Water Quality Concerns

[MoonShadows]

We have had our 425 gallon raised garden pond for 4 months now. It has 8 comets from 3-6 inches, a small cat tail, a small water lily, and 2 pathetic looking hyacinths. The Lifeguard Aquatics All in One submersible filter we have has a flow rate of 970 gph, and I have an Aquascape Pond Air 2 running all the time. I haven't tested the water since after the first few weeks since, other than a bout of greenish water for a couple of weeks (which I cleared within 2 weeks by plugging in the UVB), the water has been clear and the fish seem to be very healthy. I feed them a small amount of Omega One sinking pellets 3x a day that they gobble up before they have a chance to even sink. I started to notice some green "hairy" algae growing around the lily pot and around the top of the cinder block that the pot rests on. I removed it by hand. When I bought the lily about 5 weeks ago, the nursery lady removed the same type of algae from around the pot before I paid for it, so I imagine that is where it came from. Lifeguard says to clean the filter every 2 weeks, but I have only cleaned it twice since the flow stays very strong and the water seems good to me. I did 1 - 20% water change at the beginning of July. I top it off every other day, but with so much rain this summer, the rain has been doing a good job of topping it off, too.

Based on these water test results from today, is there anything I should be keeping a closer eye on or doing?

Ammonia - 0.25
Nitrite - 1.0
PH - 7.5
Phosphate - 0
GH - 7
KH - 6

 

[Tula]

I would cut back on the feeding to see if you can bring down the ammonia and nitrite readings.

 

[MoonShadows]

Thanks @Tula. I know ideally, ammonia should be 0. Is that also the ideal nitrite level too? I don't think it's a matter of uneaten food...so, are you thinking just too much fish waste for this small of a pond, and they could do with less food?

 

[Tula]

I think nitrite should ideally be around zero also. Yes, I'm thinking a little less fish waste would help matters

 

[Meyer Jordan]

The Nitrite level is troubling. According to many sources, a Nitrite level of 1.0 is the upper limit of the acceptable range for many species of fish including Goldfish. Somehow you are not getting full Nitrogen conversion hence the 0.25 Ammonia level and the Nitrite level.
The number and size of the fish that you have is not an excessive bio-load for this size pond.
Is this 'hairy' algae the predominant algae in this pond or do you have a coating of green on all of the submerged surfaces?

 

[IPA]

Does water from the yard run off into the pond? Feeding 3x a day is way to much IMO. They may eat it all but they are also producing so much more waste.

 

[MoonShadows]

@Meyer Jordan The bright green hairy algae is limited to that lily pot and the top of the cinder block that it rests on in addition to 4 baseball size rocks I have sitting on a paver that holds my cat tail on top of another cinder block. The walls of the pond and the two cinder blocks have a very thin coating...less than I though I would have after 4 months...that feels slimy when I run my fingers against it but stays put. If I scratch the wall with my finger nail, it looks very dark green to almost black under my nail. The floor of the pond still looks very black (liner).

 

[MoonShadows]

Does water from the yard run off into the pond? Feeding 3x a day is way to much IMO. They may eat it all but they are also producing so much more waste.

No, no water run off from the yard. It is a raised pond.

Yes, perhaps you are right about feeding too much resulting in too much waste...even though they eat it all.

 

[IPA]

@MoonShadows , you did say that, first sentence, haha. Your pond likes nice!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

How many cartridges does your Lifeguard filter contain? I personally have never had much faith in these mechanical/biological combo filters. The only ones that I have seen that were effective at any level allowed you to add your own biofilter media. Pads alone do not do the job.
Can you do a test for Nitrate? After 4 months, even with the shade provided, there should be a healthy growth of periphyton on all submerged surfaces.It appears that you are not getting full 'cycling'.
At this point I would say replace the filter with a more efficient make and model.

 

[sissy]

you just need more filtering of the water and the algae is a way of protecting your fish .Less food more filter .Do you aerate your pond .

 

[MoonShadows]

How many cartridges does your Lifeguard filter contain? I personally have never had much faith in these mechanical/biological combo filters. The only ones that I have seen that were effective at any level allowed you to add your own biofilter media. Pads alone do not do the job.
Can you do a test for Nitrate? After 4 months, even with the shade provided, there should be a healthy growth of periphyton on all submerged surfaces.It appears that you are not getting full 'cycling'.
At this point I would say replace the filter with a more efficient make and model.

@Meyer Jordan I don't have a nitrates test kit. I will order one if you think this level will be useful in diagnosing.

BTW...I also added Fritzzyme when I set up the pond and when I did the water change.

The Lifeguard filter has 3 "levels" of sponges in a triangular shape around the pump. The outsider layer is coarse. The inside layer is a bit finer. At the bottom is a bag of rocks that act as the bio filter.

I was thinking of going to a pressurized filter and started a thread a while back, but did not get much feedback. I have been looking at a Laguna ClearFlo 2000 vs an Aquascape Ultraklean 1500.

Can you recommend a more efficient make and model?

Thanks for your help @Meyer Jordan

Laguna

Aquascape

 

[MoonShadows]

you just need more filtering of the water and the algae is a way of protecting your fish .Less food more filter .Do you aerate your pond .

I am already filtering the water +2x an hour, and as I said in my first post, I am using a Aquascape Pond Air 2 running all the time.

 

[MoonShadows]

@MoonShadows , you did say that, first sentence, haha. Your pond likes nice!

Thanks @IPA Wish I could have a bigger pond, but right now this is it.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Either of those make filters would be OK.
I did not know that you added Fritz-zyme. Now, I am really puzzled. With your pond being 4 months old PLUS your having added the Fritz-zyme, you should be seeing a healthy growth of algae.
Remind me of why you did a water change. I trust you added Dechlor at the time.
For your fish load, you should not be seeing any significant Nitrate.
The reason I inquired about testing the Nitrate level is it can aid in determining what level of bioconversion you have. I am suspecting that you are not getting the expected amount. Algae will assimilate Ammonia but does not convert Nitrite, plus it also needs Nitrate and Phosphorus to grow. This could explain the trace amount of Ammonia and the elevated level of Nitrite.
Was this a fresh (from the manufacturer) bottle of Fritz-zyme that you used each time? And which one did you use 7, 9 or Turbo?