located? It should be putting that stuff thru to the filter. With only having to clean it twice a year, you should not have that kind of buildup in the pond.

 

[Brian L]

Can you post a picture of your entire pond? I'm thinking you may have a low edge on your pond that is allowing dirt to wash into the pond.Where is your pump located? It should be putting that stuff thru to the filter. With only having to clean it twice a year, you should not have that kind of buildup in the pond.

Under Brian the Snail is a waterfall feature. This has its own pump.
The filter pump is to the left of the aerator showing bubbles in the first picture. It pumps water through the filter and then along the pond bed and out as a small surface 'spout'. This is between the two white plant labels on the right hand side, you can just see the ripples. The pond has a brick edge 3/4 around the edge and a sloping plant / earth side behind the reeds under the hedge.
The water is clean, easy to see the fish but everything has this layer of muck.
Any ideas welcome.
Thanks Brian.

 

[brokensword]

I would definitely say to clean a lot more often. You might spray/stir the pond a bit so your filter can get at it but I'd say you might benefit from more flow/current and better (bog type) filtration.

 

[Lisak1]

Your pond is so pretty!

I know exactly what you're talking about - we are dealing with a lot of fine sediment build up ourselves. In our case, we have no mechanical filtration so the plan is to add temporary fines filtration.

 

[combatwombat]

Your pond is so pretty!

I know exactly what you're talking about - we are dealing with a lot of fine sediment build up ourselves. In our case, we have no mechanical filtration so the plan is to add temporary fines filtration.

What did you decide to do for that? I figure in a couple years I’ll build a sand and gravel filter to run for a season and then put away until I need it again.

 

[Tula]

What a lovely pond

 

[CometKeith]

Over the past couple of years the pond has started to deposit a layer of "sludge ?" on the pond plant leaves, rocks etc ( If it was inside a house you would say years of dust, a thick layer over every surface). The lily leaves get covered and die off. The picture shows some of the pond weed after a shake to "wash" it off but it soon returns. Goldfish are fine, no problems with them.
So what might it be and what is to be done.
Thanks
Brian.

Hi Brian you could try using a pond vacuum. I’m guessing you have some silty material in the pond that you can remove like clay or sand. Does it get worse when there is a heavy rain? If it does it probably needs a good cleanup.

 

[Brian L]

Hi Brian you could try using a pond vacuum. I’m guessing you have some silty material in the pond that you can remove like clay or sand. Does it get worse when there is a heavy rain? If it does it probably needs a good cleanup.

This morning I stuck my hand in for a feel around, there is about an inch of muck (fine silt that clouds when disturbed and rotting leaves, twigs etc. I will find a hire shop and get a vacuum pump for a day and see what can be done. We have lived here for almost 5 ears but the pond must be at least 15 years old if not more and I doubt it will ever have been cleaned out.
Cheers
Brian.

 

[Brian L]

Thanks all for the advice and kind comments, all much appreciated.
Cheers
Brian.

 

[Lisak1]

What did you decide to do for that? I figure in a couple years I’ll build a sand and gravel filter to run for a season and then put away until I need it again.

We're waiting for the Matala filter to come back into stock. Still planning for just a temporary set up. The one downside to no mechanical filtration on the pond. However, it's been 9 years, so that's not so bad. The other option would be to just pump the pond down, rinse everything off, pump, rinse, repeat, and fill it back up. But water is expensive, we'd need a place to move the fish, we'd have to rent a bigger pump... The gravity filter will be a tool we can use when we need it.

 

[combatwombat]

@Lisak1: Cool. Look forward to hearing how it goes. I don't know what water costs here compared to elsewhere, but I estimated $100 based on our rates for 10,000 gallons. Seems reasonable if it's only every 5 years or so. Also seems a little a wasteful and who the heck wants to do that anyway? Not me.

 

[cas]

Very pretty pond @Brian L .