Here's 3 minutes of nothing but koi and waterfall views. Not a bad way to unwind after work
It looks great. It's funny how the pond looks so big now, but when you were digging the hole it looked much smaller.
Well it's official. I have fully descended into string algae hell. Full disclosure so folks new to the hobby can see the ups and downs.
All my equipment has to be cleaned out twice a day, before and after work. It's a never ending string algae production line in my pond!
I ordered 27% peroxide (Baquacil Oxidizer) which should be here in a few days. The 4 quarts of 3% did absolutely nothing.
Also added calcium chloride to help with PH spikes just in case to keep the fish happy. A few days ago I dumped in 40lbs of salt around the bottom drains and that killed off quite a bit, the whole area turned white. I was afraid the thick algae around the drains would start to clog my BDs.
This is what my leaf baskets look like twice a day.
And here is what my RDF is having to deal with. This stuff is even getting through the drum by pushing through the seals and clogging the leaf basket of my pump AFTER the RDF! Can't wait for this to be over.
~ Jose
Inside the waste tray. This has no chance to get washed away so it just builds up inside. The pieces are so long that it just clings to the sides of the waste tray and accumulates in here.
Despite all this the water is still relatively clear so at least that's good.
~ Jose
Wow, that stuff's nasty. I admired your green carpet algae a few weeks ago and said I wished my pond would get it. I take that back!
Im amazed how clear your water still is even with the string algae. My string algae always released small green particles that turned the water green.
Congrats on that I guess.
This is one of the worst case scenarios for an RDF to deal with. Thick matter that does not get carried down the drain easily.
Would it be possible for you to rig a water supply on a solenoid to flush the stuff down the drain in concert with the RDF spray cycle?
What you want to do is to prevent the build up of crud over time. A little can be sprayed down the drain if there is adequate water flow. That much on the other hand is heading no where with the light sprinkling of water through the RDF mesh.
On the bright side, all that crud is taking a load of unwanted nutrients out of the pond. It's the freshwater equivalent of a marine algae filter.
Thank you, I sure am happy with the outcome. I feel like it fits the space perfectly.
Yeah big difference. The raised wall and paver edging gives it a much bigger feel.
Haha I wish I could take it back too. It looked nice at first. Had I known what it was going to turn into I would have started nuking it earlier.
Yeah the last pond I built didn't get string algae as bad as this but it did turn pea soup green for a few months. Seems like every new pond goes through a difference process as it matures.
I'm not sure if additional water flow would help. The problem is the pieces are so long that most of it is dangling over the edges of the waste tray, hanging in the water. When I clean out the tray I have to reach in and pull out a lot of it over the edge. That's what causes it to build up over the day into that huge mound you see in the pictures.
Thanks Russ. I noticed the Health sticky says the dosage should be 1 cup/8oz per 1000g every 3~5 days. However I think I'll follow Billy's (Cascade Pond) advice which cuts that dose in half; 1 cup for every 2000g every other day. Also ordered some LaMotte hydrogen peroxide test strips so I can keep an eye on the PPM levels.
Warmest day of the season so far! Pond got up to about 82°. My other digital thermometer reads 80° so I'll just assume the highest temp. Hopefully this is the warmest the pond gets and will get better once the shade is installed.
~ Jose
I would be happy with 82 for a high. We're in a cool spell right now and the water is at 77, but a couple of weeks ago it was up to 89.
Dang. It's the potential for conditions like this that make me want to install a sieve in front of the RDF.
I'm pretty sure that stuff would choke the average sewage sump pump.
So I'm not sure what's happening but I've started to see a massive die-off of the string algae that started yesterday. I haven't even received the 27% peroxide yet. Would salt have this much of an impact? It's a huge difference from where the pond was this weekend. Salt levels are currently 0.18%.
As you can see in this photo, most of the bottom has turned a whitish yellow and gone are the long stands of algae. Not that I'm complaining, but I am curious what killed it off!
~ Jose
I didn't know of the delayed reaction to H202...good to know. I'm glad the stuff seems to be dying.