Quote:
Originally Posted by Debbie D
Thanks for the advice!
Cheryl, your pond is beautiful...our ponds are 8' in diameter and 9', the top pond being the smaller one...the waterfall goes into that one, and then the stream is about 2 ft long into the lower pond, where the fish are.
I had such trouble with algae this summer, and it's impossible to get it off of the waterfall...I scrub it with a brush, but it's so stuck on... 
we have Mexican rocks in the pond,and the rocks have gotten a brownish goo on them. Do I need to take everything out and wash it all off?
I know it's supposed to be relaxing, but I am so worried about doing something wrong and killing my sweet fish...wish I could do it all over again and know what the heck we were doing when we made the pond...
oh, by the way, I don't know what zone I'm in, but it can get down to -10 in the winter. I have a surface deicer for the lower pond...the one with the fish. |
Thanks Debbie. This was one of the ponds I designed and our crew installed this summer. It was one of our larger ones, 11'x13' and approx 4' deep. We don't use preformed liners as they tend to crack and the rocks will perforate the liners and cause them to leak. We have a lot of fish predators so we install ledges in the pond for the fish to hide. It's quite a process but the clients get to keep their fish a lot longer!
Here's a link to an interactive Sunset Climate Zone Map. Find where you live and click on it and you can find what climate zone you are in.
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/...845218,00.html
To control the algae, you need to control the water temperature. The warmer the water, the more the algae will grow.
The ideal conditions for algae to grow rapidly in number are: 1) warm and well-lighted water; and 2) an abundance of nutrients. The key to 'clearing up' green water, therefore, is to prevent the algae from multiplying by removing the ideal conditions for their growth.
You need to shade the pond. Here's a link that might help you.
http://www.koiandponds.com/algaecontrol.htm