Question:
>- Phosphate Remover – It comes in a large clear container (maybe about >gallon >sized) but it’s also available in a smaller quart sized carton. It’s usually >near the aquatic plant fertilizers and different chemicals available such as >ammonia remover and such.
This is probably alum, aluminum sulfate. It won’t work for Sylvia, because her water has high alkalinity. (Alum can bind phosphate, but it’s effective only if the KH and pH are low. At normal pond pH and KH, it just forms aluminum hydroxide. So "phosphate remover" is generally ineffective in ponds.) In soft water, alum can be an effective coagulant to clear muddy water. – Rod
Response:
Thank you all for the varied and helpful info. I decided after doing some research that I’d go ahead and get a UV sterilizer. I have tried to do a head count and it appears there are 6 or so koi and about 20 goldfish of varying sizes. Of course, I’m not counting the fry. Too many of them to keep track of. I do wonder about phosphate now that I’ll be using a UV to rid the water of floating algae. Do I need to use a product which removes phosphate? Certainly don’t want my fish friends to die. I tested the water yesterday and all seems fine. I was suprised to find it in such good condition. Thanks again for your help. Sylvia
Response:
Sylvia << Do I need to use a product which removes phosphate? >> That is on my green water list but I have to say I have not used it. Just like UV is on the list but also don’t use it. Usually green water is kept at bay with a number of different methods. If you can afford UV I say go for it! Take no quarters when it comes to green water 
Good luck and let us know what happens. k30a-and-the-watergardening-labradors
Response:
>I do wonder about phosphate now that I’ll be using a UV to rid the water >of floating algae. Do I need to use a product which removes phosphate? >Certainly don’t want my fish friends to die. >I tested the water yesterday and all seems fine. I was suprised to find >it in such good condition. >Thanks again for your help. >Sylvia
I got a UV. Never added anything to the pond and its crystal now. Took about 3 days after the UV installed. Whats phosphate for ? Steve
Response:
Hi Steve, Wow! No green water in only 3 days! Thought I was excited about my upcoming UV arrival but now I’m feeling like a kid at Christmas. I beileve phosphates are a byproduct of fish poo. They feed the algae.
Response:
The phosphate in question comes from this suggestion that I added to the green water solutions. >- Phosphate Remover – It comes in a large clear container (maybe about gallon
sized) but it’s also available in a smaller quart sized carton. It’s usually near the aquatic plant fertilizers and different chemicals available such as ammonia remover and such. You measure out the amount suitable for your pond size, place it in a mesh bag, and first soak it in a pail before you put it in your filter. You need to soak it because it gives off heat when it first gets wet.<< I have added hints over the years and this is one of them. My clear water comes from anacharis and a veggie filter full of water hyacinths (14" tall and dark green!) — but I list all suggestions, even ones I don’t use, like UV or phosphate remover – as every pond and ponder is different and what works for me might not work for others. A toast to gin clear water! k30a-and-the-watergardening-labradors <A HREF="http://www.daydreamergardens.com/2_level/articles/dog_how_to.htm">See the watergardening labradors </A>
Response:
I didnt have green water until I cleaned out the big pond and my mothers and moved the 13 fish to my pond and that doubled the number of koi, then it went murky and I had the UV sitting upstairs somebody gave it to me. 3 days after hooking it up the water was clear. INgrid >Hi Steve, > Wow! No green water in only 3 days! Thought I was excited about my >upcoming UV arrival but now I’m feeling like a kid at Christmas. > I beileve phosphates are a byproduct of fish poo. They feed the >algae.
List manager- Puregold http://puregold.aquaria.net/ http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/solo/index.html Solve the problem, dont waste energy looking for who’s to blame Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other compensation for all the work, endorsements and recommendations I make. And my husband has the bills to prove it!
