Really impressed that you didn't try to sell algicides or UV sterilizers. Quality and comprehensive guide to a clean and balanced pond ecosystem. great video, and thanks for sharing.
To my surprise this is not just another how-to-fix-my-algae-problem video but rather one of the best and most comprehensive video on the topic I’ve seen yet. Great job young man.
Very good information! Thanks for concise and timely advice. Remember those of us in colder climates who have to winter over our plants and keep our fish alive.
Saw this dude trying to be "showy" for the lady gardeners... But quickly realised he still has excellent points and covers everything well. Great job. I have the film type and realised it was just me not liking the look more than any actual issue.
Thank you for this video. Very straight forward and easy to understand. I recently started a small koi pond. I noticed the film algae. I freaked out and started googling trying to find how to remove it. I couldn't find a straight answer. I was completely confused until I found this video. Thank you again.
i had to watch it twice. .. I put on the video,,,, and It was over,, and i realised i had not listened to one word. WoW. Jennings, Beautiful..I got the info second time, thanks for the tips
I bought a lotus plant from your store. Just in 3-4 days it started the coin leaves. I'm building a small still water pond for it. Your video is really helpful.
Thanks for good and clear information. We have a 104 gallon pond. A filtration system with UV light (likely a failed lamp) and a waterfall for aeration. The past few weeks we noticed the fish were all congregating directly under the fall. When we looked up that behavior we learned that our pond was in distress. I changed about 1/3 of the water and the fish appeared to do a little better for a day or so, but continued to hang out under the fall. I planned on doing a deep cleaning of the pond. We have been having blooms of hair algae. Upon the start of doing so I discovered two dead fish that were just the previous day seen under the fall. This precipitated a drastic cleaning of the pond - to remove the fish to a holding tank while I drained and cleaned the entire pond. The ENTIRE pond. Took the liner out and pressure washed it to remove the algae and bought a new pump/filtration system with UV. Filled the pond and returned the fish. We added an air bubbler and air pump to put more oxygen into the water. Also, the potted plants - we took them out of their soil, believing the soil was full of fertilizers. The plants are doing OK with the new water and the fish are now seemingly more at ease in the environment. But now I'm concerned because of your comments about changing the water because I changed 100% of the water from city water. Again, the fish are doing better than before - something I believe was needed to save their lives. We've removed the soil from the potted plants, and plan on a few more plants as well. This, we believe, will give greater chances for fry to survive birth. Formerly there was nowhere for them to hide and the other fish were eating them as soon as they were laid. We've purchased "Beneficial Bacteria" in the hopes to bring our pond into a better balance. Aside from having subjected the fish to 100% water with no nutrients in it, other than the hard water we have here, we're not sure what to expect. We've been adding rocks (P-gravel) as a bed along with flat stones to provide overhangs for them to shelter under. We plan on getting at least one more plant, something with red leaves, as this is what we've heard from others on UA-cam. Do you have any other advice? Thanks. Pete C. [edit] I have a sun shade over the pond. It gets direct sunlight in the morning then all day it gets about 90% sunlight. This was also purchased in an effort to cut down on hair algae. I've never had Pea Soup algae, nor have I ever noticed the short algae you spoke about as the third sort. But upon retrospect my UV lamp must have failed. From now on I will start with new lamps. I may have to find a good source of replacement lamps because the filtration system I am currently using (from the big box store) does not sell replacement lamps. "( [end edit]
Did the pond recover? It sounds like the waterfall wasn't enough aeration. Fish, algae and other aerobic organisms all add to oxygen consumption. If your pond was was heavily stocked, may not have been enough available oxygen which would drive fish to the surface or to congregate around the waterfall. Also gives algae a chance to take over if there isn't enough healthy bacteria to fight it back
The best solution (and ecological) is to add plants, submerged or rooted in the water. They absorb nutrients and reduce drastically the algae, and they are very beautiful!!
My pond has a bunch of “pea soup algae” I searched up this video because I want to be able to see my goldfish i’m going to try out some of these techniques. Thanks!
Great video! I was reassured to be patient with my new algae growth and let it work itself out after I had to replace almost half of water due to a leak. Not mention the new 80 degree temps in TN.
Thanks for this video seems to have a different message than most . New to the pond life and I have such a small pond with a lot of algae . I was trying to get rid of it because it looked awful. I have the film algae .... but I have a lot of sunlight
Hi from Australia...great video ! I had water Hyacinths for a while in my pond....wow..they took over and had an enormous root system. Great shade for my fish, but a huge amount of work. I removed them and replaced them with other plants...much better and the pond really happy now.
Thank you for this very helpfull video. I have learnt a lot about the causes of algae and the things I have been doing wrong so far. I will be making some changes.
Wow I sooooo learned alot..am new to the whole koi pond but my fish are doing great. I sooo learned that absence of plants is the problem for my green water also was trying to use barley bales to fix it...didn't know was a preventative..also glad I refrained from chemicals...especially since I hate chemicals. Gonna keep these guys in mind when I have questions
Good video. I agree. Algae is not bad. Just annoying. It also shades the fish from the sun in a sunny country. And its slippery. Jig! And make the floor creepy.
Very nice video, informative, without "the usual" sales pitches! Good, solid information. I do use a 36 W UV inline with a 2-stage filter system, and don't currently have algae issues. And, yes, we love to see the fish swirling around during a feeding session, so I'm almost sure that we over feed ;-) the big problem with having water Lilly pond cover: we cain't never see no fish! So, I'm going to put in a DIY remote underwater camera system!
Awesome video - very easy to understand - gets to the bottom line & helpful! i have had algae problems for 2 months and never could get a straight answer or find anything online to get to the root of the problem and what to do - got suggestions for chemicals, etc. - but not the basics of - plants, protection from sun, beneficial bacteria & less feeding. I do have too many koi - but i am not sure how to rehome them to a good home. I started with 3 - now have 15 and was of the understanding that they wouldn't breed more than their environment could handle. Honestly until this year (20+ years of having them) I never had an algae problem. It's been perfect til now. But your video helped me understand what caused our problems this year. Thank you! Great job....
