The water in my fish pond has turned very green any suggestions?

Question

I have a good filtration system that I service regularly but its not helping. Are there any additives that won't harm the fish & wild life? I’m quite new at this so any (sensible) tips would be very much appreciated.

I have lots of snails & some fresh water clams

Answer 1

Hi. We usually put barley straw in our filter at this time of year and that really seems to clear the algae out well. give it a week or so (depends how green it is) and it should clear a lot. If its really bad keep changing the straw regularly !

Answer 2

The green water is simply a result of the sun. It is the same thing that happens when an indoor aquarium is in direct sunlight. It causes blue-green algae and diatoms in the water which turn it green. It isn't unhealthy for the fish so no need to worry about that. It just makes it difficult to see the fish.

Adding more filtration will help some but won't clear it completely. You can get additives but you will have to use them constantly and still won't have clear water. And what ever you do, don't be dumb enough to use paint as someone suggested.

Answer 3

There are several things you can do (it is also possible that your filtration system is not handling the bio load as well).

[1] Add a veggie filter; these do wonders if properly installed (although it may take a few months to fully operational). These will not only aid in nitrifying, but will aid in de-nitrifying which will remove nitrates (a major source for algae)
Please read this article about Veggie Filters:
http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/2007/03/pond-veggie-filters.html

[2] Add a properly installed, reliable UV Sterilizer. If the flow rate is right (20-40 gph per watt) this will do wonders in a matter of days!

[3] Barley Pellets or straw; place in the filter or water column this will control algae by virtue of the iodine contained there in.

[4] Water changes; change water and improve the Redox Potential in so doing, this may only be a temporary fix though.

[5] Increase electrolytes and calcium; again a minor aid, but one that can and will help, epecially if your Redox is off.

I strongly recommend reading this article, it has linformation and links about UV Sterilization, Redox, and more:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/ClearPond.html.

Answer 4

I would agree with the suggestions of plants. Plants that give considerable shade to the water such as water lilies would be a good choice and would not only shade the water but also use some of the nutrients that are feeding the algae. Some few floating plants would be ok, but be very careful not to get things like riccia or duckweed that will quickly cover the entire surface of the pond.

A water change would also be a good idea to reduce the amount of nutrients in the water. When doing this, look for leaf littler of other debris that may have accumulated in the bottom ofthe pond and would be a source for nutrients.

There are a variety of commercially available chemical treatents, but I would try these more natural approaches first. Chemicals that kill the algae will leave the dead algae in the pond to decay and fuel a new batch of algae as soon as the chemical wears off.

MM

Answer 5

For my pond fish I use a liquid that I put in, but before you purchase and use some, check with a variety of pond fish pro's because sometimes they may just be trying to promote the product. If you remove around half (depending on how much you have) pond weed, it is always a big contributor to water discolouration. Try changing a little water depending on how adaptable to water/temperature change. If you have the simple goldfish/kois then should be okay with this, if unsure don't go ahead! You should see if you have any pond snails, if you don't ask and see if you can take them out of someone else's pond! Hope this helps!

Answer 6

Dont bother using any artificial liquids or anything you find in a garden centre. I went to my local aquatic centre and the manager himself told me i would be wasting my time with them. Instead he asked me if i had a UV light in my pond. I do and he said that replacing the bulb every 6 months or so will help to reduce green water. Also to add plenty or plants in the pond to oxegenate the water, especially floating ones because they also shade the water from the sun which causes green water and algae. Also to keep plenty of water running in the pond. Try adding a water fall or something that doesnt have to clean the water but just keep it moving. I tried my new bulb in my pond a couple of days ago and i have already noticed a difference. I have planted a water lilly and i am incorporating another water feature into the pond. Green water treatments dont work and some of them just make your pond worse. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

You are having an algae bloom in your pond. Your filtration will not cure this. Either you need to find a way to shade your pond, or you can do a water change, or you can use a chemical cure. For this I would visit your local pond supply store. There are several algae killers on the market that you can apply with out harm to your fish.

http://www.naturalenviro.com/greenclean.htm

Here is a helpful website for one product on the market. If you look around, you will find one that fits your budget. Good Luck!

Answer 8

It sounds like you are getting a lot of algae in there. Go to a pet store and see if they have any additives that you can use. I believe they do. Also see about get a large algae eater like a pleco that will be big enough that it won't over eat it self for its size and will not be killed by the pond fish. Hope this helped. Good luck.

Answer 9

That happened to our pond and we read that it is caused by algae which multiply in the sunlight turning the pond green. Your best bet is to increase the shade with aquatic plants like water lillies or a bush thant hangs over it. I think you can also buy water treatments in garden centres but I don't know how well they work.

Answer 10

get a netted rake . and then skim over the top of the pond and pick out messes out of the pond . or get a massive bowl or bucket big enough to put all your fish in an take all animals out in a separate bucket .etc. out and clean all of the pond . scrap off the slim . but do not clean with any chemical cleaners . drain water and refill with clean water . then gently do what you did when you got the fish .
from tuty fruity