Tea Colored Water!?
John Brownlee
trees. I'm not having trouble (yet) with leaves falling into the pond but
plan to put a net over it in the fall. I've planted some Parrots Feather,
Anacharis, a couple of shade tolerant lilies and lots of water Hyacinths
and duckweed. I'm running a homemade filter using fiberglass airfilters
wrapped around a couple of milk crates with my pump inside surrounded by 5
gallons of bio balls. Up until now the water has been fairly clear. I've
never experienced "green water".
Yesterday we had a heavy rain. The first since I filled the pond. This
morning the water was a dark brown. I assume from the tannin (sp?) in the
oak leaves.
How harmful is this? Will it go away? Can I continue with my plans to add
fish? Suggestions on removing this discoloration?
Thanks!
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| experience would be more |
| rewarding." - Calvin |
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(_/
Jan Jordan
>Yesterday we had a heavy rain. The first since I filled the pond. This
>morning the water was a dark brown. I assume from the tannin (sp?) in the
>oak leaves.
>
>How harmful is this? Will it go away? Can I continue with my plans to add
>fish? Suggestions on removing this discoloration?
>
Doubt that it's very harmful unless it's doing something to the pH.
Carbon pads in the filter may help remove it and water changes. I'm a
bit concerned that you are using *fiberglass* filters in your filter.
Don't think those are the recommended version. Ken? Solo?
~Keep 'em Wet!~
jan/Tri-Cities WA Zone 7
Remove Z to e-mail
See my ponds:
http://home.earthlink.net/~alanjordan1/jjspond/index.html
Bob Bruneau
also get a slight coloring of the water after a rain, but not a very dark
coloring. My guess is that it comes from the pollen which the trees produce,
since the coloration occurs only during part of the year.
If you have a build up of silty material suspended in your pond, that might
account for the color. When this has happended to us, the water color became
nearly the same tea color that the stream around here acquire because of the
cedar swamps.
Bob
John Brownlee wrote:
> Three weeks ago I filled my 1100 gallon pond. It's located under some oak
> trees. I'm not having trouble (yet) with leaves falling into the pond but
> plan to put a net over it in the fall. I've planted some Parrots Feather,
> Anacharis, a couple of shade tolerant lilies and lots of water Hyacinths
> and duckweed. I'm running a homemade filter using fiberglass airfilters
> wrapped around a couple of milk crates with my pump inside surrounded by 5
> gallons of bio balls. Up until now the water has been fairly clear. I've
> never experienced "green water".
>
> Yesterday we had a heavy rain. The first since I filled the pond. This
> morning the water was a dark brown. I assume from the tannin (sp?) in the
> oak leaves.
>
> How harmful is this? Will it go away? Can I continue with my plans to add
> fish? Suggestions on removing this discoloration?
>
Ken Arnold
> >morning the water was a dark brown. I assume from the tannin (sp?) in the
> >oak leaves.
> >
> >How harmful is this? Will it go away? Can I continue with my plans to add
> >fish? Suggestions on removing this discoloration?
> >
> Carbon pads in the filter may help remove it and water changes. I'm a
> bit concerned that you are using *fiberglass* filters in your filter.
> Don't think those are the recommended version. Ken? Solo?
>
> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> jan/Tri-Cities WA Zone 7
> Remove Z to e-mail
> See my ponds:
> http://home.earthlink.net/~alanjordan1/jjspond/index.html
Purolator or Frost King brands can be purchased at Home Depot or Wal
Mart.
a picture of the recomended furnace filters :)
http://www.kencofish.com/furnfilt.jpg
these are inert/fish safe and Ive used them for a long time.
dont get a treated version,no anti-fungals etc.
--
Ken Arnold,
KenCo Fish & Supplies Pond and Aquarium fish,
Shipping plants/fish etc. a specialty
Imported & domestic Koi,Goldfish,Orandas,
Tropicals,exotics, Piranhas etc.
http://www.kencofish.com mailto:ke...@kencofish.com
Bonnie Espenshade
Bob Bruneau wrote:
> We live in a mixed forest -- predominantly white oaks and pitch pines. We
> also get a slight coloring of the water after a rain, but not a very dark
> coloring. My guess is that it comes from the pollen which the trees produce,
> since the coloration occurs only during part of the year.
>
> If you have a build up of silty material suspended in your pond, that might
> account for the color. When this has happended to us, the water color became
> nearly the same tea color that the stream around here acquire because of the
> cedar swamps.
>
> Bob
>
>
>
Hi Bob,As a kid from Philly we use to refer to your cedar swamps as cedar lakes.
I can remember swimming in them back in the '50's.
Bonnie
NJ
Bob Bruneau
Bonnie Espenshade wrote:
Those are about the only place to swim in these parts. Talk about tea colored water
though -- it looks awful but the color is just tannin, and the water is pretty pure.
