Make Sure Your Fish Pond Has Crystal Clear Water & is Algae-Free
Green murky ponds are probably the most frequently encountered problem in the pond fish keeping world. Yet there is no need to put up with a murky pond. The solution to green water was solved years ago but is still unknown to many pondkeepers.
Green water is more of a problem for us than the fish.
The reason is simple ... we cannot see those koi or goldfish we bought and lovingly released into our clean clear pond. The koi or goldfish in the water can actually thrive on the green suspended algae which also form food sources for other aquatic creatures which in turn become natural food for the pond fish. Many commercial fish farmers encourage algae growth.
Alga in winter and summer
During winter when water is cold the metabolic processes of most plants and animals slows down considerably and sunshine hours also drop dramatically. This results in much slower growths of algae and clear water is the norm but come spring then summer and longer days and warmer water and those algae blooms re-appear.
Smaller ponds will see the impact before larger ones.
How can this suspended algae be controlled?
By far the most effective solution to a green murky pond is to install an Ultra Violet Light clarifier (UVC) in the circulating water system. This approach so long as the UVC is sized correctly will guarantee crystal clear water on an ongoing basis. The only proviso is that the UV lamp within the clarifier is changed every year.
While the cost of an UVC can be on the high side it saves a great deal on buying additives that often have to be added weekly.
Much has been made of using barley straw or barley straw additives but this kind of treatment is suspect.
Other ways of controlling algae are to shade the pond to reduce sunlight penetration but this defeats the object of placing a pond in a sunny position where it best benefits the pond creatures and aquatic plants. Other popular ways are to add bacterial or chemical mixtures that suppress algae formation. The bacterial products are effective and the one I recommend is Viresco which has a capabilty of also digesting the organic material that sinks to the bottom of a pond. Viresco is also effective against another type of algae ... blanketweed.
The use of chemical algicides although effective is not recommended when natural products like Viresco are available.
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Important Fish Pond & Water Garden Articles to View... - Learn how to choose a fish pond pump ... pond pumps circulate oxygen enriched water to keep fish and pond filter bacteria alive. Fish pond filters make sure water gardens remain clean and healthy for you and the pond fish. Learn how to choose a UV light for your fish pond... UV sterilizers make sure backyard ponds remain crystal clear and green algae free. Water garden plants help to keep garden ponds in balance by removing nutrients on which pond algae feed. Most fish ponds and water gardens are built from flexible pond liner. If your fish pond ever suffers from blanketweed this is the page to view.
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