This is a fantastic video. Concise, clear & informative! My little ( ~250gal ) pond is over 10 years old and I have cycled thru with the string algae. I am tired of it but just always pull it out. I will be adding more plants and might try the barley extract (barley bales are ugly) & Beneficial bacteria/diatomes. ( I know that diatomes are also good for fleas in the yard. I wonder if these are the same?) I have harvested plants for our pond from a clear lake in the past, cleaned them with a VERY MILD bleach solution before putting them in my pond...(not sure if this is bad or good but seemed to be the thing to do to kill any strange bugs etc) I love my pond! and my fish~~~ YAY! They were tiny (10 for $1 feeder fish) and have grown so much over the years...they even had babies ! WOOHOO! SOOOO...not a concise comment, but my question is because we live in the HOT New Orleans climate we often add water to the pond because of evaporation...any thoughts on this? THANKS!!! Tiki
Good job! I too have a small pond and used feeder fish. One is pregnant, yay! Everyone thought I was crazy to do feeders, but, as it is my first pond w fish, I wasn't about to add some expensive ones. Come to find out, I love them.
I stop using chems as of this video thank you Up until this year never had problems with algae hanging around, but for some reason chems haven’t worked and lost some fish. We have bubblers and water fall aerating but must have taking oxygen out koi fish are most affected. Little fish and comets survived the hits. We are using now the bails and barley extract we recleaned our plants and remove old over grown plants. So far it helped out. This was the fourth time clean bottom of pond. Thanks Nate
Hi, Jennings, Thanks, for that most helpful video. Very well done. Here's my dilemma. We have a double pond that flows from one to the other before recycling back to the waterfall. I cleaned both the ponds very well before spring and refilled with water. Water was nice and clear for probably a couple of months, then we started to get the algae back. The type of algae that we have is the bottom algae that cover the rocks on the bottom of the ponds and has made the water look pea green. We use a long-handled push broom to clear the algae off the rocks at the bottom and this causes the algae to stir up and create a Green Pea Mess. The ponds are not filtered but have skimmers to catch debris as it recycles itself. The Green Pea Soup Mess usually clears up in 2 to 3 days. The only chemicals that we are using are chlorine tablets. Helps a little. We are thinking about investing in a pond vac to clean the algae from the rocks, but before we did we'd like to hear your thoughts on how to contain this algae growth. By the way, there are no fish or plants in the ponds. Thanks in advance for your response. Perry Brown, perrythebrown@msn.com
Hi Perry, we might have different goals or ways we are thinking about algae. The aim of the video is to have clear water by setting up a balanced ecosystem we are not constantly messing with or worrying about. Treating a pond like a pool with vacuum cleaners and chemicals is a never ending waste of time and money to achieve an artificial setup that would never last on its own. At the opening of the video in the pool it is mentioned that simply the dust in the air combined with sunlight, and water are enough to cause algae to grow all over the sides of the pool if it was not for the added chlorine. I keep mentioning that in these responses over and over so something must be getting lost in the video? You did not mention anything at all about competing plants for nutrient uptake, bacteria for nutrient uptake, or diatoms ... so are we to guess nothing is growing in the ponds? If so you have a fountain and not a pond. We don't suggest getting caught in the chemical cycle and the video is full of the reasons one would have algae and then natural solutions so that algae is not overgrown. This video states what healthy algae is for a balanced ecosystem. Clear water with a very thin film of algae will always be present in a healthy ecosystem. The response above sounds more like you are expecting a fountain not a pond and to be crystal clean like a swimming pool. Crystal clean with no sign of a film of algae is a totally artificial setup and requires lots and lots of back breaking maintenance and the edges of pools are not mineral rich stones which the pond sounds like it is full of. If you want an artificial pristine pool it does require continual back breaking maintenance with vacuums as it is artificially clean. A pond can have crystal clear water and be completely healthy and vibrant without needing continuous work to keep it that way. That is the goal in this video, not to have a fountain like setup with chemicals and continual cleaning which sounds like what you are aiming for. Algae is a sign your water was unhealthy and it grows to prevent the water from becoming toxic (high ammonia levels). Algae is a sign other plant life or beneficial healthy bacteria is too low. Neither of which was a solution you suggested from the way you worded the question. Going for chlorine or other chemicals is still going to accumulate dust and debris and constant cleaning is what you are asking if you should be doing and that is the opposite of what we are trying to teach. The goal of the video is a balanced ecosystem of low maintenance and education on algae - most of the time short lived and not a danger to fish or life in the pond that can easily be avoided. When you look down into the water if there is a good balance you see through the clear water to a natural bottom, not a pool or fountain appearance where if there was a white tile it would reflect as if the water was sterile and new and nothing alive was involved in the water.
This video heavily helped me understand that I was worrying too much about my water garden. I recently built one on my patio stating with a kiddie pool. We used some river rock around the property and added plants as well. My water is clear! But I do have some string algae and that stuff that grows on the side and rocks. I find some days when it gets very hot that the water tends to become a bit brownish and I live in the country so I deal with constantly cleaning out debris from trees and cotton. Can particles cause browning?
Very informative but the voice sound was kind of distant and echoed a bit. Maybe need a mic on the presenter? Also, your latest response about dealing with reddish brown water (tanins) was spot on and very timely for our pond also. Thanks.
Hello. This is the very best video I have seen to date explaining about algae. I will be sharing it on our local pond club FB page. I have a 16' x 30' x 2.5'-4' pond. First time I've ever heard anyone speak to the algae on the liner and say "its good. leave it alone". I find a string algae bloom in such a large pond is not that difficult to deal with. 5-10 minutes a day when I get home from work with a pool net easily keeps up with the algae. It is difficult getting it off the plants though. The only problem is where to put that muck. A week later, after all the water has dried out of it, its like paper maché, has no weight at all, and is easily tossed in either the compost pile or the trash. Again, great video, nice presentation. Thank you.
this is Dennis Doubet, Dawn is my wife, no idea what she commented about. Presentation was tremendous covered all bases in an easily understood manner. I have a 6x6 foot 340 gallon pond with 6 large Red Eared floating plants. Apparently there is little remedy for pea soup algae in this situation. I was reading on chemicals but does not seem they work or are worth the money in this situation. If so please let me know, if there is a solution, it was a very well done video. Thank You
Thanks for the informative video! I'm having trouble classifying the type of algae I have in my pond. It's not stringy at all and it doesn't look like pea soup. The water is actually very clear underneath but there is a ton of floating green clumps of algae that is thick, creamy and sometimes foamy. Like you mentioned in your video, I had a major water change that may have caused it but it was present even before, just not as bad. My filter clogged and ended up pumping out most of the pond water before I caught it. I took the opportunity to clean the pond while partially empty and refilled it half way. I have lots of plants (Lilies, floating plants, Taro and various others) and have been using barley straw for a couple of weeks but the green muck on top is still there. I scoop out a lot of it daily with a net but it returns the next day. The pond does have a lot of direct sunlight so I covered parts as much as I could. Any ideas of the type of algae and/or tips on how to remove it for good? Thanks again
Filamentous algae .... barley straw when overly broken down no longer releases enzymes and can cause this which is why we prefer exract rather than rotting floating barley in water. Other leaf litter often causes it too. Try nualgi, hornwort, and beneficial bacteria like microbe lift HC and be sure no biomass like fishfood or debris like leaf litter is falling in to decay.