Response:
Hi Sylvia You should still make Water changes on a regular basis. Ten percent a month and syphon from the bottom. If you don,t have a bottom drain. With a lot of plants you should not have green water. This could be caused by a Bacterial Bloom from the bottom of the Pond. Water quality is primo in keeping fish healthy. Filters are great but good pond maintenance is still a Must. People get lulled into a comfort zone with good Filters and UV’s and still have fish get sick or die. Ya gotta make changes Know Matter what test kits say. Put your nozzle on spray when filling. Good Luck with your new Home!! ALDI.
Response:
>I bought a home three months ago which has a koi pond. It’s filled with >koi, goldfish and many, many plants. If it weren’t for the green water >it would be beautiful. I began runnng the biofilter two months ago but >the water is still green. I’m wondering if I can do a complete water
Biofilter is to convert fish waste to plant food, not remove algae Go to http://www.koivet.com and read… LOTS of information >change to correct the problem or maybe add a UV sterilizer or clarifier.
Water change is not a long term solution (algae will only grow again) and has it’s own set of problems (chemicals added to city water) >I’m new to watergardening and so far the only info I’ve read is online. >Can anyone advise me as to what I should do? Sylvia
UV light, of a size that is correct for your gallons, will kill algae (do note that bulbs must be replaced annually) John Thomas Smith Personal Page and CatBox FAQ http://www.pacifier.com/~jtsmith Direct 2 U Pond Emporium Compare Our Pond Prices !!! Pumps/Filters/Liner/Accessories http://www.pacifier.com/~tkaufman
Response:
>Adding the proper size UV light will take care of your green water in under >a week. Your water will look beautiful. > I bought a home three months ago which has a koi pond. It’s filled with > koi, goldfish and many, many plants. If it weren’t for the green water > it would be beautiful. I began runnng the biofilter two months ago but > the water is still green. I’m wondering if I can do a complete water > change to correct the problem or maybe add a UV sterilizer or clarifier. > I’m new to watergardening and so far the only info I’ve read is online. > Can anyone advise me as to what I should do? Sylvia
Hello Sylvia. While a UV sterilizer will clean the water up there are cheaper ways to keep the pond clean. Plants will do a wonderful job of keeping the water clear. If your pond is over crowded you need to get rid of some of the fish. An overcrowded pond will be a headache no matter what type of filter you put on it. Try to find a pond club or association in your area. Talk to successful ponders and I am sure they will steer you in the right direction. You don’t state what size of pond you have, how many fish, and what size and type of filter you have. To try and diagnose your porblem in this group will take more information. Maybe a UV sterilizer is the answer. Maybe all it will do is successfuly run your light bill up. Try to visit other ponders in your area. They might try to push extra plants or fish off on you, but they will be helpful with your pond. A pond store will try to sell everything you need to be a successful ponder. BEWARE! They will have you to believe all of that equipment is necessary, it isn’t. There are a whole lot of people who have great looking ponds and they don’t have expensive UV filters and such. The fish won’t die because of the ponds present condition. Go to the library and see what info you can find there. (oops I am letting my age out) Look on the internet and see what you can find about ponds. There is a site that has useful information on it and isn’t strictly there to sell you stuff. www.coloradokoi.com There is also a news letter that comes on my e-mail with good information not infomercials. I will try forward the next one to you. Take the time to learn about your pond this winter and next year you will be ready to start out right from the beginning of the season. Take care not to replace to much water as that can cause a whole differnt bunch of problems. Remember the fish are probably all right just over crowded. cheers, tonyf
Response:
I bought a home three months ago which has a koi pond. It’s filled with koi, goldfish and many, many plants. If it weren’t for the green water it would be beautiful. I began runnng the biofilter two months ago but the water is still green. I’m wondering if I can do a complete water change to correct the problem or maybe add a UV sterilizer or clarifier. I’m new to watergardening and so far the only info I’ve read is online. Can anyone advise me as to what I should do? Sylvia
Response:
