A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Algae Problem...bad!

I hope I do this right and the picture isn't too big - I've never posted from photobucket before.

Here's the pond last spring after it was cleaned. It's not quite as pretty now. lol The water lily was cut way back when the pond was cleaned. Since the pond gets a lot of sun during the day, I let it get bigger to give the fish more shade. I'll have to find another pic with a better shot of the fish.

Would the end of an old plastic watering can work for the diverter or would it clog up?

That's really nice pond connick!

Thank you. I do want to get a few more rocks to fill in some spots around the liner - build it up a little more. I also bought some trailing vinca to plant among the rocks near the filter box. Thought it would look pretty trailing down.

I wish my pond was that clear.

Well, it's not that quite that clear now. That picture was taken the day after it was cleaned top to bottom. I do have to add algeafix to it and I have some "pond clear" - or something like that - but I haven't tried it yet.

Connick, that's a great pond. I really like the rocks on the bottom.

Hey, you are on the right track! I recognize that pot, it's the same one I use for my filter. See the links below:

Pot Filter

I drilled a hole at the top of the pot to hold the zip tie around the tubing in place (on the back side of the pot--the high side). I have liner underneath the pot, and if anything goes off the side of the pot, it still get back into the pond.

The tube goes clear to the bottom of the pot, then I put scrunchy cleaning pads into hosiery bags on top of that, then cover it with water hyacinth. It works very well. The roots of the plant fill the pot, and grow through the sponges. My pond is about 800 gallons.

The paint tray fell out after the first year, and I didn't bother trying to put it back. I surrounded my pot with rocks this year, and came up with this:
Pot with rocks

You can also use lava rock, but the scrunchy pads are lighter & easier. They look something like those in the link below, and you can find them at Walmart or Dollar stores.

Kitchen Scourer

You can also throw the batting in there. If you decide to cut out the lip of the pot, it's hollow inside. Great stuff fills it well (don't go overboard, it really expands), then silicone the opening to make sure no water gets through.

That is so cool! I would never have thought about having the water spill over! It looks awesome!

Cool, Pianolady! We have the same pot for a filter!
How weird is THAT?

That's the only thing that has kept me from getting started on this project...I knew it was hollow inside, and didn't want to start cutting anything out of it until I figured out exactly what I wanted to do. I would much rather the water go in from the bottom and come out the top...I think it would filter much better that way.
(I figured getting the one that was hollow inside would hold up much better in the winter when it gets so cold.)

OK...I'm ready now.

I have had a bad algae problem also and here is what I did. This is what I told cookinmom also. You should also consider a UV sterilizer, costly but worth it. Go on line and shop price. I don't find a need to use chemistry or fight with my pond nearly so much as I used to. Be sure to get one with a built in scrubber, otherwise you will have to be opening it up about monthly or more to clean off the bulb, a real pain. Even with the string algae problem my water was crystal clear. Just had this gunk floating all over the place. Good luck.

Local pond shop, bought product called string algae buster. Mix 1 Tbl. in a bucket of warm water per 100 gallons of pond water. Two applications and the algae is GONE. Cost is not bad, small 4.5 oz jar treats 800 gallons was $16. It is a live product once you mix it with warm water, so if you have UV sterilizer you have to turn it off. I also made one of Adam's homemade filter boxes as a pre-filter to save cleaning my pressure filter a bunch of times. Today I have dropped my water level about 1/3 and am letting Adam's filter do its thing for 24 hours. I also added a sludge digester to help clean up the gunk. It is also a live product. Tomarrow I will top off the pond and bring my ph back into control as well as add conditioner to make sure my fish are ok with the new water. The algae product does not harm your fish or plants. I could almost watch the algae go away, a product well worth the effort. I plan on periodically doing an algae kill, maybe about once a month just for maintenance. By the way, Adams filter is really great! I also went to walmart and got the stuff, set it up and had it running in no time. After I get things cleaned up I will pull it out and store it for some future disaster!

Cindy, how's your giant pot filter coming along? Is it up and running yet?

Seeing this topic made me realize something. My pond has totally cleared up....I don't know if it's from the heavy rains we've had or what, but now I can see my goldfish swimming down at the very bottom of the pond...

I made a big temporary one out of a big square plastic storage container...as a trial run before I started cutting on that planter. It's working fine. I am making the one out of the planter today but will keep the other one up and running until my pond is under control.

Talk about nasty water..i couldn't even see 1/2 in into the water.so last night we drained as we were adding..and it worked really well..i went out there this morning to feed the little fellows..and i could see them..they were so happy with me..they came up to give me kisses..oh wait..they could have been coming up to eat..they seem to have the same face doing both..

I've gotten some plants in my pond so hopefully that will help.

Thank you, Jiffy and Gardencrazy!





Jiffy sent me a bunch of hyacinths, and those things multiply fast.

Awesome!

if you need more, let me know, my pond is completely covered now.

I'm so jealous! We can't have hyacinth or water lettuce here, and they both look so good! I guess somebody turned some loose a long time ago, and they clogged up the waterways, so now they're outlawed.

Cindy, you're pond looks really nice! I love those big rocks and your fishies.

valerie, i wouldn't have them if i lived in jax, unless they were in a barrel and couldn't escape. they have to have a true freeze winter to keep them in check, and the 100 miles or so between us makes me just far enough north to do it. they grow sooooooo fast.

I've become impatient with the green soup thing the longer I have my pond. This is my 3rd year using a UV light, although I know it would clear up without it. I want everything pretty, and I want it that way now! I got the 10W Pondmaster for my 800 gallon pond. I like this one because it's submersible or external. I've actually got it submersed in my pot filter! The weight of it holds my tubing in the bottom of the pot, and the plants cover up the fact it's even there.

Just remember, you still need the filter for your fish (if you have fish), with or without the uv. Nothing about cleaning your pond or using a filter should change when using uv, you still have to do the normal maintenance.

Pondmaster

Best price I've seen for the 10W version this year is $119.99 shipped.

I got my new pump today!

Jiffy, will they grow out by me? I'm in indiana.not southern..northern..way northern..hehe..? If you have a bunch that you wouldn't use, I would gladly pay for the shipping on them..i need something to cover this pond up fast..and nothing seems to be overtaking..