Actually the real cedar swamps, and they frequently start at lake margins, are
fascinating ecologic microcosms -- all manner of fish and wildlife from several
kinds of turtles, to beavers, pickerel, and yes, the dreaded G.B. Heron.
Bob
Greg Cannistraci
If tannin is the cause of the tea color then a chemical filter will need to
be added or the pond moved. If I had an existing Bio/Veggie filter I would
bury a plastic trash can next to my filter then pipe in the output from the
last filter to the bottom of the trash can and a much larger outflow near
the top which would return the water to the pond. Layer "stabilized quilt
batting" from the discount fabric store with activated charcoal. A grille of
eggcrate can be used if the quilt batting tries to float.
Unfortunately this type of filter requires replacing the ingredients when
the water starts to turn again. However; if you have a well designed
biofilter the chemical filter will be less likely to clog with sludge. Good
Luck.
Greg
Dick
is under 2 oak trees and after a heavy rain the water looks like weak tea.
I have not had green water and the water does improve after a few days but
never get crystal clear. But I can see the fish and the bottom and I guess
it is better that a lot of alge.
Dick
John Brownlee <j...@iofc.com> wrote in article
<01bdc00b$e5940be0$c55e...@jrb.iofc.com>...
> Three weeks ago I filled my 1100 gallon pond. It's located under some oak
> trees. I'm not having trouble (yet) with leaves falling into the pond but
> plan to put a net over it in the fall. I've planted some Parrots Feather,
> Anacharis, a couple of shade tolerant lilies and lots of water Hyacinths
> and duckweed. I'm running a homemade filter using fiberglass airfilters
> wrapped around a couple of milk crates with my pump inside surrounded by
5
> gallons of bio balls. Up until now the water has been fairly clear. I've
> never experienced "green water".
>
> Yesterday we had a heavy rain. The first since I filled the pond. This
> morning the water was a dark brown. I assume from the tannin (sp?) in the
> oak leaves.
>
> How harmful is this? Will it go away? Can I continue with my plans to add
> fish? Suggestions on removing this discoloration?
>
jbra...@jcn1.com
On 1998-08-07 rjm...@amdyne.net said:
>Have the same situation with my pond that has been open about 4
>months. It is under 2 oak trees and after a heavy rain the water
Agh. Tannic acid. Turns water a rich walnut/mahogany color when the
leaves sit in it for awhile. Suggest you watch to see if the rainwater
is (a) conveying bark/leaf runoff into the pond, or (b) disturbing the
water enough to mix what's on the bottom with the rest of the water.
(Tannic acid won't do much damage, but over time, left un-fixed, will
turn the pond into what you see in a cypress swamp: clear, but very
brown water.
-
Science does not deny God; God does not deny science.
Net-Tamer V 1.10.1 - Registered
laurie
filter material (grumble grumble) i think it is partly because they upgraded it
to this special 'traps even pollen' type and hiked up the price beyond
ridiculous, however my work happens to have a huge roll of the stuff and i'm
contemplating asking if i can have a bit of it.
-laurie
n crow
in Helen Nash's book ''''the Complete Pond Builder" p. 17 , second para
4th sentence: "Pine needles, oaks, and maples produce tannic acid that
is toxic to fish."
can this stuff be filtered out?? by whatever means? doesn't say. gyess
i had best not
go by the book(s), eh?
nedra
Jan Jordan
>This is hooey. Know people with all of em in their ponds and healthy fish.
>It can be removed with charcoal (pricey) or anthracite that is milled very
>fine for filters (very hard and put into nylon sockie). This can be
>recharged by sharp stream of hose unlike regular charcoal. Anthracite is
>used by city water to remove organics. Solo
>
>tig...@webtv.net (n crow) wrote:
>
>>Hey guys,
>>in Helen Nash's book ''''the Complete Pond Builder" p. 17 , second para
>>4th sentence: "Pine needles, oaks, and maples produce tannic acid that
>>is toxic to fish."
Perhaps it would be toxic in a low pH pond, where it drops the pH even
lower? What'd ya think Solo?
I know I had a bunch of maple leaves drop on to the netting I used the
first fall. Tea color alright, but the fish were fine, pH in my ponds
that year had been running 8.2, I didn't think to test it after the
leaf incident, wished I had.
Derek
>in Helen Nash's book ''''the Complete Pond Builder" p. 17 , second
para
>4th sentence: "Pine needles, oaks, and maples produce tannic acid
that
>is toxic to fish."
Even though I said it's _not_ toxic, I still think it's best to get
_most_ of the leaves out. It will lower the pH, add organic compounds
to the water and potentially create H2S from anaerobic decomposition
on the bottom of the pond. It's best to get the leaves out before any
decay sets in - either using netting to prevent the leaves ever
getting into the pond or with a surface skimmer to remove them before
they sinkl.
--
Derek (mailto:dbroughton@@usa.net)
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