Pond life experts

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rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
My small 2m diameter garden pond has been getting progressively more sludge like this summer despite my efforts to clear it. Oxygenating plants, barley blocks and a proprietary eco bacteria product. It's so thick and green now that the fish have wade through it. I'm going to transfer the goldfish to a cattle trough protem and empty the pond to clean it and start again.

Anyone have any advice or warnings?
 

JamesMorgan

Active Member
My small 2m diameter garden pond has been getting progressively more sludge like this summer despite my efforts to clear it. Oxygenating plants, barley blocks and a proprietary eco bacteria product. It's so thick and green now that the fish have wade through it. I'm going to transfer the goldfish to a cattle trough protem and empty the pond to clean it and start again.

Anyone have any advice or warnings?

The most likely cause of algae is excess light. Easiest way to reduce it is to put in plants that introduce shade, such as waterlillies. Ideally about 2/3 of the pond should be covered by these.
 
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rich p

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
we have lilies JM.
The surface is covered with a rust coloured scum but the water is dark green
 

scots_lass

Senior Member
You can get something from your garden centre call Greenaway(?) which will kill the algae but is ok for fish. Don't know about the scum. Would it be worthwhile to get a pond testing kit and test the water?
 

mr_cellophane

Legendary Member
Location
Essex
My local pond shop will test the water for you.  No need to buy a test kit, just take a sample with you.  I changed my filter to a Aqua Eazy Pod this year and the water has never been clearer. 

Do you change the tube in the UV filter every year and clean the inside out.  It can get a build up of scale which cuts down the light.  I am starting to get a small amount of blanket weed in the last couple of weeks.

Do you know the pond size in gallons ?
 

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
My pond sounds as if it's the same sort of size as yours. I have lots of plants in it and the water has stayed clear for years. I keep dragging out lumps of the oxygenating weed stuff which grows like Billy Oh at this time of year. That tells me it's dragging out any nutrients from the water and so starving those pesky algae. Green blanket weed does occur in my pond in the spring until the other plants start to get going. Then it just disappears. My advice is to plant lots around the edges - natives if poss and have a Lily in the deep bit. Seems to work for me.
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
I thought the thread title was about cycling through rough areas where yobs wear pitbulls like jewelery and if you get a puncture it's from running over a syringe .................

Aren't there water snails or some similar sort of creature that love to feed on the scum and algae which you could put in your pond?
 
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OP
rich p

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
I haven't got a fliter - is that a necessary reqiurement for a small pond? It's been okay without one till this year.

I'll get a test kit before I do anything else.
 

mr_cellophane

Legendary Member
Location
Essex
I haven't got a fliter - is that a necessary reqiurement for a small pond? It's been okay without one till this year.

I'll get a test kit before I do anything else.

First thing to do is work out how much water is in it.  With out knowing that you aren't going to know how much treatment to use.


A filter is necessary if you have fish in it.  They shoot just like any other creature. You can get a simple mechanical filter for under £30 plus the pump, wiring and plumbing.  A filter will; move the water around which will stop it becoming stagnant, aerate the water and go some way to preventing it completely freezing over in winter.

Other maintenance steps should be to change some of the water at least once a year. 
 

stavros

New Member
Location
York
I thought the thread title was about cycling through rough areas where yobs wear pitbulls like jewelery and if you get a puncture it's from running over a syringe .................

Aren't there water snails or some similar sort of creature that love to feed on the scum and algae which you could put in your pond?

I thought it was about chavs....never mind - if we're talking pond life, how about Nick Clegg?
 
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