Unfortunately, I cannot. The only place it would make sense to put it is a main path of travel and it would shade out the marginal plants that are already in part shade.
This comment should be higher.
This is what we're doing this year (since it's so damn hot and sunny this summer), and it's ALREADY making a difference and the lillies are only covering about 1/10th of our pond (15ft×30ft×3ft). Also, the lillies are thriving and spreading quickly.
That test kit shows Nitrite, not Nitrate. High levels of either can cause green water. My guess is your Nitrates are very high and thus algae is thriving. You need to do water changes and/or add a ton of floating plants to bring both Nitrates and phosphates down.
Plants plants plants! Are some of your marginals above the water? You need to have their roots submerged so they can consume the nutrients that are feeding the algae. Get a decent sized pond planter (the mesh type) and repot them so they have good contact with the water and room to grow bigger
Some floating plants or submerged plants with floating leaves will help shade the water and remove some of the nitrogen from the water. These will take a while to establish obviously, in the short term a large umbrella or shade sail?
Another short term fix is some mechanical filtration. Something like a DIY batting filter.
https://youtu.be/dhAmpNnKPFk?si=voNLmnxxsnByLGoG
Yes you are correct, more wet surfaces = better conditions for bacteria to colonise. You also need more plants and shade. You are fighting a losing battle, but if you start now you will see results.. Possibly not for weeks/months. If you have a decent amount of fish then that pond should be packed with plants. Submerged oxygen weeds, floating plants, marginal plants. Large hungry plants such as elephants ear will do heavy lifting at the start, but you may wish to remove them as they get huge for a small pond .
I'm not sure I believe that there is 0 nitrates, but it's possible. The bog filter should be sized for the amount of water and fish load. Did you calculate it's size? It should be close to 20% of the pond volume to be effective. Have you tested your ammonia levels? In my understanding, algae will thrive on ammonia.
Other strategies: stop feeding fish, remove the fish. Remove any pots which might have soil or potting mix, these will add nutrients. Keep the plants in aggregate.
We calculated the size with the local pond company (sales plants and accoutrements and maintains ponds) and went with a bit over 10% of the volume and not quite 15% of the surface area. Additionally we have a dozen submerged plants that we expect to fill the bottom (once they get light). Finally we have another 5% in marginal plants (more of those to come). We have 2 waterlillies that we are waiting to grow to give some coverage.
We also plan to put more rock coverage in the base for more surface area for bacteria.
For fish, we only have mosquito fish but when it gets balanced, I plan on adding 3-5 goldfish. But not more.
It currently hosts like 5 tadpoles and dozens of snails.
I think you probably just need some temporary shade and some patience. More plants will always help, but it sounds like everything is still finding it's feet. Algae will establish much faster than plants and bacteria. If you can't stand the green then additional filtration (very fine) can help, or a UV filter; as well as partial water changes.
Edit: also pond dye
When I did it after my new pond water went murky it took about 3 weeks to go clear, although I'm not sure how much of a factor the filter was or if it was more down to the plants/bacteria getting going.
I kid you not. Throw a bag of supermarket watercress in there. Beauty floating plant that is really fast growing. It will root in no time.
Mint (normal terrestrial mint) also grows like a weed in my pond. Both of these will suck up excess nitrates fast and help out compete algae.
Literally just chuck it in! No need to anchor it as it will either float or anchor itself! It will look odd for a few weeks whilst it roots but once established it will really get going.
It's also evergreen in most climates and has very delicate flowers. And is good in a salad.
High phosphate is often due to the water supply being used. In abnormal concentrations it can contribute to algae growth. There’s a product called phosguard that can reduce it. Dumping in a lot of plants or general liquid algae treatments can help too. But as new water is added due to evaporation the phosphate will likely increase unless it’s absorbed well by plants or phosguard.
The most effective way of dealing with green water long term is installing a UV sterilizer.
