Brown Ugly Water

[BonnieIN]

I had this same problem last fall but thought it could possibly be because some leaves had fell in the pond....

Okay, here's the scoop.

Approx. a month ago we had a pond FULL of every type of algae imaginable, at least I'm assuming.
I believe we had slime or blanket algae the most. Free floating stuff that was like slime. It seemed the more that I netted and cleaned up, the more would seem to float to the top.
The pond had just got started again for the season so after getting very frustrated, we decided to just drain and fill the whole thing again.
(The only chemicals, etc. that I've used have been dechlor and Koi Clay)
After having everything running for approx. 2 weeks I decided to go ahead and turn on the UV because we were having above average temps in the 80's. About 10 days later the water turned a brownish tint in 2 days time, actually I shouldn't call it "tinted" because in the deep part I can't see the bottom or my fish!

Any ideas what could be possibly happening?
And no, no leaves are in the pond.

All imput would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Bonnie


The lower pond and upper pond are combined by waterfalls, etc.

Upper Koi Pond/Watergarden- 6000 gallons
2 skippy waterfalls, 2 BD, 2 Gravity Fed Skimmers, Sequence 3600 pump.
Our DIY concrete filtration bay is a total of 700 gallons which is filled with brushes, scrubbies and floor maintenance pads. Both skippy filters are filled with plastic strapping.

Lower pond- 1500 gallons
Water goes thru upper skimmers and flows into a small streambed, then flows to Lower waterfall.
Goes back into skimmer and pumped back up to the Main pond by a 5800 Sequence pump.

[Cinnamon]

Bonnie we had all kinds of algae in the water. The only slime we have had is on the rock waterfall. When we hooked the big DIY filter and the FishMate with a 16W UVc in the new waterfall, our water began clearing in 4 days. You could barely see the fish at the bottome it was so pea soupy! After 4 days we had DOCs to deal with. I did notice that the algae had turned brown. I thought maybe it was the dead algae. I didn't know. I didn't post it. So now after a couple of months the brown is almost gone. The fish didn't seem to mind it. But our's was just stuck to everything not floating in the water etc. I will follow this to see how it come out.

[Jackie Ramo]

Either run off, which I doubt or dead algae would make the water brown and cloudy rather than tanins from leaves which is brown but clear.

Try the koi clay at 5 x's the doesage and see what happens. It worked for me I did it twice in a week or 1 treatment on a Saturday and another the following Saturday. 90% of the string algae is gone and the water is clear. Did have to vac out all the dead though.

[BonnieIN]

Jackie I really think you are correct, as usual! :wink: :smile:

At one time we did have a run off issue and with a big rainstorm, got alittle mud in the pond but that has been fixed and I don't see where any mud could have got in the pond.

I just find it strange that the pond wasn't green first. I added a regular dose yesterday and put in a double dose of Koi Clay today. I'll add alot more tomorrow.
I also added alittle bit of AC, will add the rest tomorrow because it's not supposed to rain all day.

I just came in from feeding the kids and did see a teeny bit of a difference. Before I couldn't see the BD at all, now I can slightly see them.


Oooh.. my Pondvac is supposed to arrive tomorrow so hopefully the rain will hold off long enough for me to work on the pond!
Thank you,
Bonnie

[marla]

Sounds like here. When the ice melted all the string algae seemed to float up, still very green but removable with a net. Then it got warm and the pond turned pea green despite a good water change the day before. Put in the quilt batting changing daily. Now though it got cold again the water is brown, still changing quilt batting, today I can see the bottom somewhat, the fish seem fine. There is no string algae to speak of so I'm thinking the brown cloudy water is dead stuff yet, tested and all is fine. Was thinking of adding some activated carbon. Have been toying with the idea of koi clay, does it really work well as a preventative, and do the plants handle it ok?

[Jackie Ramo]

The dying string and other algeas probably preventing the pea soup for you Bonnie. I forget who on ADI said to use 5 x the dose for clay. I did even more than that and had not problems just cloudy water overnight and all the dead string algae on the bottom and in the skimmer. Took almost 7 days for most of it so I gave it another dose. Weather got cold again but the algae doesn't seem to be growing. Carpet algae, the good stuff seems to be forming. But hey it could be string coming back. Time will tell. But the 10-12 foot strands are gone.

[BonnieIN]

Marla
There are many uses for Koi Clay. Heck some people even drink the stuff!


Jackie
Lee B told me that she has been using 1/2 c. per gallon to try to get rid of her string algae! :unsure:

[Jackie Ramo]

half a cup a gallon is one heck of a lot of clay!!!! :frisbee: I probably put 2 cups in mine which is 5,000 gallons.