of bacteria and zooplankton. The greater the population of these living creatures, the quicker the recovery process.
Run-off entering the pond is a little more work, and may require altering the drainage patterns so the water moves away from the pond edge if possible. Run-off water can carry fertilizers, pesticides, oil, or any number of contaminants depending upon the area being drained, which can feed planktonic algae or kill it – both of which cause a serious disruption in the pond’s ecology.
Another cause of the appearance of green water is filamentous or string algae. It doesn’t actually turn the water green, but it does make it appear green because you’re looking through the water and seeing green algae on the pond’s bottom.
• It’s rare to have string algae and green water simultaneously.
• String algae should be kept as a short, moss-like covering on rocks or around plants.
• String algae is hardier and more difficult to control than planktonic algae.
• When it’s out of control, it becomes unsightly and is a good indicator of an out-of- balance pond.
• Just like planktonic algae, string algae grows from excess nutrients and sunlight.
• Control of string algae is similar to planktonic algae control methods.
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OVERFEEDING YOUR FISH
Overfeeding can be a big problem and again, an easy one to fix – just stop or slow down the feeding. This may be easier said than done, so if you are known to regularly overfeed your fish, make sure the filtration can handle it. Adding a larger biological filter than you think you need, or adding a second unit can help your pond keep up with your feeding habits.
Generally, two biological filters are better than one large one, as the second filter also acts as a back up in case of a pump problem.
PUMP PROBLEMS AND POWER OUTAGE If you blow a circuit or lose power to your pump for more than 24 hours, you may see a change in water quality. There are many factors that will affect this, such as your fish load, sunlight, temperature, time of year, and type of pond, gravel or no gravel in the pond. If your pond is designed properly, you’ll eliminate half of these issues, but pumps still can fail and power outages occur. Thankfully, as soon as the pump is operational, the symptoms generally rectify themselves.
MUDDY WATER BLUES
The other two main categories are muddy or turbid water, and tea-colored or tinted water. Muddy water is fairly obvious in its origin – soil is getting into the pond from run-off or potted aquatic plants. Dealing with, and avoiding water run-off has already been discussed, but what about the aquatic plants?
Fish can be the culprit, as they’re always foraging for food and will stir up the dirt in your potted aquatic plants as a part of their daily activities. A 2-inch thick layer of gravel covering the soil around water lilies and other potted aquatics helps with this problem. You can also remove the soil from the roots of your marginals and tuck them into the gravel substrate. This not only keeps excess soil out of the pond, but it forces the marginal plants to absorb more nutrients from the pond, further helping with algae control.
These suspended soils are usually removed within the settling chambers of most filters, but if the problem persists for more than a week, flocculent can be added to the water, such as Aquascape Rapid Clear. This causes the fine, suspended sediments to clump together into larger particles that will then settle out on their own. After a treatment, you may notice a light covering of sediment on the bottom of the pond. Simply stirring the water by hand or with a
net will re-suspend the sediment, allowing the filters to capture it. If you don’t have a settling chamber in your biological filter, you may choose to skip the last step.
TEA ANYONE?
Like tea leaves, most leaves that fall into your pond contain tannins, which are released into the water during the decomposition process, causing tea- colored water. Certain leaves contain more tannins than others, but the result is the same – brown stained water. Tannins can also be caused by run-off flowing through planting beds that are covered in wood mulch.
Tannins do not settle out like sediments so they need to be physically (or chemically) removed. Start by removing the source of the tannins by netting any leaves that have settled on the bottom of the pond, and by regularly emptying your skimmer net. The most effective way to remove tannins is by using Aquascape Activated Pond Carbon (see page 37). Simply place the Activated Pond Carbon where there is constant water flow, such as a skimmer, biological filter, or stream. The carbon acts like a magnet and actually absorbs the tannins from the water. Activated carbon should be changed on a regular basis according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. If the tea color persists, partial water changes will also remove tannins.
Understanding and observing your pond, isn’t just a way to solve water quality issues. Your pond is one piece to the puzzle of the big picture, and the more you understand your small backyard water feature, the better you’re able to see and understand what’s happening on a larger, global scale.
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