Q: My pond was clean but now it’s starting to turn green. What should I do?
Cynthia – Richmond Hill, GA
A: First of all, don’t panic! Let’s begin by taking a look at the three main causes of green water: too many fish, inadequate filtration and not enough plant coverage.
Control Your Fish Population
A booming population of goldfish, koi or other pond fish means an overload of fish waste, and all those excess nutrients actually feed the algae that’s turning your water green. To keep that waste in check, we recommend one 6- to 8-inch fish per 10 square feet of surface area. If you have too many finned friends, consider giving some away.
Provide Adequate Filtration
If your fish are family members and you’re not quite ready to bid them adieu, you’ll need to pump up your filtration with an AllClear™ PLUS filter. Adequate mechanical, biological and ultraviolet filtration will remove the excess waste from the water and help control the prolific green stuff.
Shade the Water
Algae are plants, and plants need sunlight to grow. A third way to control algae is to shade the water with plants like water lilies and water hyacinth. We recommend that you shade 40 to 60 percent of your pond for best results. The plants also provide all-natural biological filtration and make your water garden look great. Not sure what kinds of plants to get? Start with our Aquatic Plant Package, which includes a great selection of cultivars for your pond size.
Give It Time …
Most importantly, try to practice some patience. If you’ve just done a major cleanout, your biological filtration may need some more time to get established and working. Give it a kick-start with some beneficial bacteria like Nature’s Defense. The microorganisms will get to work digesting those dead organics.
If you control your fish population, adequately filter and shade your water, and boost your biological filtration by adding bacteria, your pond will be clear again before long—and you can stop singing those green-water blues.
Pond Talk: If you’ve had to give away some of your fish, how do you find new homes for them?
Filed under: Algae Control, Aquatic Plants, Fish Population, Koi & Goldfish, Pressurized Filtration, UV Filter, Water Gardens & Features, Water Quality Issues | Tagged: allclear, AllClear PLUS, Aquatic Plant Packages, plant coverage for fish | Leave a Comment »
