UV on new pond

[ErikvR]

Hi all,

My new pond has been running for about 2.5 months and the water is starting to turn slightly green.

I was just wondering if it might be time to switch on my UV for the first time.
Or is it better to leave it off while the pond is finding its balance?

Erik

 

[Landman]

I don't have a uv because as I understand it kills beneficial things as well as algae. It takes a few years for the pond to balance out. Lots of plants will help filter the water. Good aeration and less feeding of any fish I only feed once a week. I have algae in my pond and I just ordered an Oase BioTec Filter to help my pond as I have about 50+ goldfish one koi and more fish coming.

 

[Lisak1]

UV only kills floating single celled organisms. And when you kill those off you're left with dead floating single celled organisms in your water. Which feeds more algae.

All you had to say was "new pond". Wait and see what happens.

 

[Vmw]

Hi all,

My new pond has been running for about 2.5 months and the water is starting to turn slightly green.

I was just wondering if it might be time to switch on my UV for the first time.
Or is it better to leave it off while the pond is finding its balance?

Erik

We had issues with green water and tried everything to make it clear. The only way ours has become crystal clear and remained that way has been by using our pond filter with a built in UV light. It has been a game changer. We bought the filter on Amazon. It runs constantly and after a year and few months, we had to change the bulb, also purchased on Amazon. I highly recommend a UV light.

 

[ErikvR]

We had issues with green water and tried everything to make it clear. The only way ours has become crystal clear and remained that way has been by using our pond filter with a built in UV light. It has been a game changer. We bought the filter on Amazon. It runs constantly and after a year and few months, we had to change the bulb, also purchased on Amazon. I highly recommend a UV light.

Using UV is a no brainer for me (being an experience reefer). So the filter is already equipped with proper sized UV system.

I'm only wondering if it should be turned on for a new pond. I know that nitrifying bacteria don't live in the water column but I wonder if it's even slightly decremental if I turn on the UV this early.

 

[WaterXscapes]

If you're seeing a lot of biological activity it's likely the pond has cycled, I don't know your location or pond size to make any assumptions as to how slow or fast it would take it to cycle though. Usually its several weeks (3-5?) for a new pond but can take a bit longer if you're in a colder area.

You can test your water for ammonia and nitrite/nitrate content; the first several weeks of establishment should see spikes in ammonia and nitrite, with a drop-off to very low to 0ppm levels when its done cycling. Nitrate is the final byproduct of the nitrogen cycle, so if you're seeing nitrates at 30-40ppm+ then it's cycled.

When adding bacteria additives, turn the UV light off for a day or two (48hrs to be safe). That will allow a lot of the bacteria to colonize surfaces before resuming UV treatment.

 

[GBBUDD]

I would not run the uv for algae control. It dies and feeds the next algae bloom.
New pond syndrome will have green water and I time it will disappear slowly. But then comes the hair algae . That can take up to a year or two for your pond to bsllance out

 

[ErikvR]

The water has already cleared up without running it. On my reef tanks UV is used for disease control. No more cryptocaryon since I’ve started running UV.

 

[GBBUDD]

On my reef tank id put a flash light at night shinning down a nd always amazed how. Many creatures were swi.ming around . Some i bet were parasites but most were not and all water has parasites its a matter of how healthy your system is as a healthy fish can swim in clean water and never have an issue with them. Andbthe uv will kill all the zoo plankton In a reef

 

[ErikvR]

A correctly sized uv sterilizer with the right flow rate will not kill off zooplankton/amphipods/copepods in a reef tank.
It can kill phytoplankton right after you add it to the tank. So just turn off the bulb for a few hours after adding it.

 

[Lisak1]

I just think there’s two schools (haha) of thought in the pond world - those who came to ponding from aquariums and those like me who live in the eco garden pond world. My husband is an old aquarium keeper - we had many battles in the beginning but he’s learned a lot. Haha.

My pond needs one thing from me - electricity to run the pump. All other pond systems are self sustaining. If a problem arises I see it as a symptom and look for the cause. ALL algae overgrowth has the same cause. In some cases, you may not wish to address the issue - too may fish or overfeeding- and find other ways to deal with the symptom. Just know that you are only treating symptoms, not removing the cause.

In any case, a pond is like a reef tank because they both have water. In all other ways they are nothing alike. Trying to control an outdoor pond like you do an indoor tank is an exercise in futility.

 

[ErikvR]

I just think there’s two schools (haha) of thought in the pond world - those who came to ponding from aquariums and those like me who live in the eco garden pond world. My husband is an old aquarium keeper - we had many battles in the beginning but he’s learned a lot. Haha.

My pond needs one thing from me - electricity to run the pump. All other pond systems are self sustaining. If a problem arises I see it as a symptom and look for the cause. ALL algae overgrowth has the same cause. In some cases, you may not wish to address the issue - too may fish or overfeeding- and find other ways to deal with the symptom. Just know that you are only treating symptoms, not removing the cause.

In any case, a pond is like a reef tank because they both have water. In all other ways they are nothing alike. Trying to control an outdoor pond like you do an indoor tank is an exercise in futility.

The main difference is the approach and size of systems. A natural pond/aquarium works great with the correct stocking. If you want to maximise the number of fish, nature needs a hand. I’m not looking to stock my pond heavily. Just 3-4 koi at most.

 

[Lisak1]

The MAIN difference is a pond is outdoors - you have little to no control over what blows in, falls in, crawls in, creeps in, or flies in. Plants grow that you didn't plant, creatures appear that you didn't invite, buy or add, the climate is completely out of your control... just to name a few. Ever have a duck land in your aquarium? Haha.

The size of the pond is what makes it easier than an aquarium - the larger the volume of water, the more stable the environment. It takes a lot to ratlle a well established eco-pond of good size.

But yes - correct stocking is the ONLY way to make an eco-pond VIRTUALLY maintenance free. Let me correct that... correctly UNDERSTOCKING. Keep your bioload low and you won't be adding chemicals or treating parasites or changing lightbulbs... ever.

And when I say maintenance free, I don't mean you'll never touch your pond. But my pond work is 100% gardening - planting, thinning, transplanting, cleaning up debris. The same things I do in the rest of my gardens.

 

[Lisak1]

How big is your pond @ErikvR ?

 

[ErikvR]

How big is your pond @ErikvR ?

Final measurement was 28000 liters (7400 gallons).