That is their natural diet in Nature, all carp dig up and eat plants. They were never supposed to be with plants, in Japan the ponds are minimalist form. 8 carp (koi) can keep one acre devoid of plant life. In the USA and the west they attempt to keep two things that do not belong together in the same ecosystem. There is a reason you don't keep lions and tigers in your house. Same thing. You can have upper shallow water plants at the surface where koi cannot dog but nothing lower level. The attempt to shove rocks around plants ends up killing tender ones. Just because some survive or make it before koi are large isn't a remedy.
Wish i knew how to get plants to grow in my 1500 gallon koi pond, its 4 feet deep n tried floatin plants n etc and koi tears them up, any certain floatin plant i could throw in there so they wouldnt tear it up?? Also thank you for being the first to explain that half inch to inch algea that only stays on liner and yet my water stays crystal clear, ur the first id seen say dont try get rid of it, its been like this for years. So big thank you
Little more research would help you. We have plenty of info on plants however koi are not condusive to going with most, especially lilies or floaters. The phrase throw them in sounds like you don't care to learn and hence is likely the issue. Take up learning about the ones they won't eat and a balanced ecosystem and you can have a healthy, clear, easy, successful pond. It is not hard but does take the responsibility of looking into what you are doing and how that is accomplished. The floating koi plant barriers can save floating plants. But other shallow planted plants would do the pond better.
We get string algae in the spring through the heat of the summer. The blooms are rooted and hard to get out. I think the algicide is harsh on the few water lilies we do have. Definitely need more plants. Thank you for you tips!
Great advice and I have a 4 week old 1200 gallon koi pond with pea soup algae. Tried the algicide and it only worked once then killed my 3 small koi. Takeaway- Not enough plants,, not enough pond coverage and need the barley and bacteria additives then allow to cycle. Great advice!!
Im in Northern California, almost full sun, I have all the types of algae, just added a lily plant and 10 floating plants, lettuce and hyacinth. Im planting medium sz trees near pond to create more shade. Every spring I have to add an algaecide and koi dont like. 10 yrs and still trying to fix algae problems. Should I plant more plants in pond?
Yes plant more plants and reconsider the tree. The tree may drop lots of debris into the pond over the year causing more issues. Lilies and other aquatic plants provide shade. Aim for 45 to 60% plant cover. Water hawthorn and hornwort are good for nutrient uptake. Feed fish less!
Thank you for this video, my pond normally goes out of balance in the spring and I normally fine by summer, I will look to feed my Koi less because this is when I noticed mine start to change. I tried Lilly’s last year and about a week later I seen the tubers floating after they have dug them out, this year I am putting something on top to prevent them digging. Once again great informative video with a lot of myths about this subject.
Careful not to kill the lilies, anything in new virgin soil will be dug up. Make a stand alone tub, plant lilies properly and in 3 weeks they are so rooted into that pot koi cant pull them out. Then transfer to the pond.
New pond owner: do I need to repot the submerged plants into something mesh-ier? They are still in their plastic growing containers. And can you make a video on film algae? I have that, but it seems to be clogging my water spitter tube and slowing the flow.
Hello! Most all plants should be repotted into proper size containers. Nothing should stay in the net pots you often purchase plants from a nursery in those are just to get the plant started. We have many more videos we hope to shoot July 18th and 19th here and will upload soon there after. The way you would take care of other algae would be no different, you still must be suffering from too much biomass (nutrient rich debris) or not having the proper bacteria / diatoms / or other plant life to consume those so the answer on another form of algae would not be different. You need something to consume the excess nutrients or suffer a never ending costly cycle with chemicals.
Thank you very much for this! We are about to build a turtle pond for our sliders. Having watched many videos & reading so much just to get such different ways of doing things. This is a great help on how to get things started right! My mother has two koi ponds and struggles to keep the algae in check, I will be passing this info along to her aswel :) Now to figure out the bog setup for them...any suggestions?
Help not sure what's going on I have algae on the sides, rocks, everywhere...the water was clearish yesterday but today its totally green. We have a 500gal pump filtering a 150gal with a small bog area waterfall.
I have the pea soup algae. I live on the Oregon Coast, where it rains a lot. The algae plugs up my filter in no time flat. What should I use to kill it off?
Well you probably have a "prefilter" on the pump and not any kind of true filter at all. Did you watch the video and figure out your issue? Where excess nutrients are coming from that cause the algae? The video very much tells you why chemicals are no long term solution so I am not sure you watched the video and understand how to stop the algae or you would be asking a different question.
Hes not got much of a clue. Don't use chemicals. Get an algae brush and just keep pulling it out . And invest in a pond vac to keep sludge off thr bottom. Qt thr minute I'm having to oull my pump everyday to unclog it. My pump is huge
That smile made me click here first. He knows what he’s doin. 😂 on a different note, I’m trying desperately to clear the koi pond at my job. New products, new filter. Nothing will get it out. Help!
Well. We answered .... Don't change all the water. Stop feeding fish if you are. Get 40-60% of the pond covered with proper plants. = no algae. **large Koi can be an issue with plants. Like goats in a veggie garden. Do goldfish not koi.
@@pondmegastore thanks a bunch for responding! I’m going to do my best to put more shade plants around this week. The pond has been neglected for a long time until I got there. Maybe I made mistakes too? But , If all goes well this will make a LOT of special people extremely happy! I thank you sincerely.
