My pond's gone all murky

[vole-woman]

I've noticed over the last week or two the water's gone like soup, where previously it was fairly clear. The pump's still working well - we have a little stream running down into the pond. As far as I know, nothing's fallen in the water to pollute it.

Is this normal for the time of year - could it be caused by the breakdown of plants in the water after the cold snap we had and the thick ice? Or do I have a problem which needs tackling, and if so, how would I go about it? We only put the pond in last October and it's been super-healthy over the summer.

[Gill Catton]

I'm not certain but an awful lot of water is turbid (not clear) this time of year due to sediment washed up by heavier rainfall and also dead veg matter. Also the aquatic plants die back and then less able to suck up nutriants which may then allow your pond to become murky.


Your filter will help keep things oxygenated I would have thought and it wouldn't suprise me if the pond sorts itself out again next year when the plants put on their first growth spurts.....

[vole-woman]

Thanks, Gill!

[dianamay]

I don't suppose you have topped your pond up with tap water recently have you, as this would make it murky. Our ponds have had the usual amount of leaves falling in and plants dying off, also an amount of ice on the top, but they are still very clear. Hope this rectifies itself soon. This is the kind of thing you expect during the hot summer days isn't it. Good luck.

[mrs fish]

Did or do you have any duck weed in your pond?

I noticed the canal looks a horrible colour at the moment and guess it is the break down of all the duck weed?

[galanthus]

my pond is still clear as yet, however, our 2nd in a year fish mate pond pump ( no we dont' have yukky fish) has keeled over again. Anyone got any tips for finding the fault or can recommend one that doesn't die a death every winter/spring ?

[naturelover]

hi i have had ponds for years and never had mucky water at this time of year,in the summer you get green water untill the plants kick in then it goes crystal clear,also yes it is full of fish big fish,also my plants have died down but still i have clear water,still have pump and filter box running but have turned waterfall off,as i think this makes too much movement in the pond and makes the water even colder,as for pumps dieing every year i have never had that happen,do you clean it out every now and then as this will burn it out if its fighting to push water through,i just leave my pond all winter,i dont even cut anything down untill spring,dont get leaves in as i have to net it to keep the herons out.

[vole-woman]

Hmm.... Many thanks for the replies. We do have duckweed, but we haven't topped up the pond with tap water. I think perhaps I'd better investigate further re the filter. Not a job I'm looking forward to!

[aestarte]

Hi, it could also be blanket weed, we had horrible problems with that also do you have a u.v filter as the bulb might need changing. Fi. X X X X

[vole-woman]

Thanks!

Right, well, I have got to the bottom of the immediate problem - the murk is soil, displaced by something digging under the little bridge and also at the base of the rockery.

But now I don't know what to do: for a start, what's doing the digging? I suspect rat because of the burrow size and also because of the heaps of soil. But that's a post for the mammals forum.

What I'd like to know from the pond experts is, will the soil going into the water cause problems for the aquatic life? In the summer we had common newts, frogs, diving beetles (great and ordinary), whirligig beetles, pond skaters, water boatmen, various snails and leeches. The pond is about 18 foot by 6 foot and has a stream of recycled water flowing into it (the pump has a filter).

And if the soil in the water is a problem, how can I fix it?

[Kayleigh]

If you have water lilies and the leaves have broken down into a mush with the frost. This will contaminate the water and send it black and smelly.
Or any leaves for that matter.

[m1.carson]

Hi,

I've seen it said, that when you create a pond a little soil is good for it, adds biological ingrediants.

When we re-designed our waterfall a fair amount of soil went in, took a while to settle but didn't harm anything, I'd be much more worried about whatever it is burrowing under it coming up through the pond liner.

Max.

[vole-woman]

Yes, that's worrying me, too!

[tezzor]

I have a pond, about six foot by nine and about three feet deep, in which I have roughly fifteen fish, including one Koi. There are also a good little community of frogs, and the occasional toad. I inherited the pond and fish three years ago,from the previous owner, and have found that the pond loses about an inch of water a day. My neighbour said that the lining was done about twenty years ago, and he thinks that the iris plant roots have pierced the bottom. I know very little about the subject, I've picked up a few things from friends on keeping it clean and oxygenated, but what I want to know is, what is the best time of the year to take the fish out to have the pond re-lined? They had baby fishes last year, so I don't want to interfere with any of that process, or cause them any distress, also don't want to disturb the frogs and their spawning activity.
Thanks,
Tezzor

[astraman]

could try barley straw in a net or sack that will help clear it

[vole-woman]

I should add, my pond's clearing nicely now we haven't got a rat kicking dirt into it on a daily basis.

[brigid]

This is the first message Ive sent cos Im new at this .... re Pond Problems, has anyone heard of Azolla, it looks like red asphalt they put on the road to calm traffic, Ive got it on both of my ponds. Its a pain, and nothing seems to eat it, it was introduced to UK in unscrupulous garden centres, then transported by moorhens, coots, herons, mallards etc. Ive heard about a species specific weevil you can BUY (!) from Bio-centres, anyone heard of any other solutions??? Any advice how to post or if Im doing this wrong, please pipe up and tell me! Thanks brigid busybee