Uv not clearing algae next steps ???

[martanewbie]

Hi
Windsor Atlantis round pond 308 gallons
Green Genie 2400 filter and swell 600 pump
13 odd rescued goldfish and tench
Pond levels test ok
Algal bloom, and not clearing after 2 weeks of new uv bulb
Should I get a t part to slow the water rate down, or resort to chemicals to sort this?
Happy to give some fish away if too many, but would really appreciate some advice xx

 

[Shell-Fish]

Hey and welcome.

The filter comes with a 25w UV lamp so this should do the trick. Few more questions..

How much do you feed and what?
Water circulation like
How old is the pond
Do you have any plants?

Ta.

 

[martanewbie]

Hiya
I only feed once a day
Webbox sticks
Water circulation??
Not sure plse explain
Pond had a total water change when fish were rescued which was April
Plants are on the 3 ledges, but none on the bottom of pond

 

[martanewbie]

Hiya
I only feed once a day
Webbox sticks
Water circulation??
Not sure plse explain
Pond had a total water change when fish were rescued which was April
Plants are on the 3 ledges, but none on the bottom of pond

 

[Shell-Fish]

Can you add a pic please of the pond.
One thing I've learned with my pond is to have water circulating and have little as dead spots. I currently have 1 dead spot in my pond and seems this area have algae growing at a faster pace compared to the rest of the pond.

 

[martanewbie]

Can you add a pic please of the pond.
One thing I've learned with my pond is to have water circulating and have little as dead spots. I currently have 1 dead spot in my pond and seems this area have algae growing at a faster pace compared to the rest of the pond.

 

[martanewbie]

Hiya
Here it is, with a cover to stop leaves and herons !!
Really dont want to use chemicals!!
Have read about making a prefilter using polyester quilt batting ?? xx

 

[martanewbie]

Hiya
Here it is, with a cover to stop leaves and herons !!
Really dont want to use chemicals!!
Have read about making a prefilter using polyester quilt batting ?? xx

 

[TheFishGuy]

Hiya
Here it is, with a cover to stop leaves and herons !!
Really dont want to use chemicals!!
Have read about making a prefilter using polyester quilt batting ?? xx

the polyester quilt batting will definitely help, for m it was about as effective as my UV clarifier, which I like very very very much, the only reason I switched to UV to keep my water clear was because I was having to rinse the batting thoroughly every day, and it became a very large maintenance task. so its up to you if you want to try this method

and it looks like your lillys may need to be moved to the middle of your pond, as they are rising above the water which is not very good for them

 

[Mmathis]

@martanewbie
Algae is a sign that there are excess nutrients in the water. It is a symptom of a problem, not a problem in itself. The algae is there, trying to balance the pond naturally, the way other plants would. So your goal should be to eliminate the problem, and the symptom will/should go away. Think of it like when you have a fever because of an infection. To can take medicine to bring the fever down, but you have to treat the infection in order to make it go away. As long as the infection is still there, you will have the fever, and it will be a never-ending cycle of fever, medicine, fever, medicine...until the infection is gone.

You said that your water tested “ok.” This information would be much more helpful if you could give us the actual numbers for your ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH.

Also, does your pond get full sun?

When you did the water change, did you just change the water, or did you also “clean” the surfaces of the pond?

For now, get us those test result numbers (drop test like API Master kit are more reliable than test strips) and you might want to hold off feeding for a few days. If you can, increase the water movement, maybe with an air stone, and add more plants! Water lilies are good for shading a pond, but they don’t really do anything to reduce the excess nutrients. You might have too many fis, but let’s see what your tests look like first.

 

[martanewbie]

the polyester quilt batting will definitely help, for m it was about as effective as my UV clarifier, which I like very very very much, the only reason I switched to UV to keep my water clear was because I was having to rinse the batting thoroughly every day, and it became a very large maintenance task. so its up to you if you want to try this method

and it looks like your lillys may need to be moved to the middle of your pond, as they are rising above the water which is not very good for them

Hi
Yes am going to try the polyester batting and see how we go with that
As you can probably tell, fairly new to this, though I did have a pond years ago!!
Re the lillies, was told by a friend to put them there, as putting on the bottom the fish will take them up ??
What's your take on that ??
xx

 

[martanewbie]

@martanewbie
Algae is a sign that there are excess nutrients in the water. It is a symptom of a problem, not a problem in itself. The algae is there, trying to balance the pond naturally, the way other plants would. So your goal should be to eliminate the problem, and the symptom will/should go away. Think of it like when you have a fever because of an infection. To can take medicine to bring the fever down, but you have to treat the infection in order to make it go away. As long as the infection is still there, you will have the fever, and it will be a never-ending cycle of fever, medicine, fever, medicine...until the infection is gone.

You said that your water tested “ok.” This information would be much more helpful if you could give us the actual numbers for your ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH.

Also, does your pond get full sun?

When you did the water change, did you just change the water, or did you also “clean” the surfaces of the pond?

For now, get us those test result numbers (drop test like API Master kit are more reliable than test strips) and you might want to hold off feeding for a few days. If you can, increase the water movement, maybe with an air stone, and add more plants! Water lilies are good for shading a pond, but they don’t really do anything to reduce the excess nutrients. You might have too many fis, but let’s see what your tests look like first.

Hi
A friend tested my pond water, and said ammonia and nitrates were acceptable levels
I have just ordered some liquid test stuff for myself
Will try the not feeding for a few days ,and also some quilt batting
I will probably end up rehoming some of these rescue fish, but need to get the water clarity sorted to catch them !! xx

 

[Mmathis]

Sounds like a plan! Yes, knowing “the numbers” is the most important part of the testing process, and it’s always a good idea to know how to test and interpret the results yourself.

 

[TheFishGuy]

Hi
Yes am going to try the polyester batting and see how we go with that
As you can probably tell, fairly new to this, though I did have a pond years ago!!
Re the lillies, was told by a friend to put them there, as putting on the bottom the fish will take them up ??
What's your take on that ??
xx

the fish may nibble on the lillies, but because they are relatively small, and you lillys seem to be growing out of control, you could put them in the middle, and yes the fish will definitely eat some, but they should still be able to grow and be healthy

 

[martanewbie]

Okie dokes
In the middle they go then !! xx