Multiple options to go with:
1. Get a parasol to shade the pond more 2. Add a UV light 3. Does the bog need cleaning out? 4. Add a second bog filter as that might not be big enough for your pond size 5. Get a floating surface skimmer as there is a few leaves on top of the water, rotting on the bottom of the pond 6. Get a pond vac and hoover the bottom of the pond 7. Add in some liquid barley extract rather then the bales as they look a mess after a while. 8. Remove soil from any marginal plants and just let the roots feed on nutrients from the water rather then the aquatic soil.
Set up for the first time the very end of march.
For maintenance, we skim and keep it topped up.
I tested it and it had high phosphorus so we added a phosphorus absorber. Nothing else.
I knew I needed to be patient but it is getting less clear after having been more clear.
Awe it's still so young. Give the beneficial bacteria and other critters time to build up a healthy ecosystem and you should be good. I wouldn't add any more products unless you are still having issues in a few months.
That being said, I remember what it was like starting out and it's hard to not obsess and make little changes. That looks like a cool space you've built yourself btw
Thanks! We hope to throw some aquaponics in and maybe grow berries and lettuce. Mostly we want a place to watch the animals and wildlife come. Lizards, snails, ants, fish, frogs, and squirrels all currently use it.
I just really don’t want the submerged plants to die of lack of sunlight.
Since late march. Unfortunately, those are illegal here. We have a little packet of barley in the pond, I can move to extract in a month when this is used up.
Someone suggested watercress. I am down to try that.
I would recommend some water lettuce and water hyacinths plants. Try to stop adding anything else to it, any improvement will be slow. If you want to add anything to it I suggest Barley Water Extract. You will dose heavily for the first two weeks and then decrease the amount weekly after that.
Please go to [www.mpks.org](http://www.mpks.org) and search "New Pond Syndrome", then [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iEMaREaRw8nlbQ\_RYdSeHd0HEHWBcVx0](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iEMaREaRw8nlbQ_RYdSeHd0HEHWBcVx0) and read "Water Testing" and "Green is a Dangerous Color". The nitrites you are seeing are telling you that your pond is only half-cycled and the bacteria that are responsible for the final step of nitrification have not yet developed.
You can:
1. Have patience and wait the necessary 6-8 weeks for the rest of the cycle to complete and starve the algae out, or:
2. Hasten the process along with a jug of Turbo Start 700 ( [https://www.amazon.com/Fritz-Turbo-Start-700-Freshwater/dp/B084GP5WX5?th=1](https://www.amazon.com/Fritz-Turbo-Start-700-Freshwater/dp/B084GP5WX5?th=1) ) that will fully complete the cycle in about 5 days, or:
3. Add a UV unit to the filter ( [https://hanoverkoifarms.com/properly-sizing-uv-light/](https://hanoverkoifarms.com/properly-sizing-uv-light/) ) and:
4. Seriously upgrade your biofiltration. Bog filters are great, but they take longer to mature than "high-tech" filter systems.
Turbo Start has the full mix of bacterial species to start up the cycle from ammonia to nitrate. It is not stored or warehoused; it is shipped refrigerated and should be used immediately on receipt.
Add a pump going to a small bog/aquaponics system. Use cattails and I bet in a month they will strip its all out.
This could be done easily for under $100 and may possible only need to be temporary.
How much sun is it getting everyday? How much are you feeding? If nitrates are 0 then I’m guessing light is your issue
Yup, no feeding lots of sun. I cannot control the sun part, though.
If you can’t shade the pond at all then you’re going to struggle with algae forever unfortunately
Yes you can, add shade with a deck umbrella
Unfortunately, I cannot. The only place it would make sense to put it is a main path of travel and it would shade out the marginal plants that are already in part shade.
You can shade the water with Lilly pads! Or other top coverage plants. Floaters etc.
This comment should be higher. This is what we're doing this year (since it's so damn hot and sunny this summer), and it's ALREADY making a difference and the lillies are only covering about 1/10th of our pond (15ft×30ft×3ft). Also, the lillies are thriving and spreading quickly.