Adding the proper size UV light will take care of your green water in under a week. Your water will look beautiful.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I bought a home three months ago which has a koi pond. It’s filled with > koi, goldfish and many, many plants. If it weren’t for the green water > it would be beautiful. I began runnng the biofilter two months ago but > the water is still green. I’m wondering if I can do a complete water > change to correct the problem or maybe add a UV sterilizer or clarifier. > I’m new to watergardening and so far the only info I’ve read is online. > Can anyone advise me as to what I should do? Sylvia
Response:
Green water solutions ~ learning as much as you can about the natural balance of a pond and realizing that new ponds must go through a growth period which usually means green water before balance occurs. ~ Mother Nature designs pond to have few fish, many plants and subtraction and addition of new water from time to time. She lets the fish find food on their own, lets the fish fertilize the plants, encourages predators and lets the plants run rampant. She never cleans her ponds out unless she sends a flood. If things really get out of control she throws up her hands and lets the chips fall where they may – lets the pond fill in, turn emerald green, flood it out, earthquakes, hurricanes, record snowfall, elections too close to call – whatever… ~We pondkeepers stuff in lots of pretty fish, spoil them rotten with tasty fish chow, over fertilize our plants and do everything possible to discourage predators. ~Plan on 20 gallons of water per goldfish and 100 gallons of water per koi and as many plants as you can stuff in. ~ do not use chemicals, killing algae just makes lots of suddenly dead algae, rotting algae robs the pond of oxygen and makes more stuff for the new algae to feed on (unless you have a bottom drain to get it out). ~lower fish stocking, not over feeding fish – algae loves fish waste (lots of yummy phosphorous) ~ lots plants of any type, marginal plants such as reeds, cattails, iris, pickerel weed, arrowhead, floaters such as water hyacinth, water lettuce and lots of underwater plants such as anacharis uses the nutrients up that the algae would like. ~ shade (lilies, the floaters and artificial shade – shade cloth, umbrella, arch or trellis planted with vines) no sun for the algae ~ cleaning up debris from the bottom of the pond and stocking snails to chew up the debris – less decaying stuff for algae food. ~ cut back or stop fertilizing plants – same principle. ~ planting in _well_ rinsed plain kitty litter, sand or fine gravel. ~ mechanical filtration of the fish waste. ~ biological filtration – more than you think you need as your fish are going to grow and you will probably add more fish to your pond via purchase or your fish breeding in the pond. ~ veggie filter – an area, 10% to 20%, of the size of your pond surface area. A couple of inches deeper than the plant baskets (the rigid black mesh baskets made specifically for water plants) you are going to use to plant in. Plant the baskets with marginal plants with fine gravel. Pump the pond water through at a turnover rate per hour 1/2 to 1/4 of the pond volume. Veggie filter uses up many of the nutrients and provides a good place for bacteria to grow. Build it with a bottom drain (or two) for ease of cleaning – very important or you’ll end up with backups and leaking over the edge. Go here to read a great description about how to build one http://hometown.aol.com/k30a/myhomepage/garden.html ~ a sludge eating product – concentrated bacteria culture. ~ some folks love their UV sterilizer. Does cost some $. ~ adding a bale of barley straw to your pond. Read this webpage http://hometown.aol.com/rosiedawg/myhomepage/collection.html – Phosphate Remover – It comes in a large clear container (maybe about gallon sized) but it’s also available in a smaller quart sized carton. It’s usually near the aquatic plant fertilizers and different chemicals available such as ammonia remover and such. You measure out the amount suitable for your pond size, place it in a mesh bag, and first soak it in a pail before you put it in your filter. You need to soak it because it gives off heat when it first gets wet. ~ do not worry about green fuzzy algae on the side of the pond, that is good algae and helps balance your pond. ~ ignoring a little string algae. ~ installing bottom drains and skimmers for ease of removing sludge and debris. ~ netting the pond during the Fall to keep leaves out of the pond. ~ trimming dead growth from the plants and removing floating tropicals if you live in colder climates. ~ Sacrifices to the Pond Goddess. Run to your nearest garden center and buy a gazing ball, a dragonfly garden stake and bullfrog spitter. Place around your pond and ask humbly for clear water. ~ patience, patience and eternal optimism. kathy-and-the-watergardening-labradors
Response:
>- Phosphate Remover – It comes in a large clear container (maybe about >gallon >sized) but it’s also available in a smaller quart sized carton. It’s usually >near the aquatic plant fertilizers and different chemicals available such as >ammonia remover and such.
