How to keep Koi pond clean?

Question

The water in my pond is very murkey one day or two and then it will be green for a day too.

Answer 1

first figure out a way to block the sunlight, cover the surface of the pond with plants over 75% of it, put a canopy over the pond
increase your filtration and clean your filter more often
if you have too much debris on the bottom of the pond you will need to syphon or vacuum it out
if you have plants in the pond koi will root in the dirt and dig all the dirt out of the pots

Answer 2

It is odd that the problem only last a day or two. Could something be getting in and stirring things up, like a dog or raccoon? To keep alga growth down the surface should be covered 90% with vegetation. There is a basket of charcoal and other natural stuff sold as "water witch" that really does work. An ultra violet light installed in the circulating system is good too.

Answer 3

Try one of the UV sterilizers. You hook that thing up to a pump and the UV light kills everything that comes through it. We bought one for our Koi pond after the free-algae got so thick that we couldn't see more than 1 inch into the water, and within a month it was crystal clear. I've heard Barley Balls work, but we didn't have good luck with them.

Answer 4

Here are some cause that you might be able to identify:
- over feeding the fish which leaves food to decay in the pond and will cause bacteria and algae to grow.
- poor or inadquate filter system for the size of the pond and or number of fish
- too much sunlight on the water surface encourages algae growth
- water temp too warm also encourages algae and murkiness.
- an inbalance in the water... Ph etc could also be the cause.

Answer 5

There are additives that can help. Try Accu-Clear or Simply Clear from Pondcare. You may have other issues such as run-off from soil or mulch. Are you using a clay-based, aquatic soil with your water plants? If not, try switching. Your plant soil may be dispersing into the water. Not only would this make the water murky, but if you are fertilizing your plants, the phosphates may be causing an algae bloom.