Mog

Had the new pond up and running for a couple of months now with the usual plants, fish, waterfall and bio filter/pump, the water has always been crystal clear until last week when the blanket weed came big time. Also I now have these little worm/maggot things about 4-5mm which leave a hard shell/case behind which are in the millions and are blocking up the filter, pump and hoses......Help please...fish and plants seen unaffected.

Mog

Mog

Anyone please........

ajm

Is your pond getting a lot of sunlight? Basically the weed will thrive on sunlight and high nitrate/phosphate, so anything you can do to lower any of those parameters will help. Shade the pond, water changes, plants to compete for nutrients.

I have similar problems as my pond is in direct sunlight for most of the day (not my design!) and have had to resort to algaecides in the end. They say barley straw also helps (releases hydrogen peroxide) as it decomposes in the water.

With regard to the bugs, do you have any pics? They are probably larvae of some description, and will most likely disappear as their lifecycle progresses...

David Lock

Are you sure you mean blanket weed - stringy stuff clinging to sides and bottom of pond and not just sudden green water? I ask because you mention that the water had been crystal clear? Blanket weed, and I have quite a bit at the moment , will not necessarily make the water green. You can get chemicals to remove blanket weed but I try and avoid these and manually remove it with a rake. The lighter and warmer and the more fish you have the worse it is. The best way of keeping water clear assuming filter etc is doing its job is to use UV lights which you may have? Green water is simply algae formation and it can come suddenly. It will actually help slow down blanket weed growth as it restricts light.

I have millions of small worms about 4-5 mm but they don't leave a hard shell so cannot help on this. I just leave them to gobble up the rubbish.

If you do a search for Green Pond 2 or 3 weeks ago you will find some useful info and from knowledgable peeps.

David Lock

As above

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...ght=green+pond

Mog

Thanks for the link which was interesting. The water is still clear and not green at all, there is alot of sunlight on the pond, it is deffo blanket weed, there is some barley straw in at the moment, have tried a chemical clearer. The bug shell/cases are concerning me though as they are building up to such an extent that the bore of the 1 1/2 suction hose is being lined and reducing flow.

Mog

David Lock

Some one recommended Blanc-Kit Excel to me; a powder which you tip in around the pond sides. Quite expensive but it did work reasonably well but it left the water dirty (dead weed) and I would be in two minds about using it again. I guess the immediate solution to the hose clogging up is to replace it which wouldn't be a big or expensive job. I use some strips of anti-weed membrane across the pond as shade. Ugly though. I can also point you in the direction* of an ionising device which you plug into the hosepipe and it "treats" the water and kills blanket weed. It is good. The main supplier sells it for £600 but I found another source where it is around £150. dl

*PS. http://www.sturgeon-web.co.uk click on Algae Page