Small pond owners???

mpgt · #1 (**permalink**) 07-09-2007, 02:58 PM

I have a 200 gallon pond. I just got a new filter with a UV bulb in it. The water is crystal clear, but I keep finding these clumps of slimy algae floating on top of the water. I can easily scoop them out with the net, so the filter doesn't fill up with them. The company I bought the filter from said the UV light kills the suspended algae in the green water and makes it clump up so it can be filtered out. Is that what's causing all this stuff floating on the surface now? I'm not complaining, because the water is clean now. I was just wondering.

Stargazer · #2 (**permalink**) 07-09-2007, 03:01 PM

I have no idea. But just wondering, do you keep any critters in the pond? Maybe a little anaconda would like living there!

mpgt · #3 (**permalink**) 07-09-2007, 03:10 PM

I used to have some cool frogs that lived there until my cat noticed them. I think she orchestrated their demise because they disappeared and never came back. A medium sized anaconda would take care of the cat problem, and maybe even the neighbor's dog that thought it was his private bath last year and kept making it such a mess. The top half is a bog full of plants. A pair of toads found it and put 10 million little squirmers in there. I can't wait for them to grow legs and leave home so I can filter that part of the pond again. The main part of the pond just has a large goldfish, a bunch of minnows to eat mosquitoes, and a fishing spider or 2.

spike06 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-09-2007, 03:18 PM

u should get a few kois. they are beautiful fish when they get large

mpgt · #5 (**permalink**) 07-09-2007, 03:24 PM

Koi are cool, but there's not much room in my small pond. I had a pair of ghost koi once, that bred when they were only about 4-5" long! I couldn't believe it. I've been thinking about getting them again. I just wonder if my goldfish would be territorial and beat up the new roommates if they were smaller. He's about 7" long, and has been in there for about 5 years.

spike06 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-09-2007, 04:23 PM

ive never heard of a territorial goldfish. considering the fact they only have a 3 second memory, i dont see how they can keep a territory.

mpgt · #7 (**permalink**) 07-09-2007, 04:33 PM

I think mine remembers the time he jumped out of the pond and flopped in the grass until I put him back. He never did it again

DaveA · #8 (**permalink**) 07-09-2007, 05:28 PM

There are several types of algae and it's possible that today's menu of algae is a clumper. This algae may never enter the pump/UV filter and will thrive on your pond.

I have a 250 gallon pond as well with Koi and fancy goldfish that are about 1 to 2 feet long now. I haven't (man-made) filtered the water is several years now. I use a waterfall that pours down into a holding area then falls again into the main pond. In the holding area (about the size of a truck tire) grow several plants and they keep my water 98% clean year round. One of the keys is not to have too many fish or feed them too much just like your experience with indoor tanks.

animalistic · #9 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 02:47 AM

When you eliminated the planktonic algae w/ the UV clarifier, you left the door wide open for another species of algae to thrive on over-abundant nutrients, and sun light of which the original "green-water" algae was taking care of.

I would suggest covering the surface of you pond w/plantlife to eliminate nutrients and sunlight. Vascular plants will typically out-compete algae for available food. I would recomend Water Lettuce as a first choice. I would say Water Hyacinths but they are illegal to transport in NC.

Also, take a look at the fish per gal. ratio in the pond. 1" of goldfish for every 3 gal. is the norm. Excess fish means excess nutrients for algae to feed on.

Overall, try not to battle the algae to the detriment of your sanity. Algae is a perfectly normal aspect of an outdoor pond/water garden. Alot of people will spend so much time and money trying to wage all-out war with a little algae that it ruins the fun of keeping a pond.

razeraze · #10 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 02:54 AM

Our pond was in our apartment so it never had those problems but we used a cascade 1500 canister filter and were very happy with it.

mpgt · #11 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by animalistic

When you eliminated the planktonic algae w/ the UV clarifier, you left the door wide open for another species of algae to thrive on over-abundant nutrients, and sun light of which the original "green-water" algae was taking care of.
I would suggest covering the surface of you pond w/plantlife to eliminate nutrients and sunlight. Vascular plants will typically out-compete algae for available food. I would recomend Water Lettuce as a first choice. I would say Water Hyacinths but they are illegal to transport in NC.
Also, take a look at the fish per gal. ratio in the pond. 1" of goldfish for every 3 gal. is the norm. Excess fish means excess nutrients for algae to feed on.
Overall, try not to battle the algae to the detriment of your sanity. Algae is a perfectly normal aspect of an outdoor pond/water garden. Alot of people will spend so much time and money trying to wage all-out war with a little algae that it ruins the fun of keeping a pond.

Very interesting, thanks! I've noticed a new kind of stringy algae, just like you said. The floating stuff only appears during the day. I think the goldfish is pulling it off the sides and it floats. I can get hyacinth from pet shops, but the roots go everywhere. I might get them again, and try the lettuce.

P.S. Welcome to the site, and I love your avatar.

Barbarian · #12 (**permalink**) 08-22-2007, 12:50 AM

if your looking for some fish that are pretty cool looking and can stand the algae, get yourself some yellow perch or pumpkinseed sunfish.

i got one of each in my 90 gallon, along with my oscar, pleco, and electric catfish and everyone is just hunky dory. the perch and sunfish can live wherever ther eis water, so throw them in there, and you'll see them zooming around afte rminnows and bugs in the water. Pickeral are also interesting....who doesnt love to watch a three foot fish sit perfectly still int he water for hours until a frog swims bye, and then, suddenly, the water froths and nothing is where it was before and the frog is gone.

that's just my opinion.

snsc808 · #13 (**permalink**) 08-28-2007, 12:45 AM

in my experience i have found that lillies and water lettuce or hyacin's will do the trick because they eliminate the nutrience for the algae and provide cover from the sun therefore keeping the water clearer longer especially with a uv filter on there and ive found it provides hiding places from the night herrin by my house

ballsFTW · #14 (**permalink**) 11-26-2007, 09:26 PM

I run both gold fish and Koi in both of my ponds and my lard pool. they all get along. If your near Gainesville area, theres a guy at the Waldo Flea Market, that sells the 2-3 inchers for a buck a peice, his buddy has a farm of them, so he lets them go pretty cheap. i get like 10-30 a month from him, never had a problem with any i got from him.

Adrya · #15 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007, 06:02 AM

I know this is an old thread, but I have a 2900 gallon goldfish pond. The water is crystal clear as I use a UV/Filter combination, but every year when it's warm, there's a type of algae that grows on the bottom on whatever muck is down there.... and so when it's getting sunlight and putting out oxygen, often the bubbles don't float up to the top, so the particles/clumps of algae foat up to the top, then sink, then float, then sink... it's just always been like that... I don't have a string algae problem in there because my fish love to eat it.

Advertisement