This is probably alum, aluminum sulfate. It won’t work for Sylvia, because her water has high alkalinity. (Alum can bind phosphate, but it’s effective only if the KH and pH are low. At normal pond pH and KH, it just forms aluminum hydroxide. So "phosphate remover" is generally ineffective in ponds.) In soft water, alum can be an effective coagulant to clear muddy water. – Rod
Response:
Thank you all for the varied and helpful info. I decided after doing some research that I’d go ahead and get a UV sterilizer. I have tried to do a head count and it appears there are 6 or so koi and about 20 goldfish of varying sizes. Of course, I’m not counting the fry. Too many of them to keep track of. I do wonder about phosphate now that I’ll be using a UV to rid the water of floating algae. Do I need to use a product which removes phosphate? Certainly don’t want my fish friends to die. I tested the water yesterday and all seems fine. I was suprised to find it in such good condition. Thanks again for your help. Sylvia
Response:
Sylvia << Do I need to use a product which removes phosphate? >> That is on my green water list but I have to say I have not used it. Just like UV is on the list but also don’t use it. Usually green water is kept at bay with a number of different methods. If you can afford UV I say go for it! Take no quarters when it comes to green water Good luck and let us know what happens. k30a-and-the-watergardening-labradors
Response:
>I do wonder about phosphate now that I’ll be using a UV to rid the water >of floating algae. Do I need to use a product which removes phosphate? >Certainly don’t want my fish friends to die. >I tested the water yesterday and all seems fine. I was suprised to find >it in such good condition. >Thanks again for your help. >Sylvia
I got a UV. Never added anything to the pond and its crystal now. Took about 3 days after the UV installed. Whats phosphate for ? Steve
Response:
Hi Steve, Wow! No green water in only 3 days! Thought I was excited about my upcoming UV arrival but now I’m feeling like a kid at Christmas. I beileve phosphates are a byproduct of fish poo. They feed the algae.
Response:
The phosphate in question comes from this suggestion that I added to the green water solutions. >- Phosphate Remover – It comes in a large clear container (maybe about gallon
sized) but it’s also available in a smaller quart sized carton. It’s usually near the aquatic plant fertilizers and different chemicals available such as ammonia remover and such. You measure out the amount suitable for your pond size, place it in a mesh bag, and first soak it in a pail before you put it in your filter. You need to soak it because it gives off heat when it first gets wet.<< I have added hints over the years and this is one of them. My clear water comes from anacharis and a veggie filter full of water hyacinths (14" tall and dark green!) — but I list all suggestions, even ones I don’t use, like UV or phosphate remover – as every pond and ponder is different and what works for me might not work for others. A toast to gin clear water! k30a-and-the-watergardening-labradors <A HREF="http://www.daydreamergardens.com/2_level/articles/dog_how_to.htm">See the watergardening labradors </A>
Response:
I didnt have green water until I cleaned out the big pond and my mothers and moved the 13 fish to my pond and that doubled the number of koi, then it went murky and I had the UV sitting upstairs somebody gave it to me. 3 days after hooking it up the water was clear. INgrid >Hi Steve, > Wow! No green water in only 3 days! Thought I was excited about my >upcoming UV arrival but now I’m feeling like a kid at Christmas. > I beileve phosphates are a byproduct of fish poo. They feed the >algae.
List manager- Puregold http://puregold.aquaria.net/ http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/solo/index.html Solve the problem, dont waste energy looking for who’s to blame Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other compensation for all the work, endorsements and recommendations I make. And my husband has the bills to prove it!
