How to stop a pond from going green?

[Localmotion]

Following my thread about how to line a pond (http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/203835-best-way-line-pond.html) I now need some advice on managing the water quality...

The pond is going to be approx. 50m x 20m, with a maximum depth of 3m. As we are in Southern Spain, the heat here is a real issue, and generally any untreated water goes green within a week.

Does anybody have any tips / advice on how to avoid algae growth, and maintain a good (clear) standard of water quality?

We will be installing a pump and fountain - and I am thinking maybe a reed bed will help, but would like to here your ideas / tips / advice :thumbsup:

Thanks,

Ian.

 

[nikdfish]

The algae loves nutrients & light, reduce either & you can cut back its growth potential. Plants, both at the margin and within the shallows can help with the nutrient reduction, lily pads can provide some shade. Another shade option is to use a dye in the water to reduce light penetration. These are commercially available in both blue & black tints. If the pond is not overly large, you can use active biological filter systems, possibly in conjunction with bog plants, to greatly reduce the nutrient load. 50m x 20m might be a bit large for that, though - you'd need some really large tanks to set that up ...

Nick

 

[groundcover]

I have had good luck with copper sulfate. I have also seen the algae eating fish work out well. ( Grass carp) Eddie Walker has had a lot of luck on the web site "pond boss" good luck.

 

[boggen]

www. pondboss.com and www. koiphen.com ((added space to show names))

pondboss is covers lakes and more mud bottom ponds. while koiphen covers more liner style ponds.

since you are going with a mud bottom pond.

you should except to see cloudyness, algae looking stuff in the lake. the algae is part of the ""system"" to kill out algae is to kill the fish. ((that last statement might seem extreme stretch, but not that far of a stretch)) also the fish will naturally peck at the mud and stir it up. adding cloudyness to the water. also when ever you get rains. and run off water enters the pond. you will get cloudyness.

a mud pond is just that a mud pond. with not a lot of visibility. granted some days through out the year you might be able to see 5 feet deep. but most of the time only a couple feet deep.

if you are looking for a crystal clear pond water, were fish look like they are floating in air. and at same time have "good water parameters" you would be better off with a liner pond. and going with external filtration. koiphen.com would be better on that notation.

vegitation as in plants and weeds. generally grow in 4 feet deep or less depth water. ((other words around the shore line)) pending on fish. folks have taken like a liner and just tossed it around the shore around the pond. to help hold back some of the vegitation. others put in gravel in areas so there can be spots for "spawning beds" others use "grass carp" also known as "white almurs" they are a female and spaded. (so they can not reproduce) in the US, most states require a permit before you can place them in a lake. that or through a licenses dealer / hatchery. they are basicly a carp or koi. but with a larger size mouth. with teeth geared more for chewing up vegetation.

you need to be careful again with algae in your pond. the first couple (i can never remember this) i want to say 1 to 4 feet depth of water is were algae blooms happen. and help sustain the pond (food for fish, and helps remove ammonia, nitrites, etc...) if you wipe the algae out, you could easily cause a very large spike of more deadlier quicker killing toxins to fish.

do to size of your pond 50m x 20m x 3m. fountains, and spray heads. are not the best things in the world to aerate the pond ((err raise DO *dissolved oxygen* level. what would would better is causing the water in the pond to ""circulate"" around the pond. (kinda like a whirl pool / vortexing current) you can also use air diffusers sat a foot or so off of bottom to aerate the pond. many many options. many not needed, but due help.

 

[Localmotion]

Thanks for the replies - especially Boggen. Having re-read my first post I realise that "clear" wasn't the best word to use - I know that the water will be cloudy because of the mud bottom, but just want to ensure the quality maintains good without excessive algae growth...

 

[EddieWalker]

Water quality and figting alge is one of those things that will either happen all by itself, or you will spend a lot of money, hours and energy to try to get without succeeding.

Water is full of food for alge. When it rains, new water becomes a new food source for alge. Sun causes alge to bloom and reproduce. Fish poop is a nutriant for the water and the alge to feed off of. Plant decay is food for alge.

Dirty brown water means that alge will not grow but you have brown water. To get rid of brown colored water, you need to change the natural charge of the water. I forget if it's positive or negative, but that charge will hold clay particles suspended in it. If you add gypsum to the water, it will neutralize the water and release those particles. When I did this on my small pond, the results were almost instant. In less then a week, my water went from brown to clear. It was amazing!!!!! Then about a week later, alge started to bloom and it quickly covered my entire pond and then grew so it was on top of the water. It looked like a very nasty split pea soup that lasted through the rest of the summer and into the fall. Freezing temps killed it off and the rains dirtied up my water enough that it has never happened again. I will never add gypsum to my pond again. I would much rather have brown water then green sludge.

In my lake, alge grows along the edges, and in the reeds, but not out in the open. My minnows eat it and help keep it in check, but my water also gets deep fairly quickly and that helps stop alge from growing too. Deep water isn't as warm as shoreline water. My water isn't clear either, which makes a huge difference in allowing sunlight into the water to allow alge to grow.

Dig it, see what happens and go from there. I wouldn't plan anything until I saw what happened, and if it was a problem or not.

Eddie

 

[bindian]

I use Aqua Shade pond dye and this home recipe for a homemade algaecide.... Homemade Algaecide | eHow.com It only uses cornmeal................and a pair of pantyhose. Jinman told me about it.:thumbsup:
It is a great, cheap, combinaion for me.
hugs, Brandi

 

[grnspot110]

I use the blue dye, works for me! ~~ grnspot

 

[MF RED in MT]

Years ago, my brother had a green pond and he bought some ducks at the flea market to put in the pond. About 3 months later the pond looked great, but not real sure if it was the ducks or something else that cleaned up the pond, :thumbsup: ? KC

 

[Redneck in training]

Grass carp (white amur) doesn't eat algae. For that you need tilapia.