Water Quality Troubleshooting for Phoenix Ponds

My Water is Cloudy.

The most common causes of this situation in our neck of the woods are either genesis is occurring in a new pond or a storm (or other windy situation) has introduced dust into the water.  If it's the genesis phase, add AquaClearer beneficial bacteria.  Follow the instructions on the package, and back off gradually as long as the water remains clear.  If it's dust, then simply wait until the biofilter has done it's work and cleared up the water.

My Water is Pea-Green.

Again, this could be due to Genesis occurring in a new pond.  It can also be caused by adding fertilizer to plants, or simply over-feeding your fish.  For most causes, adding AquaClearer beneficial bacteria, as described above, will take care of things.  If this situation persists, your pond may need to be drained and checked for foreign material.  This could mean anything from a dead plant or animal that's decaying somewhere within the pond, or simply that the lily you bought and planted came with too much fertilizer for the pond to filter out on its own.

My Water is Dark Brown or Tea-Colored.

This is most often caused by tannins in the water from the leaves or flowers of a near-by plant, or by the quality of the water filling the pond.  Relax, it's an easy fix.  This is a naturally-occurring phenomenon that is not hazardous to the health of either fish or plants.  However, if this is unsightly for you, you can purchase activated charcoal and add it to the media net found in the Biofalls.  This may need to be replenished occasionally to continue to clean the tannins out of the water.

I Have A LOT of String Algae

If the water is just warming up in the Spring, the beneficial bacteria is still in hibernation.  It's also possible that you do not have enough diversity in plant life, are over-feeding the fish, or you are adding fertilizer to plants, etc.  As you can see, several things can be at the root of this problem.  You may hand-weed the algae out of the pond, using it as mulch for your land plants, or in your composting operation, as it's a very nutrient-rich material.  Or you can use String Algae Buster (SAB) to help combat it.  Remember to use POND water when mixing up the dry SAB, and NOT TAP WATER, as tap water contains chlorine, which will kill the beneficial bacterial content.

Need more help?  We're at the end of your phone line at 623-572-5607, or write to us.

MORE INFORMATION ON STRING ALGAE
VIDEO ON STRING ALGAE
MORE INFORMATION ON POND ECOSYSTEMS
FREQUENTLY ASKED POND QUESTIONS