First off, how unfair to start this video with no shirt on. How's a girl supposed to pay attention to what is being said? 😊 Secondly, about three years ago I stopped "fussing" with my pond. Before that I was struggling to keep it clean it was always green, there was string algae everywhere. I purchased some feeder gold fish, and lots of plants from all three tiers. Two years ago my babies had babies!! I replenished the floaters. As I'm in northern Michigan we have some harsh Winters and everything dies off. I leave a small pump running for water flow and have two large rocks that are half submerged. My fish are healthy, and the majority of my algae is gone. Next year I will have to pull my Lilly and separate it, not many flowers this year. Thanks Pond Megastore, got all my plants from you guys.
Hi Kat, thank you so much for the compliments! It is wonderful to know folks are having good experiences with the plants and the ponds overall. Stay warm up there in Michigan. Summers just are not long enough! 🙌 🙂
I'm near Liverpool, England, and we treated our wildlife pond with an eco-friendly substance that has seemingly stopped and killed the algae, but the residue is still there, and unsightly. Is there a way-apart from removing by hand-to get rid of this, or will it just dissipate naturally? Thanks, Paul.
That is exactly the "vicious cycle" we describe if you treat with a chemical. next time use a natural remedy. If you use a chemical to kill it you will have dead algae that becomes algae again in 5 to 10 days as we state the "vicious cycle" when the chemical dissipates the dead algae which is simply nutrients decaying in water again forms algae.
Thanks for the info. I'm in California and haven't had an algae problem for years. But this year, apparently from your info, we had a lot of rain and therefore a lot of string algae. Also, my plants are just coming back from the unseasonable winter cold.
Koi and other larger fish eat duckweed - if you are not feeding them with other food they should take care of issues like that. Again like with algae starving out the duckweed with various other plants to get rid of excess nutrients would help.
I part of a HOA complex that has a lake (or very large pond) in the middle of our complex. We have experienced a lot of trouble keeping a lake vendor so a couple of the board members (me being one of them) are trying to educate ourselves and take on the management of our lake. We are trying to go more natural (without chemicals) by adding plants to start then possibly fish. Right now we are having an issue with (judging by your video) the string or hair algae. It is good to know algae is not bad but you are correct in that it is a bit unsightly.
Try not cleaning your filter . Most people think cleaning a bio filter will help remove green colour however bio filter is designed to work with bacteria eating bad stuff
Great video thanks for sharing..im from uk i have a 7500 gallon pond with a filter and uv lights and large koi with no plants im thinking of closing off the filter and uv and planting the pond up by over 60% to have more of a natural pond would this work or am i just dreaming..thanks Dave
Yea that is odd. I tried using chlorine tabs in my pond. It cleared up the algae. But for some reason I lost all my fish/plants. Next year I'll try a chlorine dispenser
And the chemicals will kill fish and plants... It's pretty much what they're for, killing off anything in the water. PLEASE DON'T USE CHLORINE IN YOUR POND
Thank you for a I formative video . I am this week taking over for a friend a pond . He has about two dozen coys and a frog . The system ( filtering system and water fall ) was not In operation . I now have the water fall on and I am attempting filtering system . The water is pea soup maybe even darker . I have the water fall on now for circulation. Tomorrow I attempt filtering system . How do I proceed ? I am in south Jersey .I believe the system is running from well water ? What are the essentials I need on hand ? Thank you
Thank you so much for a very informative video. I'll go out and get more plants tomorrow because I have a lot of string algae. Hope the bog filter and plant life will take care of it. Again, thank you.
Really impressed that you didn't try to sell algicides or UV sterilizers. Quality and comprehensive guide to a clean and balanced pond ecosystem. great video, and thanks for sharing.
To my surprise this is not just another how-to-fix-my-algae-problem video but rather one of the best and most comprehensive video on the topic I’ve seen yet. Great job young man.
Thank you so much! ❤❤❤
@@pondmegastore i agree with koirun!
Yes, so do I
You would too if you were in good shape 😂
Gotta love that people in really good shape always find a way to take their shirts off.
As he should😍
It's a smart move! 01:15 that skin!
I did not pay attention to a thing he said.
Im fat and i do it 🤷😂
It was essential to get in that.......what was it called, swimming pool?,how else would we differentiate between a pond and a pool? 🤣
You saved my pocket! We just fired our pond guy that was charging us every 6 month 2000 bucks to remove our film algae. Thank you so much
This is the best anti Algae video I’ve seen. Thank you for your help. I’ve learned so much.
I mean it seriously - our small pond has issues and we have done so much... huge help!
I am a new pond owner with plants and goldfish. I have a 125 gallon backyard pond and you really explained everything so well. Thank you!
Thank you kindly! Enjoy the new pond!!
Thank you, thank you! You covered every single algae issue we have encountered over the 20 years of pond fishies. Good info about the filter too.
Very good information! Thanks for concise and timely advice. Remember those of us in colder climates who have to winter over our plants and keep our fish alive.
Saw this dude trying to be "showy" for the lady gardeners...
But quickly realised he still has excellent points and covers everything well.
Great job.
I have the film type and realised it was just me not liking the look more than any actual issue.
Algae is not bad. It's one of nature's quick fixes to another problem. Well said.
What other problem are you referring to
Wow, I have been installing ponds for years and this is the first time I have had a straight answer on so many issues I have come across. Thanks!
Thank you for this video. Very straight forward and easy to understand. I recently started a small koi pond. I noticed the film algae. I freaked out and started googling trying to find how to remove it. I couldn't find a straight answer. I was completely confused until I found this video. Thank you again.
i had to watch it twice. ..
I put on the video,,,, and It was over,, and i realised i had not listened to one word. WoW. Jennings, Beautiful..I got the info second time, thanks for the tips
I came on here fully prepared to argue in algae's defence!
Happily,that is not necessary.Great video.
I bought a lotus plant from your store. Just in 3-4 days it started the coin leaves. I'm building a small still water pond for it. Your video is really helpful.
Thank you. Im a first time pond owner. So trying to learn as much as possible to keep my pond nice.
Anytime! Reach out if you have any questions!
EXCELLENT video
Thanks for good and clear information.
We have a 104 gallon pond. A filtration system with UV light (likely a failed lamp) and a waterfall for aeration. The past few weeks we noticed the fish were all congregating directly under the fall. When we looked up that behavior we learned that our pond was in distress. I changed about 1/3 of the water and the fish appeared to do a little better for a day or so, but continued to hang out under the fall. I planned on doing a deep cleaning of the pond. We have been having blooms of hair algae. Upon the start of doing so I discovered two dead fish that were just the previous day seen under the fall. This precipitated a drastic cleaning of the pond - to remove the fish to a holding tank while I drained and cleaned the entire pond. The ENTIRE pond. Took the liner out and pressure washed it to remove the algae and bought a new pump/filtration system with UV. Filled the pond and returned the fish.
