How often add water clarifier/algea control?

Question

Hi, we have a 200 gallon pond. It is not covered and as we live in the tropics it has sun all year round. We use algea control and water clarifier when vacuuming. But lately we noticed that the fish (gold fish) are like sleeping at the bottom of the pond and today we found one dead. We are planning to make a pergola to cover the area directly above the pond but do not know if this will suffice. Any suggestions are welcome.

Answer 1

Some algae is certainly good for a pond, however like anything else you can have too much of a good thing. Both for humans and for the fish. I am not an advocate of water clarifiers or algae control chemicals in most cases and I think your recent experience may be an example of why. When an algae control product is used in a pond or other still body of water it causes a depletion in oxygen. If the aglae was thick enough, it can deplete the oxygen enough to kill the fish. Dead and decaying algae also causes ammonia build up. Either one of these or a combination of both could be the cause of the fish acting as they are and the recent death.

First I would suggest you look into a filter if at all possible. A 200 gallon pond would be easy and inexpensive to filter and would go far in keeping the algae and cloudiness under control.

The pergola would be a good idea as long as you don't run too much foliage over the pond and allow leaf litter to accumulate. Also, it could become a bird haven causing additional biological load on the pond. So watch for that as well.

Otherwise I would say to learn to live with a little algae in the pond, the fish will thank you for it.

MM

Answer 2

It is hard to say without knowing what your water conditions are. (pH, Temp, ammonia levels, etc.) For the use of clarifiers and algae control follow the manufacturers instructions. You could use peat pellets or barley to control the algae. Peat works by changing the color of your water. (a tea color) This alters the spectrum of light entering the wateer inhibiting algae growth. Truthfully , I don't really know what the barley does. I know it works but I don't know how.

For the fish being on the bottom it sound like you probavly have a parasite problem. I would suggest buying an anti-parasite medication and adding salt to your pond. (3-5lbs/100 gallons of water)

Other things to think about is filtering, water flow, aeration, etc.

Water flow: your water should be turned over, go through the filter or pump at least once every two hours. I would sugggest more. This will help make sure that your water is being filtered properly and being aerated as well.

If your pond is getting too hot (above 85 degrees F) this will cause problems with oxygenation. So building something to provide some shade for wouldn't hurt. If your pond gets too hot and you notice them gasping at the top. trying adding a bubbler or a fountain head on your pump. In an emergency you could add a couple of cups of hydrogen peroxide to the pond. Peroxide breaks up and releases oxygen into the water and the rest becomes water. (H2O2 for the chemists out there)


I hope this helps

Answer 3

Do you have any vascular plants in the pond? Water lilies or other floating/floating leaved plants? An open pond in the daylight is going to get a lot of sun, and the algae will use this, plus nutrients from your fish's wastes to grow. Also, if there's nothing shading the pond now and it's black, that's going to produce water that might be warmer than the goldfish can tolerate. Adding a water lily, or floating plants of any kind will cut down on the sunlight to the algae, provide shade for the fish, and help keep the water temps lower.

Does your pond have a filter or aerator, such as a fountain? As the water temperature increases, the amount of oxygen in the water will decrease but your fish's metabolism will increase (meaning it will need more oxygen).

Do you do water changes when you clean? Even in a pond, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates from your fish will build up. Bacteria will take care of the ammonia and nitrites year-round unless it gets very cold, but nitrates can only be removed by plants (in this case, your algae is using it as a fertilizer) or by you removing the water. Even if you put water lilies and others (which use the nitrates instead of the algae), you should still do a 20% water change on a regular basis.

A bale of barley straw will also help control your algae - you should be able to get this anywhere that sells pond supplies.

You won't get rid of all the algae, but this (and you goldfish nibbling) will keep it under control.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/BkPond.html
http://www.aginfo.psu.edu/News/august02/barley.html

Answer 4

200 gallon and what kind of filter? I agree with VG where algae isn't the problem. Algae control chemicals aren't always the way to go. Check to be sure they are not the culprit here. Also you need to have LOTS of Dissolved Oxygen in the pond. Fountain works best or a water fall. How many fish do you have? Your pond could be overloaded and the bioload just cannot handle the amount of fish waste.

How are the other fish looking? the pond really doesn't need covered since the sun also contributes to the fish color, insect larva and plant growth which the fish also eat.

What are your water quality readings? When did if ever did you do a water change? 200 gallons isn't that big for a goldfish pond. Water changes are still required.

Also, adding salt to your pond will help increase the slime coat on your fish.

If you are in a very hot climate, a chiller for your water may be the way to go. What are the temps in the water during mid day?

Any additional info will be helpful. Feel free to email or im anytime.

Answer 5

First, most algae will not harm the fish. Moreover, many fish like to eat the algae. Algae is only bad from a human viewpoint because we think it looks ugly. Algae is just one of the things that we need to learn to live with in an outdoor pond. It's hard to say whether the additives you are using may have harmed the fish, but I have always chosen not to use anything in my pond to clear the water or kill the algae and just rely on regular water changes, cleaning and elbow grease. Buying water quality is rarely the answer. It think building a pergola is a good idea. Half of my pond is in the sun, and half never gets sun because of a fence. The only side that gets algae is the side that's in the sun, so I think building the pergola will slow down, and maybe even stop, the algae growth. Also, a good pleco would be a great way to go. They're good at eating the algae and, as they grow large, a pond in a regularly warm area would be a great environment for a pleco.

Answer 6

Best thing to put in your tank is fresh clean water, and lots of it. ie frequent partial water changes. Do partial (30%?) water changes every week. You should add some water conditioner to your tap water unless you are 100% sure it contains no chlorine residue. Bacteria supplement is pretty much a waste of time unless the tank is still being cycled, and even then it's dubious Salt is debatable, some people use it, personally I dont. If you do decide to use it, just add the recommended dose for the new water that you add to the tank. The salt only leaves the tank when you remove water, so only add enough to replace what you take out of the tank during water changes. Pouring chemicals into the water isn't the way to maintain healthy fish, clean, filtered and oxygenated water is. Most people need to use water conditioner because of the quality of their tap water, but if you have clean tap water even that is not needed. Ian

Answer 7

Start purchasing algae eater fish that do well with goldfish. Not only will you have more fish but you will have an algae free tank and you won't have to feed these fish.