Response:
Hi Sylvia You should still make Water changes on a regular basis. Ten percent a month and syphon from the bottom. If you don,t have a bottom drain. With a lot of plants you should not have green water. This could be caused by a Bacterial Bloom from the bottom of the Pond. Water quality is primo in keeping fish healthy. Filters are great but good pond maintenance is still a Must. People get lulled into a comfort zone with good Filters and UV’s and still have fish get sick or die. Ya gotta make changes Know Matter what test kits say. Put your nozzle on spray when filling. Good Luck with your new Home!! ALDI.
Response:
>I bought a home three months ago which has a koi pond. It’s filled with >koi, goldfish and many, many plants. If it weren’t for the green water >it would be beautiful. I began runnng the biofilter two months ago but >the water is still green. I’m wondering if I can do a complete water
Biofilter is to convert fish waste to plant food, not remove algae Go to http://www.koivet.com and read… LOTS of information >change to correct the problem or maybe add a UV sterilizer or clarifier.
Water change is not a long term solution (algae will only grow again) and has it’s own set of problems (chemicals added to city water) >I’m new to watergardening and so far the only info I’ve read is online. >Can anyone advise me as to what I should do? Sylvia
UV light, of a size that is correct for your gallons, will kill algae (do note that bulbs must be replaced annually) John Thomas Smith Personal Page and CatBox FAQ http://www.pacifier.com/~jtsmith Direct 2 U Pond Emporium Compare Our Pond Prices !!! Pumps/Filters/Liner/Accessories http://www.pacifier.com/~tkaufman
Response:
>Adding the proper size UV light will take care of your green water in under >a week. Your water will look beautiful. > I bought a home three months ago which has a koi pond. It’s filled with > koi, goldfish and many, many plants. If it weren’t for the green water > it would be beautiful. I began runnng the biofilter two months ago but > the water is still green. I’m wondering if I can do a complete water > change to correct the problem or maybe add a UV sterilizer or clarifier. > I’m new to watergardening and so far the only info I’ve read is online. > Can anyone advise me as to what I should do? Sylvia
Hello Sylvia. While a UV sterilizer will clean the water up there are cheaper ways to keep the pond clean. Plants will do a wonderful job of keeping the water clear. If your pond is over crowded you need to get rid of some of the fish. An overcrowded pond will be a headache no matter what type of filter you put on it. Try to find a pond club or association in your area. Talk to successful ponders and I am sure they will steer you in the right direction. You don’t state what size of pond you have, how many fish, and what size and type of filter you have. To try and diagnose your porblem in this group will take more information. Maybe a UV sterilizer is the answer. Maybe all it will do is successfuly run your light bill up. Try to visit other ponders in your area. They might try to push extra plants or fish off on you, but they will be helpful with your pond. A pond store will try to sell everything you need to be a successful ponder. BEWARE! They will have you to believe all of that equipment is necessary, it isn’t. There are a whole lot of people who have great looking ponds and they don’t have expensive UV filters and such. The fish won’t die because of the ponds present condition. Go to the library and see what info you can find there. (oops I am letting my age out) Look on the internet and see what you can find about ponds. There is a site that has useful information on it and isn’t strictly there to sell you stuff. www.coloradokoi.com There is also a news letter that comes on my e-mail with good information not infomercials. I will try forward the next one to you. Take the time to learn about your pond this winter and next year you will be ready to start out right from the beginning of the season. Take care not to replace to much water as that can cause a whole differnt bunch of problems. Remember the fish are probably all right just over crowded. cheers, tonyf
Response:
I bought a home three months ago which has a koi pond. It’s filled with koi, goldfish and many, many plants. If it weren’t for the green water it would be beautiful. I began runnng the biofilter two months ago but the water is still green. I’m wondering if I can do a complete water change to correct the problem or maybe add a UV sterilizer or clarifier. I’m new to watergardening and so far the only info I’ve read is online. Can anyone advise me as to what I should do? Sylvia
Response:
