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  1. #1

    On the verge of jacking it all in

    Hi guys my pond is a year old now it's about 2300 gallons I have four koi and four goldfish from a previous pond all about six inches long my problem green water
    My filter is a multibay with brushes in the vortex jap mat in the second and third compartments with flocor in the third and also In the last compartment which I have added on to house the pump
    The pump is 6000 litres per hour the water enters by a bottom drain and leaves by the pump over a waterfall which is 3 feet higher than the filter into a small pond and then into the main pond I have added 16 new plants to the existing lilies over the last month they are growing but very slow the lilies are also struggling probably due to the lack of light the water is so green I can hardly see any fish
    It's been a losing battle for the last six months I want to clear it with plants and not an UV the natural way but if their not growing it's not possible I don't want the expense and grief from her indoors of an uv but is this the only answer ?
    Its driving me insane a beautiful pond but the water clarity is just causing me to lose interest I built a pond to relax and enjoy the sound of running water and nice koi in the garden but it's just turning into a nightmare ugly green water constant and no sign of any fish just an orange reflection
    Please can someone offer help or advice other than an UV I'm about a week away from closing it down due to the stress its causing and the I told you so from the wife
    I just cant be bothered to spend any more money on this pond its cost quite a bit already I have seen some chemicals I could use but is this just a temporary fix
    Hoping for some advice not a miracle cure thank you all
    Chris

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  3. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion andikoi's Avatar
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    sorry to hear your thinking of jacking in chris but i have to ask why you dont want a uv,if your in full sun all day then a uv and shade is the only way to go,doesnt have to cost a fortune,also i would say your pump is too small,i would be going for a 10,000lph for the turnover,as for chemicals,aqua source resolve works brilliantly and is safe if you have plants like you have,,,,,andi ps buy a used tmc uv to save some money,a 55w would work for you

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  5. #3
    I know it's not the answer you want, but get a uv. Many will pop up 2nd hand, but not knowing the condition you might just be better off getting a new one rather than having to splash out for new bulbs, sleeves and seals.

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  7. #4
    I would have to agree with previous posts, I recently rebuilt my pond and intitially struggled with green water, then I got a properly sized UV and had crystal clear water within days. The reason they are so common is because they really work (even though I don't replace the bulb every season). Other than that I've seen some people use ozone or copper emitting things to keep of algae though there is some concern with toxicity, especially for copper. To balance the algae with plants is theoretically possible but very difficult and results may vary depending on season. To balance the typical stocking of a koi pond with pond plants is also very difficult

    Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
    //Kevin

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  9. #5
    Banned Rank = Mature Champion Trace's Avatar
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    +1 for UV ... and some shade (there are various aesthetically attractive ways of doing that) ... but also ... what are you planting your plants in? if it's soil or even worse pond plant fertilizer you'll be hyper feeding the green algae.

    There are various steps you can take ... but also getting a good liquid water test kit and posting your readings with it would be another good move.

    Don't be down about it ... there are a lot of things most people overlook when they first start ... UV is pretty much essential as one of the requirements for clear water ...

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  11. #6
    You cannot have clear water without a UV. Filters only work for sold waste. I hope you don't jack it in because that one last thing, a UV will work. Guaranteed

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  13. #7
    Member Rank = Nisai Carlo boni's Avatar
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    Have you thought about dying the water blue I done mine although I used to much dye and didn’t see the fish for a couple of filter cleans and fresh water put back . Now I have a nice shade of blue and no floating algae.

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  15. #8
    Member Rank = Nisai AJB's Avatar
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    I have several ponds in my south facing garden. Some are in full sun all day. One of them is a fairly large wildlife pond and in my experience it takes two summers for pond lilies and aquatic plants to establish properly. You are not being realistic in expecting this approach to deliver clear water in the time scale you are using. My pond is clear but it definitely wasn't in the first year.

    One of my ponds is canal shaped. That one has no deliberate plant life in it (or fish) and does get green. if it bothers me, say we have a party in the garden, then I add black dye, which is brilliant as it turns the surface into a mirror.

    My Koi pond has a UV on it and no plants. It is in full sun with a bit of shade for the fish to hide. Without the UV it is murky green water. A UV clears it in a week. Good filter maintenance is also a must for clear water with no unsightly particulates.

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  17. #9
    I really appreciate the feedback an UV is on my list this weekend just showed the other half all your messages and she now agrees so thank you for all your time and effort hopefully I will have clear water in the future

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  19. #10
    I treated for fluke for the first time Saturday and in doing so I had to turn off my UV. Went out to feed today Monday morning and my water is green.

    I can't believe how quickly it's turned. It was crystal clear before. Not looking forward to leaving it a week lol

    Needs must.

    I read an article before on UVs stating that size is irrelevent. A big pond does not necessarily mean a big UV. If it's a smaller unit it will clear eventually. And once it is clear it will keep it clear. Larger units can handle more flow and clear it faster.

    Will try and find it was good reading but a long time ago.

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  21. #11
    I'm not sure if a smaller UV can clear a larger pond, when I rebuilt my pong I used my old smaller UV and the water did not clear. Admittedly it could also be due to an old bulb. I do however think that if undersized it won't manage to kill all algae passing through (due to higher flow) and at a certain point more algae will reproduce in the pond than are killed by the UV.

    Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
    //Kevin

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  23. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Keveke View Post
    I'm not sure if a smaller UV can clear a larger pond, when I rebuilt my pong I used my old smaller UV and the water did not clear. Admittedly it could also be due to an old bulb. I do however think that if undersized it won't manage to kill all algae passing through (due to higher flow) and at a certain point more algae will reproduce in the pond than are killed by the UV.

    Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
    I figured the same thing, especially if the pond has more surface area rather than volume. A 20ft x 20ft x 2ft (4984 Gallon) pond being a lot more susceptible to algae rather than a 10ft x 10ft x 6ft (6230 Gallon). Yet it has a lot less volume. I agree the surface area should make a difference, I did mention flow rates on previous post as well.

    I tried to find that article but have failed sorry as it was quite interesting reading as the tests and results where quite surprising.

    Will keep looking.
    Built not bought!

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