We added an air bubbler and air pump to put more oxygen into the water. Also, the potted plants - we took them out of their soil, believing the soil was full of fertilizers. The plants are doing OK with the new water and the fish are now seemingly more at ease in the environment. But now I'm concerned because of your comments about changing the water because I changed 100% of the water from city water. Again, the fish are doing better than before - something I believe was needed to save their lives. We've removed the soil from the potted plants, and plan on a few more plants as well. This, we believe, will give greater chances for fry to survive birth. Formerly there was nowhere for them to hide and the other fish were eating them as soon as they were laid.
We've purchased "Beneficial Bacteria" in the hopes to bring our pond into a better balance. Aside from having subjected the fish to 100% water with no nutrients in it, other than the hard water we have here, we're not sure what to expect. We've been adding rocks (P-gravel) as a bed along with flat stones to provide overhangs for them to shelter under. We plan on getting at least one more plant, something with red leaves, as this is what we've heard from others on UA-cam.
Do you have any other advice?
Thanks. Pete C.
[edit] I have a sun shade over the pond. It gets direct sunlight in the morning then all day it gets about 90% sunlight. This was also purchased in an effort to cut down on hair algae. I've never had Pea Soup algae, nor have I ever noticed the short algae you spoke about as the third sort. But upon retrospect my UV lamp must have failed. From now on I will start with new lamps. I may have to find a good source of replacement lamps because the filtration system I am currently using (from the big box store) does not sell replacement lamps. "(
[end edit]
Did the pond recover? It sounds like the waterfall wasn't enough aeration. Fish, algae and other aerobic organisms all add to oxygen consumption. If your pond was was heavily stocked, may not have been enough available oxygen which would drive fish to the surface or to congregate around the waterfall. Also gives algae a chance to take over if there isn't enough healthy bacteria to fight it back
Hi the subject of Algea was explained n discussed ver effectively, thank you, looking foward to hear you on other pond related subjext.
The best solution (and ecological) is to add plants, submerged or rooted in the water. They absorb nutrients and reduce drastically the algae, and they are very beautiful!!
Do you keep them in the pots? I'm afraid of the plants overtaking the entire pond until you cant see the fish
This is the most informative video Ive seen after scouring UA-cam! nice work!
My pond has a bunch of “pea soup algae” I searched up this video because I want to be able to see my goldfish i’m going to try out some of these techniques. Thanks!
Thank you! If you need any help send us photos and let us know what area you are in!
A most informative video,giving a solution to preventing algae
This was very educational for me as a new pond owner
Great video! I was reassured to be patient with my new algae growth and let it work itself out after I had to replace almost half of water due to a leak. Not mention the new 80 degree temps in TN.
Thanks for this video seems to have a different message than most . New to the pond life and I have such a small pond with a lot of algae . I was trying to get rid of it because it looked awful. I have the film algae .... but I have a lot of sunlight
Me too. Did you get your pond water clear?
Good looking and likable guy delivers great info in an intelligent and charming way.
Hi from Australia...great video ! I had water Hyacinths for a while in my pond....wow..they took over and had an enormous root system. Great shade for my fish, but a huge amount of work. I removed them and replaced them with other plants...much better and the pond really happy now.
Thank you for this very helpfull video. I have learnt a lot about the causes of algae and the things I have been doing wrong so far. I will be making some changes.
Wow I sooooo learned alot..am new to the whole koi pond but my fish are doing great. I sooo learned that absence of plants is the problem for my green water also was trying to use barley bales to fix it...didn't know was a preventative..also glad I refrained from chemicals...especially since I hate chemicals. Gonna keep these guys in mind when I have questions
I found Barley liquid and it's AMAZING. got at Lowes. Worked overnight.
Great Video and very clear explanation, thank you. I am from Sri Lanka
Good video. I agree. Algae is not bad. Just annoying. It also shades the fish from the sun in a sunny country. And its slippery. Jig! And make the floor creepy.
Excellent video. I learnt so much from this and it has stopped years of doing everything I shouldn't.
Very nice video, informative, without "the usual" sales pitches!
Good, solid information.
I do use a 36 W UV inline with a 2-stage filter system, and don't currently have algae issues. And, yes, we love to see the fish swirling around during a feeding session, so I'm almost sure that we over feed ;-) the big problem with having water Lilly pond cover: we cain't never see no fish! So, I'm going to put in a DIY remote underwater camera system!
Thank YOU. I forgotten the importance of plants.
This video was very helpful. It answered all the questions I was having about the algae in my tiny pond.
WoW!! I have had so much wrong advice until now. Thank you, from my goldfish family.
This channel is very underrated! I'm a new subscriber.
Thank you!
Awesome video - very easy to understand - gets to the bottom line & helpful! i have had algae problems for 2 months and never could get a straight answer or find anything online to get to the root of the problem and what to do - got suggestions for chemicals, etc. - but not the basics of - plants, protection from sun, beneficial bacteria & less feeding. I do have too many koi - but i am not sure how to rehome them to a good home. I started with 3 - now have 15 and was of the understanding that they wouldn't breed more than their environment could handle. Honestly until this year (20+ years of having them) I never had an algae problem. It's been perfect til now. But your video helped me understand what caused our problems this year. Thank you! Great job....
This is a fantastic video. Concise, clear & informative! My little ( ~250gal ) pond is over 10 years old and I have cycled thru with the string algae. I am tired of it but just always pull it out. I will be adding more plants and might try the barley extract (barley bales are ugly) & Beneficial bacteria/diatomes. ( I know that diatomes are also good for fleas in the yard. I wonder if these are the same?) I have harvested plants for our pond from a clear lake in the past, cleaned them with a VERY MILD bleach solution before putting them in my pond...(not sure if this is bad or good but seemed to be the thing to do to kill any strange bugs etc) I love my pond! and my fish~~~ YAY! They were tiny (10 for $1 feeder fish) and have grown so much over the years...they even had babies ! WOOHOO! SOOOO...not a concise comment, but my question is because we live in the HOT New Orleans climate we often add water to the pond because of evaporation...any thoughts on this? THANKS!!! Tiki
Good job! I too have a small pond and used feeder fish. One is pregnant, yay! Everyone thought I was crazy to do feeders, but, as it is my first pond w fish, I wasn't about to add some expensive ones. Come to find out, I love them.
