Pond problems

Lawcrusher

OK guys, help me out here. My pond is only an initial experiment to see whether or not we want or can go bigger. I have a 150gal prefab pond typical of the kind you might find at Home Depot or Lowes. It has a pump, fountain and waterfall. I have two problems, well one problem and one concern. The first "concern" is this, frogs LOVE my pond. We have had three full "litters" (or whatever you call each group of tadpoles) and are currently in the middle of #4. Is this normal for Florida?? It makes it very difficult ot clean out the leaves and pine needles w/o getting a bunch of tadpoles (I don't want to kill them but damn). So I figured I would get some fish and they would serve as tadpole control. This leads me to my second "problem". I get the fish and then realize we can't see them in the water. This is because of the algae that has taken over the pond (it is a black liner in a relatively well shaded area so we couldn't tell before). I'm assuming this is a problem but I don't know how to take care if this. I have several aquariums but I am reluctant to treat this pond like a tank because it is a far less controlled enviroment. Any advice would be very helpfull.

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TreeBay

Wasn't there a kids book about an old woman who swallowed a dog to swallow a cat to swallow a rat to swallow a snake that swallowed a frog when she accidentally swallowed a fly?

The fish should help take care of the frog problem. Those frogs are probably eating something, though, so maybe there is a mosquito or gnat problem they are helping out with?

Ponds in full sun tend to collect algae. If you're planning to grow aquatic plants you'll need about 6-8 hours of sun a day, but no more, so you could plant some evergreen type material around it that isn't too messy.

Water lilies will also help to block light entering the pond, as would some hyacinths or taro plant if your filter is the open kind. They consume a lot of the nitrogen in the water that the algae would need to bloom

So if you reduce the sun, and the nitrogen (ammonia), circulate the water, and add some plants to compete with the algae, things should improve.

Regards,

Matt

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nclivingwaters

Barley straw was a well kept secret by farmers for decades.
A few bales in the cow pond kept the algae in check. Today it is readily
available through pond suppliers in the form of mats and rolls, but can be expensive
for straw. Local feed/farm supply stores might be a good first place to look price wise,but you will have to purchase an entire bail.Then just pull some off, tie up in a small cloth bag,and toss in pond.Again,it must be barley,not wheat or alfalfa straw.I prefer the use of a UV(ultra violet)sterilizer,but there is cost and installation to consider.I first used a UV about 6 years ago,and the water turned from "pea soup" to qrystal clear.Good luck!! Rusty

johnbonsai

Hi Lawcrusher, male frogs attach themselves to female frogs so that they are their ready for the spawning. They can by accident and amphibian stupidity attach themselves to fish. This can be detrimental to the fish by detaching scales or maybe an eye if the detachment is severe, maybe the fish becomes irritated and tries to remove the said amphibian by colliding with objects or pond walls. The acctive ingredient in barley straw can be bought with instructions so that you can control its effects easier. I've had some experience with Japanese koi and I would advocate the erradication of frog infestation!

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Koi_Gal

I use a waterwytch out here in Ca where it can get pretty hot (read rampant algae growth) out here. You can find more info on the waterwytch here: http://www.lilyblooms.com/waterwych...-251957888.html


I must say that I haven't had any algae problems since I started using it over a year ago. I'm a bit of a pond rebel as it were. My pond is approximately 9 feet by 10 feet with waterfall and I have several Koi...and lilys, water clover, etc. I do not run any filtration, just let nature take it's course. The pond is about 5 years old now and is well balanced. Sometimes it can take a couple of years for a pond to mature fully. On the tadpole thing...they will also take care of any fish fry that you don't want too...koi and tadpoles = stable population of both.

kragmire

Koi Gal - I assume this is some sort of barley bale / barley cage? Does it really work? I have a 6,000 gallon pond that is super healthy, but I battle single-celled algae every Spring / Summer. Was thinking of buying a big UV system, but I'd rather use a barley if it works...

Thanks for your thoughts!

www.bonsainut.com

ElGringo

If you buy a UV system, you need to clean it every 2 weeks to keep it working. Oase sell a system with inbuilt magnets that help kill unicellular algae. When you have blanket weed attaching itself to everything, the best thing is to feed the fish a lot less (once a day is a max.) and to shade the pond. Lots of plants, especially rushes, absorb phosphates (this is the major cause of algal blooms) ashtonishingly quickly.

If you have a small pond, (<6ft, 6ft, 2ft) avoid Elodea densa or Elodea crispa, (so called 'pondweed'), they grow and smother everything. Ceratium is a floating plant that produces algicidal chemicals, but again needs to be thinned out every week. In my pond I harvest them to chuck on the compost, if you let them rot away in the winter they will release nutrients straight back into the pond, which the algae will utalise next year. I also have a 6'' layer of anoxic mud in my pond, it harbors bacteria that reduce nitrates to nitrogen, which disappears into the atmosphere.

Barley produces algicidal chemicals, but if you attack the source of the problem, nutrients and sunlight, with careful planning and use of water plants, it will be a permenant and attractive solution.

In the UK it's a problem, you're not allowed to remove frogs, newts or any other native fauna that set up home in your pond. Don't try to kill them, our native wildlife has almost completely disappeared and you could get lumped with a hefty fine. So, I built a stream running into the pond, and all the frogs go and live there instead, and don't hassle the fish.

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If I was a lady, would I be 'LaGringa'?

Koi_Gal

According to the product description its, "Made from a special blend of volcanic rocks, carbons and silicates". It claims to be biodegradeable. There isn't any barely in it, but Yes it really does work!! It does need to be replaced every 6-8 months, but it's well worth it. The only caveat is that if your water has a high ph you have to lower it which can be done easily with something like "ph lower" from beckett or some other comparable product.

CrazyCohiba

I am trying to start a new pond. But i have had no luck so far. the water turns into this Kriptonite green color. So I flushed all the water out and started over again. I have tried to go to some of the local pet shops, loews and home depot, but it was like talking to a tree stump! these people have no clue of what I'm am asking for. I don't even know why they work their and don't even have any knowledge about what they sell!
I have tried Pond start, and still have had no sucess. I have readsome posts here and am tempted to purchase a UV sterilizer, but I want to make sure this is what I need.
My kids want me to put Koi in the pond, But I don't want to kill these poor little creatures. I have also read that shade can also help so I have decided to put some plants around the perimeter of the pond to help create some shade. Is their anything else I can do to help my problem?
I do have a powerful pump that leads into a charcol canaster and out through a waterfall.
What elsa can I do, or use to help prevent this algea from growing so much?
Please help!!! newbee in central Florida.