Adding the proper size UV light will take care of your green water in under a week. Your water will look beautiful.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I bought a home three months ago which has a koi pond. It’s filled with > koi, goldfish and many, many plants. If it weren’t for the green water > it would be beautiful. I began runnng the biofilter two months ago but > the water is still green. I’m wondering if I can do a complete water > change to correct the problem or maybe add a UV sterilizer or clarifier. > I’m new to watergardening and so far the only info I’ve read is online. > Can anyone advise me as to what I should do? Sylvia
Response:
Green water solutions ~ learning as much as you can about the natural balance of a pond and realizing that new ponds must go through a growth period which usually means green water before balance occurs. ~ Mother Nature designs pond to have few fish, many plants and subtraction and addition of new water from time to time. She lets the fish find food on their own, lets the fish fertilize the plants, encourages predators and lets the plants run rampant. She never cleans her ponds out unless she sends a flood. If things really get out of control she throws up her hands and lets the chips fall where they may – lets the pond fill in, turn emerald green, flood it out, earthquakes, hurricanes, record snowfall, elections too close to call – whatever… ~We pondkeepers stuff in lots of pretty fish, spoil them rotten with tasty fish chow, over fertilize our plants and do everything possible to discourage predators. ~Plan on 20 gallons of water per goldfish and 100 gallons of water per koi and as many plants as you can stuff in. ~ do not use chemicals, killing algae just makes lots of suddenly dead algae, rotting algae robs the pond of oxygen and makes more stuff for the new algae to feed on (unless you have a bottom drain to get it out). ~lower fish stocking, not over feeding fish – algae loves fish waste (lots of yummy phosphorous) ~ lots plants of any type, marginal plants such as reeds, cattails, iris, pickerel weed, arrowhead, floaters such as water hyacinth, water lettuce and lots of underwater plants such as anacharis uses the nutrients up that the algae would like. ~ shade (lilies, the floaters and artificial shade – shade cloth, umbrella, arch or trellis planted with vines) no sun for the algae ~ cleaning up debris from the bottom of the pond and stocking snails to chew up the debris – less decaying stuff for algae food. ~ cut back or stop fertilizing plants – same principle. ~ planting in _well_ rinsed plain kitty litter, sand or fine gravel. ~ mechanical filtration of the fish waste. ~ biological filtration – more than you think you need as your fish are going to grow and you will probably add more fish to your pond via purchase or your fish breeding in the pond. ~ veggie filter – an area, 10% to 20%, of the size of your pond surface area. A couple of inches deeper than the plant baskets (the rigid black mesh baskets made specifically for water plants) you are going to use to plant in. Plant the baskets with marginal plants with fine gravel. Pump the pond water through at a turnover rate per hour 1/2 to 1/4 of the pond volume. Veggie filter uses up many of the nutrients and provides a good place for bacteria to grow. Build it with a bottom drain (or two) for ease of cleaning – very important or you’ll end up with backups and leaking over the edge. Go here to read a great description about how to build one http://hometown.aol.com/k30a/myhomepage/garden.html ~ a sludge eating product – concentrated bacteria culture. ~ some folks love their UV sterilizer. Does cost some $. ~ adding a bale of barley straw to your pond. Read this webpage http://hometown.aol.com/rosiedawg/myhomepage/collection.html – Phosphate Remover – It comes in a large clear container (maybe about gallon sized) but it’s also available in a smaller quart sized carton. It’s usually near the aquatic plant fertilizers and different chemicals available such as ammonia remover and such. You measure out the amount suitable for your pond size, place it in a mesh bag, and first soak it in a pail before you put it in your filter. You need to soak it because it gives off heat when it first gets wet. ~ do not worry about green fuzzy algae on the side of the pond, that is good algae and helps balance your pond. ~ ignoring a little string algae. ~ installing bottom drains and skimmers for ease of removing sludge and debris. ~ netting the pond during the Fall to keep leaves out of the pond. ~ trimming dead growth from the plants and removing floating tropicals if you live in colder climates. ~ Sacrifices to the Pond Goddess. Run to your nearest garden center and buy a gazing ball, a dragonfly garden stake and bullfrog spitter. Place around your pond and ask humbly for clear water. ~ patience, patience and eternal optimism. kathy-and-the-watergardening-labradors