I stop using chems as of this video thank you
Up until this year never had problems with algae hanging around, but for some reason chems haven’t worked and lost some fish. We have bubblers and water fall aerating but must have taking oxygen out koi fish are most affected. Little fish and comets survived the hits. We are using now the bails and barley extract we recleaned our plants and remove old over grown plants. So far it helped out. This was the fourth time clean bottom of pond.
Thanks Nate
Someone who really knows the science of ponds.. I have had ponds for decades and he KNOWS what hes talking about.
Hi, Jennings,
Thanks, for that most helpful video. Very well done. Here's my dilemma. We have a double pond that flows from one to the other before recycling back to the waterfall. I cleaned both the ponds very well before spring and refilled with water. Water was nice and clear for probably a couple of months, then we started to get the algae back.
The type of algae that we have is the bottom algae that cover the rocks on the bottom of the ponds and has made the water look pea green. We use a long-handled push broom to clear the algae off the rocks at the bottom and this causes the algae to stir up and create a Green Pea Mess.
The ponds are not filtered but have skimmers to catch debris as it recycles itself. The Green Pea Soup Mess usually clears up in 2 to 3 days. The only chemicals that we are using are chlorine tablets. Helps a little.
We are thinking about investing in a pond vac to clean the algae from the rocks, but before we did we'd like to hear your thoughts on how to contain this algae growth. By the way, there are no fish or plants in the ponds.
Thanks in advance for your response.
Perry Brown,
perrythebrown@msn.com
Hi Perry, we might have different goals or ways we are thinking about algae. The aim of the video is to have clear water by setting up a balanced ecosystem we are not constantly messing with or worrying about. Treating a pond like a pool with vacuum cleaners and chemicals is a never ending waste of time and money to achieve an artificial setup that would never last on its own. At the opening of the video in the pool it is mentioned that simply the dust in the air combined with sunlight, and water are enough to cause algae to grow all over the sides of the pool if it was not for the added chlorine. I keep mentioning that in these responses over and over so something must be getting lost in the video?
You did not mention anything at all about competing plants for nutrient uptake, bacteria for nutrient uptake, or diatoms ... so are we to guess nothing is growing in the ponds? If so you have a fountain and not a pond.
We don't suggest getting caught in the chemical cycle and the video is full of the reasons one would have algae and then natural solutions so that algae is not overgrown. This video states what healthy algae is for a balanced ecosystem. Clear water with a very thin film of algae will always be present in a healthy ecosystem. The response above sounds more like you are expecting a fountain not a pond and to be crystal clean like a swimming pool.
Crystal clean with no sign of a film of algae is a totally artificial setup and requires lots and lots of back breaking maintenance and the edges of pools are not mineral rich stones which the pond sounds like it is full of. If you want an artificial pristine pool it does require continual back breaking maintenance with vacuums as it is artificially clean.
A pond can have crystal clear water and be completely healthy and vibrant without needing continuous work to keep it that way. That is the goal in this video, not to have a fountain like setup with chemicals and continual cleaning which sounds like what you are aiming for. Algae is a sign your water was unhealthy and it grows to prevent the water from becoming toxic (high ammonia levels). Algae is a sign other plant life or beneficial healthy bacteria is too low. Neither of which was a solution you suggested from the way you worded the question. Going for chlorine or other chemicals is still going to accumulate dust and debris and constant cleaning is what you are asking if you should be doing and that is the opposite of what we are trying to teach. The goal of the video is a balanced ecosystem of low maintenance and education on algae - most of the time short lived and not a danger to fish or life in the pond that can easily be avoided. When you look down into the water if there is a good balance you see through the clear water to a natural bottom, not a pool or fountain appearance where if there was a white tile it would reflect as if the water was sterile and new and nothing alive was involved in the water.
This video heavily helped me understand that I was worrying too much about my water garden. I recently built one on my patio stating with a kiddie pool. We used some river rock around the property and added plants as well. My water is clear! But I do have some string algae and that stuff that grows on the side and rocks. I find some days when it gets very hot that the water tends to become a bit brownish and I live in the country so I deal with constantly cleaning out debris from trees and cotton. Can particles cause browning?
Very informative but the voice sound was kind of distant and echoed a bit. Maybe need a mic on the presenter? Also, your latest response about dealing with reddish brown water (tanins) was spot on and very timely for our pond also. Thanks.
Hello. This is the very best video I have seen to date explaining about algae. I will be sharing it on our local pond club FB page. I have a 16' x 30' x 2.5'-4' pond. First time I've ever heard anyone speak to the algae on the liner and say "its good. leave it alone". I find a string algae bloom in such a large pond is not that difficult to deal with. 5-10 minutes a day when I get home from work with a pool net easily keeps up with the algae. It is difficult getting it off the plants though. The only problem is where to put that muck. A week later, after all the water has dried out of it, its like paper maché, has no weight at all, and is easily tossed in either the compost pile or the trash. Again, great video, nice presentation. Thank you.
Good addition to garden compost
Great info. I’ve turned the swimming pool into a fish pond about 6 years ago, trying to get rid of the green. More plants and bacteria. 👍🏻
That's right! Plant diversity will really help with total nutrient uptake and starting algae aim for 40-50% cover.
I love my water garden and my koi ... great video... more pool shots.
Seriously, I hope this helps me get rid of the effing algae.
Wow, the very best video, love your informative piece. Tjank you.
I have pee soup water and that grass growing do I put a bio filter and drain half water with new tap water and wipe down sides I also have some plants
this is Dennis Doubet, Dawn is my wife, no idea what she commented about. Presentation was tremendous covered all bases in an easily understood manner. I have a 6x6 foot 340 gallon pond with 6 large Red Eared floating plants. Apparently there is little remedy for pea soup algae in this situation. I was reading on chemicals but does not seem they work or are worth the money in this situation. If so please let me know, if there is a solution, it was a very well done video. Thank You
Thanks for the informative video! I'm having trouble classifying the type of algae I have in my pond. It's not stringy at all and it doesn't look like pea soup. The water is actually very clear underneath but there is a ton of floating green clumps of algae that is thick, creamy and sometimes foamy. Like you mentioned in your video, I had a major water change that may have caused it but it was present even before, just not as bad. My filter clogged and ended up pumping out most of the pond water before I caught it. I took the opportunity to clean the pond while partially empty and refilled it half way. I have lots of plants (Lilies, floating plants, Taro and various others) and have been using barley straw for a couple of weeks but the green muck on top is still there. I scoop out a lot of it daily with a net but it returns the next day. The pond does have a lot of direct sunlight so I covered parts as much as I could. Any ideas of the type of algae and/or tips on how to remove it for good? Thanks again
Filamentous algae .... barley straw when overly broken down no longer releases enzymes and can cause this which is why we prefer exract rather than rotting floating barley in water. Other leaf litter often causes it too. Try nualgi, hornwort, and beneficial bacteria like microbe lift HC and be sure no biomass like fishfood or debris like leaf litter is falling in to decay.
