hammerman question for you

[Giggsie]

Hi read your report on fish pond. I too have problems with green water but having read your report my uv is only 5 watt bulb. Do I need new uv or can I just put in bigger bulb? Pond size 9ft by 5 ft x 2ft deep. Water only clear in wintertime when I can see all fish sunny days water turns green. Help most appreciated thanks.

[hammerman]

Hi futritcat.

You will need to get a complete new unit i'm afraid as the unit you have is only rated to take a 5w bulb.

Your pond is only around 550 gallons so working on the rule of 10 watts of UV per 1,000 gallons, you're existing size should be fine. However, if you do get a new unit, get one that's around 10w.

Obviously with green water, you need to make sure the pond is well established, there's a good covering of floating plants such as water lillies plus some marginal plants and the pond is not over stocked or over fed. Plants will use up the nutrients in the pond that the fish produce (nitrates, phosphates etc) which also the algea uses for food too. If you remove the algea's food scource and its light, the green water will die off !!!

Hope this helps a bit

[Giggsie]

Thanks for your reply hammerman I have about 20 (I think) fish 2 kio 8 orf some goldfish and can't spell it but some kind of bumkin would that be too much for size of pond? Also I maybe overfeeding as never sure how much feed to give. Have had pond now 3 years. Got water lillies and some plants in water and also plants around outside edges of pond.