Has your pond changed colour? Here, we have outlined some of the common reasons why it may have changed.
Keeping ponds can be difficult; there are a lot of things that you should be looking out for. One of which is the colour of the pond. The pond may be clear, green, cloudy, brown, foamy, and black. Here, we have outlined various things you should be looking out for, what the discolouration may mean and what you can do to resolve the issue.
Green Water and Slimy Algae (Useful Blogs: Green Water and Slimy Algae)
Green Water and Slimy Algae are the result of a build-up of algae in the pond. This can result in the pond turning green (like pea soup; a common way to describe a build-up of algae) or you may see furry growths on exposed areas of the pond (logs, rocks and on the liner).
It is normally best to treat green water with a treatment, like Green Water Beaters or the Blagdon Clear Pond. But you should check the status of your UV bulb, add plants, or consider adding an extra UV clarifier. Please see the below table for more information.
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Green algae thrive in these conditions; it’s worth trying to cover the pond and add shade or add surface plants (Lillies are great for this!) |
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If your UV is too small for your pond or for the number of fish, this can be the reason why the pond turns green. |
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Extra oxygen boosts healthy bacterial colonisation. This in turn helps to keep the ecosystem balanced by controlling Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. |
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Excess nutrients (Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates) feed algae. These chemicals come from excess sludge, fish waste and fish food. Making sure to keep the pond clean and filtered properly helps to reduce this as a problem. |
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Plants help to provide oxygen into the pond, alongside waterfalls and fountains. But plants can also control the chemicals in the water, provide shade and places for fish to hide. |
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Overstocked Pond |
If your pond has a lot of fish, your filter system may not be adequate. This can also result in fish producing more waste, which decomposes and causes a Nutrient Imbalance. |
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Put simply; feeding too much allows excess food to decompose and form sludge. This can cause a Nutrient Imbalance. |
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A new pond takes time to go through the Nitrogen Cycle. This is a normal process where your pond has spikes of Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. Signs of NPS in your fish include fish that are not eating, they may be gasping at the surface or sulking from other fish. These are common signs of stress. |
Cloudy Water (Useful Blogs: Cloudy Water)
Cloudy Water can be a sign of many things, most notably excess sludge in the pond or a lack of aeration. You should check the areas below, but generally the PondXpert Anti-Cloudy Water treatment can help.
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Treatment |
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Cloudy water is generally caused by debris in the pond, which is causing the water to go murky. It could be a sign that the filter has not been cleaned or the foams need to be replaced. A sludge treatment (like the Sludge Eliminator) may be helpful if this is the cause. |
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The murkiness in the pond could be down to a lack of healthy bacteria in the pond. The healthy bacteria normally help to keep the pond clean, clear, and free of sludge. Other signs of a lack of aeration include fish gasping at the surface, foul odours, and rapid algae development. |
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A new pond takes time to go through the Nitrogen Cycle. This is a normal process where your pond has spikes of Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. Signs of NPS in your fish include fish that are not eating, they may be gasping at the surface or sulking from other fish. These are common signs of stress. |
Brown Water (Useful Blogs: Brown Water)
Brown Water is an uncommon problem. It is easy to diagnose the cause, but potentially difficult to treat.
The cause is either tannins (chemicals) or floating sediment. To identify the cause, you should take a glass of water from the pond and leave it on a surface for an hour.
• If there is sediment at the bottom of the glass, then the brown water is caused by sediment. This can be difficult to treat.
* The first thing to try is ensure that you have fine filter foams in your filtration.
* A vacuum with a discharge basket, or a net with a fine mesh, can be used to remove the sediment.
* The next step is to do a partial water change.
* The last resort is to commit to a full water change.
• If the water remains brown, the cause is tannins. This will need to be treated with a bacterial treatment, like PondXpert Gel Balls.
Foamy Water (Useful Blogs: Foamy Water)
Foamy water can be a sign of an underlying problem that needs to be treated quickly. It is normally due to a build-up of protein in the pond from organic matter (mainly food from overfeeding!) or from decaying plant material.
You should test your water as soon as possible to see if there is a chemical imbalance in the pond. It may be beneficial to commit to a partial water change, as this should keep the pond healthy. Remember to dechlorinate the water or use rainwater.
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A suitable Pump and Filter |
If the pump and filter is not suitable for the pond, they can’t filter the water effectively. The UV will be undersized, there won’t be enough foams or biomedia. It is best to remove any sludge present using a treatment, net, or vacuum. |
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Overstocked Pond |
As above, an overstocked pond may result in your filter system not being adequate. This can also result in fish producing more waste, which decomposes and causes a Nutrient Imbalance. |
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Put simply; feeding too much allows excess food to decompose and form sludge. This can cause a Nutrient Imbalance. Excess food, particularly food high in protein, can cause a foamy pond. If the cause is overfeeding, then you should give their fish less food and the issue should clear up within 2-3 weeks. |
Black Water (Useful Blogs: Black Water)
Black water is a very unusual problem that pond keepers may experience. It is not normally dangerous to fish, but the underlying causes may be dangerous. You should test the pond water straight away if your pond water is black.
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Cause |
Treatment |
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Waste or Low Oxygen |
A suitable pump and filter system will keep the pond suitably filtered by removing sludge, preventing algae build up and balancing the chemicals in the pond. But an aerator can help to improve the healthy bacteria in the pond. These help to prevent the water turning black. |
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Damaged Pond Liner |
A damaged pond liner can cause water levels to drop, or sediment and minerals to seep into the pond from below. This normally causes the water to turn brown, but it can lead to black water. |
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Chemicals or Algae? |
The water could have turned black from a chemical imbalance in the pond from using too many treatments. Some pondkeepers report black water and tell us they are regularly using treatments for preventative measures. Treatments should only be used sparingly in this case; not on a regular basis. |
If you have any queries, please email us on info@pondkeeper.co.uk.