Thank you for your very informative video, I am curious as to why the Koi have eaten all the lilies?
That is their natural diet in Nature, all carp dig up and eat plants. They were never supposed to be with plants, in Japan the ponds are minimalist form. 8 carp (koi) can keep one acre devoid of plant life. In the USA and the west they attempt to keep two things that do not belong together in the same ecosystem. There is a reason you don't keep lions and tigers in your house. Same thing. You can have upper shallow water plants at the surface where koi cannot dog but nothing lower level. The attempt to shove rocks around plants ends up killing tender ones. Just because some survive or make it before koi are large isn't a remedy.
Hello, could you please write the anti-algae plant list, I'm not native English speaker and can't understand every name. Thank you
Wish i knew how to get plants to grow in my 1500 gallon koi pond, its 4 feet deep n tried floatin plants n etc and koi tears them up, any certain floatin plant i could throw in there so they wouldnt tear it up?? Also thank you for being the first to explain that half inch to inch algea that only stays on liner and yet my water stays crystal clear, ur the first id seen say dont try get rid of it, its been like this for years. So big thank you
Little more research would help you. We have plenty of info on plants however koi are not condusive to going with most, especially lilies or floaters. The phrase throw them in sounds like you don't care to learn and hence is likely the issue. Take up learning about the ones they won't eat and a balanced ecosystem and you can have a healthy, clear, easy, successful pond. It is not hard but does take the responsibility of looking into what you are doing and how that is accomplished. The floating koi plant barriers can save floating plants. But other shallow planted plants would do the pond better.
We get string algae in the spring through the heat of the summer. The blooms are rooted and hard to get out. I think the algicide is harsh on the few water lilies we do have. Definitely need more plants. Thank you for you tips!
I have string algae with goldfish and have been adding plants.
1:13 - 2:13 best part
Great advice and I have a 4 week old 1200 gallon koi pond with pea soup algae. Tried the algicide and it only worked once then killed my 3 small koi. Takeaway- Not enough plants,, not enough pond coverage and need the barley and bacteria additives then allow to cycle. Great advice!!
Thank you!
Im in Northern California, almost full sun, I have all the types of algae, just added a lily plant and 10 floating plants, lettuce and hyacinth. Im planting medium sz trees near pond to create more shade. Every spring I have to add an algaecide and koi dont like. 10 yrs and still trying to fix algae problems. Should I plant more plants in pond?
Yes plant more plants and reconsider the tree. The tree may drop lots of debris into the pond over the year causing more issues. Lilies and other aquatic plants provide shade. Aim for 45 to 60% plant cover. Water hawthorn and hornwort are good for nutrient uptake. Feed fish less!
Hi great video, could you please provide a list of pond plants as you mentioned in the video, many thanks.
The pool scene hehe. Subscribed.
ha ha is that really all everyone remembers :-) Thank you Brice! Rock on!
@@pondmegastore Cmon, you knew exactly what you were doing with that. :-P
Skin, puppies, kittens and babies always sell.
Thank you for this video, my pond normally goes out of balance in the spring and I normally fine by summer, I will look to feed my Koi less because this is when I noticed mine start to change. I tried Lilly’s last year and about a week later I seen the tubers floating after they have dug them out, this year I am putting something on top to prevent them digging. Once again great informative video with a lot of myths about this subject.
Careful not to kill the lilies, anything in new virgin soil will be dug up.
Make a stand alone tub, plant lilies properly and in 3 weeks they are so rooted into that pot koi cant pull them out. Then transfer to the pond.
New pond owner: do I need to repot the submerged plants into something mesh-ier? They are still in their plastic growing containers.
And can you make a video on film algae? I have that, but it seems to be clogging my water spitter tube and slowing the flow.
Hello! Most all plants should be repotted into proper size containers. Nothing should stay in the net pots you often purchase plants from a nursery in those are just to get the plant started. We have many more videos we hope to shoot July 18th and 19th here and will upload soon there after. The way you would take care of other algae would be no different, you still must be suffering from too much biomass (nutrient rich debris) or not having the proper bacteria / diatoms / or other plant life to consume those so the answer on another form of algae would not be different. You need something to consume the excess nutrients or suffer a never ending costly cycle with chemicals.
Video was very informative. It gives me a starting point on how to correct our water. We have been doing a lot of things wrong.
I took all my clothes off while watching this video to help make you feel less self conscious. I hope it helped.
Thank you for a very educational and helpful video. A big help and I learned a lot. Carry On Sir!
Thank you very much for this! We are about to build a turtle pond for our sliders. Having watched many videos & reading so much just to get such different ways of doing things. This is a great help on how to get things started right! My mother has two koi ponds and struggles to keep the algae in check, I will be passing this info along to her aswel :) Now to figure out the bog setup for them...any suggestions?
Help not sure what's going on I have algae on the sides, rocks, everywhere...the water was clearish yesterday but today its totally green. We have a 500gal pump filtering a 150gal with a small bog area waterfall.
😊
Good and informative video gave me different solutions to my green water problems
I have the pea soup algae. I live on the Oregon Coast, where it rains a lot.
The algae plugs up my filter in no time flat.
What should I use to kill it off?
Well you probably have a "prefilter" on the pump and not any kind of true filter at all. Did you watch the video and figure out your issue? Where excess nutrients are coming from that cause the algae? The video very much tells you why chemicals are no long term solution so I am not sure you watched the video and understand how to stop the algae or you would be asking a different question.
