Water a bad Colour.

Hi All,

We gave all our kOI away and decided to have a wild life pond, we put a new Liner in and used some of the water saved from our previous Pond.

We also have a small ornimental Pond which was given the same treatment, (although not a new liner) this is lovely and clear as it should be at this time of the year.

The water in the larger Pond is a dreadful colour at first it appeared almost a Mahogany colour and now is looking very murky, we have tried to dilute the water by having a hose pipe connected to the gutter drain pipe, but it makes no difference.

It has paving slabs all round so there is no leakage from the soil.

I have had green water algae but I have never had this mahogany colour water, the water has always been clear in the winter.

As any lister ever had this problem, if so did they find out what it was.

Maurice

 

I don't know this from experience, so I'm just going by what it says in my wildlife gardening book. It reckons you need plenty of oxygenating plants in there, and it says to avoid tap water at all costs because it contains chemicals that upset the very delicate natural balance of micro-organisms and plants that keep the water clear.

 

Algae can be green or brown but try and determine if the coloured water is a particle suspension or an algae problem, take samples in clear glass containers keep one in a dark place for a few days if it's agae it will die off and the water will clear,keep another sample in full light if it is suspended solids these will settle to the bottom in a couple of days if its algae it will still be brown,many aquatic centers have water testing facilities you could take a sample to them for analysis.

 

Thankyou for the replies Clueless and Walnut,

I did put some of the water in a glass container but the water looks clear then, yet you can only see down about 6 ins in the Pond.

I will try again with the 2 containers.

Regards
Maurice

 

It is definately Algae, in a glass bottle the water looks clear, but I have just put some water in a very white bucket and it is shows that it is green, just to confirm I have covered the bucket with a black plastic bag.

I am suprised that the algae is surviving this cold weather.

Maurice

 

Maurice, could a piece of wood fallen into the pond? A friend of mine had a piece of ornamental driftwood in his pond which turned the water completely brown as it rotted.

 

Hi Maurice. I was thinking along the same lines as Blackthorn, but not driftwood, instead rotten leaves from last autumn ? Cheers...freddy.

 

Have you done this recently (the pond) or are you saying it was fine untill now?

Most algae dies in this weather, have you tried dredging the pond (with hand) and I have to ask have there been any pets around lately?

If it comes to it, you can buy this and that, that coagultes this and floculates that, but its probably better to pump the lot out and refill from a hose and ad a dechorinator.

Unless you get the cause out, adding any chemical means its still there, but just hidden from view

 

This Pond had a new Liner put in October and I removed all vegitation off as it fell onto the Pond.
The bottom of the pond seems to be clear.
There is one thing, my wife repotted all the lillies with soil from the clay parts of the borders!!!!

I won't be able to empty it at the moment as the frogs have started appearing in there.

Thankyou for all the replies.

Maurice

 

The repotting of the lilies is probably the reason for the cloudiness,if you leave it, it will clear.

 

Quite a few years ago I installed a pump and filter to 'clear' my pond water. After endlessly cleaning the filters, it almost took over tweet tweet, the water was just as murky, I washed the filters with tap water maybe adding nutrients accidentally. The pump packed in eventually and I gradually forgot about it, oxygenating weeds grew almost all over the surface area, in fact I have to chop it back a few times during the growing season. Nature has taken now over and the water is clear. Repotting surely has caused your murkyness as walnut says. Get ready for the frogs also.

 

If it was the repotting I would have thought that both ponds would have been a bad colour, and it didn't turn a bad colour for a while.

I am now waiting to see if the two tubs of water tell me anything one in the dark and one left open to the light.
I will take some to the Garden Centre Fish Section to see if they can testb it for me, as I still can't understand whythe algae hasn't died in all this very cold weather.

Maurice

 

Maurice algae doesn't die it is dormant and is usually triggered into active proliferation by temperature and light that's why it blooms in spring when light and temperature increase,some algae was found to be still active when outside temperatures were -18c.

 

Hi Walnut,

Now had two buckets of water out for a few days ,one covered up against the light and the other left open, both are still the same colour a pale green. The only thing I can't understand is that the small pond is really clear which has also a couple of lilies that was also repotted.

Next step I think is to have the water tested, I don't think there is any wood or too many leaves on the bottom.

Maurice

 

I assume nothing settled out of the buckets of water(sediment)it must be something water soluable staining the water,do get it tested i'm intrigued,you could try a fishtank airstone in the bucket of water for a couple of days see if oxygenating the water helps clear it.