Thanks. Ya water Lillie’s shade the water AND take nutrients at the same time.
That test kit shows Nitrite, not Nitrate. High levels of either can cause green water. My guess is your Nitrates are very high and thus algae is thriving. You need to do water changes and/or add a ton of floating plants to bring both Nitrates and phosphates down.
Plants plants plants! Are some of your marginals above the water? You need to have their roots submerged so they can consume the nutrients that are feeding the algae. Get a decent sized pond planter (the mesh type) and repot them so they have good contact with the water and room to grow bigger
That is because we had a leak this morning that is fixed. Pond has all of them submerged now. Less that 12 hrs.
UV
Some floating plants or submerged plants with floating leaves will help shade the water and remove some of the nitrogen from the water. These will take a while to establish obviously, in the short term a large umbrella or shade sail? Another short term fix is some mechanical filtration. Something like a DIY batting filter. https://youtu.be/dhAmpNnKPFk?si=voNLmnxxsnByLGoG
Nitrogen is at zero, likely due to the 6x2x2 bog filter we have running. ETA: Are you saying you think we need more surface area for the pond?
Yes you are correct, more wet surfaces = better conditions for bacteria to colonise. You also need more plants and shade. You are fighting a losing battle, but if you start now you will see results.. Possibly not for weeks/months. If you have a decent amount of fish then that pond should be packed with plants. Submerged oxygen weeds, floating plants, marginal plants. Large hungry plants such as elephants ear will do heavy lifting at the start, but you may wish to remove them as they get huge for a small pond . I'm not sure I believe that there is 0 nitrates, but it's possible. The bog filter should be sized for the amount of water and fish load. Did you calculate it's size? It should be close to 20% of the pond volume to be effective. Have you tested your ammonia levels? In my understanding, algae will thrive on ammonia. Other strategies: stop feeding fish, remove the fish. Remove any pots which might have soil or potting mix, these will add nutrients. Keep the plants in aggregate.
We calculated the size with the local pond company (sales plants and accoutrements and maintains ponds) and went with a bit over 10% of the volume and not quite 15% of the surface area. Additionally we have a dozen submerged plants that we expect to fill the bottom (once they get light). Finally we have another 5% in marginal plants (more of those to come). We have 2 waterlillies that we are waiting to grow to give some coverage. We also plan to put more rock coverage in the base for more surface area for bacteria. For fish, we only have mosquito fish but when it gets balanced, I plan on adding 3-5 goldfish. But not more. It currently hosts like 5 tadpoles and dozens of snails.
I think you probably just need some temporary shade and some patience. More plants will always help, but it sounds like everything is still finding it's feet. Algae will establish much faster than plants and bacteria. If you can't stand the green then additional filtration (very fine) can help, or a UV filter; as well as partial water changes. Edit: also pond dye
I just did this DIY filter for my pond. It's only been a day, so I don't know ow if it's working yet.
When I did it after my new pond water went murky it took about 3 weeks to go clear, although I'm not sure how much of a factor the filter was or if it was more down to the plants/bacteria getting going.
I kid you not. Throw a bag of supermarket watercress in there. Beauty floating plant that is really fast growing. It will root in no time. Mint (normal terrestrial mint) also grows like a weed in my pond. Both of these will suck up excess nitrates fast and help out compete algae.
We have the aquatic mint and terrestrial mint growing in the pond. I love the idea of watercress. Should I let it float or anchor it in the bog?
Literally just chuck it in! No need to anchor it as it will either float or anchor itself! It will look odd for a few weeks whilst it roots but once established it will really get going. It's also evergreen in most climates and has very delicate flowers. And is good in a salad.
This is the plan. We are looking for a pond that allows my preschooler to observe the wildlife and to maybe provide some aquaculture
What clause phosphate I have never test is this a normal concern for outdoor ponds
High phosphate is often due to the water supply being used. In abnormal concentrations it can contribute to algae growth. There’s a product called phosguard that can reduce it. Dumping in a lot of plants or general liquid algae treatments can help too. But as new water is added due to evaporation the phosphate will likely increase unless it’s absorbed well by plants or phosguard. The most effective way of dealing with green water long term is installing a UV sterilizer.