Hes not got much of a clue. Don't use chemicals. Get an algae brush and just keep pulling it out . And invest in a pond vac to keep sludge off thr bottom. Qt thr minute I'm having to oull my pump everyday to unclog it. My pump is huge
Thank You very much for Valuable Informations
That smile made me click here first. He knows what he’s doin. 😂 on a different note, I’m trying desperately to clear the koi pond at my job. New products, new filter. Nothing will get it out. Help!
Well. We answered ....
Don't change all the water.
Stop feeding fish if you are.
Get 40-60% of the pond covered with proper plants.
= no algae.
**large Koi can be an issue with plants. Like goats in a veggie garden. Do goldfish not koi.
@@pondmegastore thanks a bunch for responding! I’m going to do my best to put more shade plants around this week. The pond has been neglected for a long time until I got there. Maybe I made mistakes too? But , If all goes well this will make a LOT of special people extremely happy! I thank you sincerely.
At last a sensible answer which I can fix. Many thanks
Welcome Maxine!
First off, how unfair to start this video with no shirt on. How's a girl supposed to pay attention to what is being said? 😊
Secondly, about three years ago I stopped "fussing" with my pond. Before that I was struggling to keep it clean it was always green, there was string algae everywhere. I purchased some feeder gold fish, and lots of plants from all three tiers. Two years ago my babies had babies!! I replenished the floaters. As I'm in northern Michigan we have some harsh Winters and everything dies off. I leave a small pump running for water flow and have two large rocks that are half submerged. My fish are healthy, and the majority of my algae is gone. Next year I will have to pull my Lilly and separate it, not many flowers this year. Thanks Pond Megastore, got all my plants from you guys.
Hi Kat, thank you so much for the compliments! It is wonderful to know folks are having good experiences with the plants and the ponds overall. Stay warm up there in Michigan. Summers just are not long enough! 🙌 🙂
Brilliant video!! Thanks from Australia!
My goodness, what a dreamboat!
Nice presentation. Thanks
I'm near Liverpool, England, and we treated our wildlife pond with an eco-friendly substance that has seemingly stopped and killed the algae, but the residue is still there, and unsightly. Is there a way-apart from removing by hand-to get rid of this, or will it just dissipate naturally? Thanks, Paul.
That is exactly the "vicious cycle" we describe if you treat with a chemical. next time use a natural remedy. If you use a chemical to kill it you will have dead algae that becomes algae again in 5 to 10 days as we state the "vicious cycle" when the chemical dissipates the dead algae which is simply nutrients decaying in water again forms algae.
Thanks for great pond info, as a new comer to ponds this was a most helpful video.
Thanks Alan!
Agreed. New pond owner myself with lots of questions. 🥴
What pond??! Like 😍
Thanks for the info. I'm in California and haven't had an algae problem for years. But this year, apparently from your info, we had a lot of rain and therefore a lot of string algae. Also, my plants are just coming back from the unseasonable winter cold.
Damn he’s 🔥 🔥
AGREE ; )
Whew oh yeah
EXCELLETN TUTORIAL. I LEARNED A LOT !!!!!!!!!
We have duck weed how do we get rid of it and not hurt our koi. They are in a natural yard pond not a man made koi pond
I love duckweed send me some please! 😬
Koi and other larger fish eat duckweed - if you are not feeding them with other food they should take care of issues like that. Again like with algae starving out the duckweed with various other plants to get rid of excess nutrients would help.
Thank you for this helpful information. What are your thoughts on an aerator?😊
Who else has not got algae or a pond but is watching coz the host is cute 😍😍😍
Their marketing knew what they were doing 🙈
Meeeee
I part of a HOA complex that has a lake (or very large pond) in the middle of our complex. We have experienced a lot of trouble keeping a lake vendor so a couple of the board members (me being one of them) are trying to educate ourselves and take on the management of our lake. We are trying to go more natural (without chemicals) by adding plants to start then possibly fish. Right now we are having an issue with (judging by your video) the string or hair algae. It is good to know algae is not bad but you are correct in that it is a bit unsightly.
Hi Lori, you can send us an email with some photos if you want along with what part of the USA you are in. Happy to help with suggestions!
@@pondmegastore Thank you so much. I will send them out tomorrow. I am on the West Coat (California-Mountain view).
I get pea soup not that bad but still light green
Try not cleaning your filter . Most people think cleaning a bio filter will help remove green colour however bio filter is designed to work with bacteria eating bad stuff
I have h. Y yo yo cuff
Thanx for the very good information you gave
Daaaaamn he's cute 😊
Great video thanks for sharing..im from uk i have a 7500 gallon pond with a filter and uv lights and large koi with no plants im thinking of closing off the filter and uv and planting the pond up by over 60% to have more of a natural pond would this work or am i just dreaming..thanks Dave
I have watched this video a 100 times trying to understand the why there is no algae in the swimming pool but somehow can't seem to take it in 😉
Yea that is odd. I tried using chlorine tabs in my pond. It cleared up the algae. But for some reason I lost all my fish/plants.
Next year I'll try a chlorine dispenser
Chemicals killed the algea before it started in the pool. But we don't want chemicals in our ponds.
And the chemicals will kill fish and plants... It's pretty much what they're for, killing off anything in the water. PLEASE DON'T USE CHLORINE IN YOUR POND
Thanks for sharing, I am trying to build a koi and goldfish pond so this will help for sure. Thanks again!
Thank you, You are welcome!
Very hnadsome guy!
Thank you for a I formative video . I am this week taking over for a friend a pond . He has about two dozen coys and a frog . The system ( filtering system and water fall ) was not In operation . I now have the water fall on and I am attempting filtering system . The water is pea soup maybe even darker . I have the water fall on now for circulation. Tomorrow I attempt filtering system . How do I proceed ? I am in south Jersey .I believe the system is running from well water ? What are the essentials I need on hand ? Thank you
handsome, intelligent, loves gardening...the perfect man. oh my!!! i thought it was a myth,.....subscribing
too kind Mojamoja
Thank you so much for a very informative video. I'll go out and get more plants tomorrow because I have a lot of string algae. Hope the bog filter and plant life will take care of it. Again, thank you.
He is too handsome to be a reporter, I just can not concentrate, it sucks!
Alex D agreed! Handsome & sexy ❤️
He's the Lucifer of tiktok. Hehehe
I know and no shirt? Come on now
His appearance would be less noticeable if he kept his clothes on.
@@YSLRD sshhhhhh
Hi there, it’s avery interesting info. Is it seme tecnic for eco swimming pool? Thank you