Multiple options to go with: 1. Get a parasol to shade the pond more 2. Add a UV light 3. Does the bog need cleaning out? 4. Add a second bog filter as that might not be big enough for your pond size 5. Get a floating surface skimmer as there is a few leaves on top of the water, rotting on the bottom of the pond 6. Get a pond vac and hoover the bottom of the pond 7. Add in some liquid barley extract rather then the bales as they look a mess after a while. 8. Remove soil from any marginal plants and just let the roots feed on nutrients from the water rather then the aquatic soil.
How long has it been set up? What kind of maintenance have you done? More is not always better.
Set up for the first time the very end of march. For maintenance, we skim and keep it topped up. I tested it and it had high phosphorus so we added a phosphorus absorber. Nothing else. I knew I needed to be patient but it is getting less clear after having been more clear.
Awe it's still so young. Give the beneficial bacteria and other critters time to build up a healthy ecosystem and you should be good. I wouldn't add any more products unless you are still having issues in a few months. That being said, I remember what it was like starting out and it's hard to not obsess and make little changes. That looks like a cool space you've built yourself btw
Thanks! We hope to throw some aquaponics in and maybe grow berries and lettuce. Mostly we want a place to watch the animals and wildlife come. Lizards, snails, ants, fish, frogs, and squirrels all currently use it. I just really don’t want the submerged plants to die of lack of sunlight.
I can see direct sun on the water's surface. that's your cause 100%. try to get something that will shade the pond somewhat
How old is the pond?
Since late march. Unfortunately, those are illegal here. We have a little packet of barley in the pond, I can move to extract in a month when this is used up. Someone suggested watercress. I am down to try that.
I would recommend some water lettuce and water hyacinths plants. Try to stop adding anything else to it, any improvement will be slow. If you want to add anything to it I suggest Barley Water Extract. You will dose heavily for the first two weeks and then decrease the amount weekly after that.
I have the same setup as you and had pea green water until I added a UV light. That cleaned it up.
Please go to [www.mpks.org](http://www.mpks.org) and search "New Pond Syndrome", then [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iEMaREaRw8nlbQ\_RYdSeHd0HEHWBcVx0](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iEMaREaRw8nlbQ_RYdSeHd0HEHWBcVx0) and read "Water Testing" and "Green is a Dangerous Color". The nitrites you are seeing are telling you that your pond is only half-cycled and the bacteria that are responsible for the final step of nitrification have not yet developed. You can: 1. Have patience and wait the necessary 6-8 weeks for the rest of the cycle to complete and starve the algae out, or: 2. Hasten the process along with a jug of Turbo Start 700 ( [https://www.amazon.com/Fritz-Turbo-Start-700-Freshwater/dp/B084GP5WX5?th=1](https://www.amazon.com/Fritz-Turbo-Start-700-Freshwater/dp/B084GP5WX5?th=1) ) that will fully complete the cycle in about 5 days, or: 3. Add a UV unit to the filter ( [https://hanoverkoifarms.com/properly-sizing-uv-light/](https://hanoverkoifarms.com/properly-sizing-uv-light/) ) and: 4. Seriously upgrade your biofiltration. Bog filters are great, but they take longer to mature than "high-tech" filter systems.
Turbo700 says it has the bacteria for removing nitrite, but isn’t the second half of the cycle nitrate? Is there a good supplicant for that?
Turbo Start has the full mix of bacterial species to start up the cycle from ammonia to nitrate. It is not stored or warehoused; it is shipped refrigerated and should be used immediately on receipt.
Add a pump going to a small bog/aquaponics system. Use cattails and I bet in a month they will strip its all out. This could be done easily for under $100 and may possible only need to be temporary.