UV filter + material
blobby
Hi
I am a newbie here and I need some advice about filtration.
I have a small pond approx 2m x 1.5m x 0.5m with an underwater pump and
a small waterfall.
It has no fish(I may want to add a few later) but some lillies and a
couple of other oxygenating plants. Sounds pretty basic, I guess, but
my water is all green - can't see a thing below the surface.
After Googling for a while, I think I need a material filter(beads?)
and a UV filter to kill the algea.
The area around my pond is not suitable for underground filtration, so
I need an in-pond underwater solution.
So, can anybody recommend a combined material/uv underwater filter that
I can buy in the UK? My pump has a 1"(25mm) inlet/outlet.
Or, maybe there's a different solution?
--
blobby
Rodney Pont
The only underwater solution I know if is combined with a pump:
http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/catalogue/hozelock-easyclear-clearwater-and-fountain-pumps.asp
You need to be able to pull it out for cleaning and for replacement
of the UV bulb.
You may just be swapping one problem for another though. Once the UV
has killed off the water born algae light will be able to get in and
you could get blanketweed.
>Or, maybe there's a different solution?
More plants and time. The plants will out compete the algae in time
especially since you have no fish to feed. How long has it been set
up? It does take time for the plants to consume the nutrients and for
the algae to die off.
--
Regards - Rodney Pont
The from address exists but is mostly dumped,
please send any emails to the address below
e-mail ngpsm4 (at) infohitsystems (dot) ltd (dot) uk
blobby
'Rodney Pont[_2_ Wrote:
> ;866992']On Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:46:38 +0100, blobby wrote:
> -
>
> Hi
> I am a newbie here and I need some advice about filtration.
> I have a small pond approx 2m x 1.5m x 0.5m with an underwater pump
> and
> a small waterfall.
> It has no fish(I may want to add a few later) but some lillies and a
> couple of other oxygenating plants. Sounds pretty basic, I guess, but
> my water is all green - can't see a thing below the surface.
> After Googling for a while, I think I need a material filter(beads?)
> and a UV filter to kill the algea.
> The area around my pond is not suitable for underground filtration, so
> I need an in-pond underwater solution.
> So, can anybody recommend a combined material/uv underwater filter
> that
>
> The only underwater solution I know if is combined with a pump:
>
>
> You need to be able to pull it out for cleaning and for replacement
> of the UV bulb.
>
> You may just be swapping one problem for another though. Once the UV
> has killed off the water born algae light will be able to get in and
> you could get blanketweed.
> Or, maybe there's a different solution?-
>
> More plants and time. The plants will out compete the algae in time
> especially since you have no fish to feed. How long has it been set
> up? It does take time for the plants to consume the nutrients and for
> the algae to die off.
>
> --
> Regards - Rodney Pont
> The from address exists but is mostly dumped,
> please send any emails to the address below
> e-mail ngpsm4 (at) infohitsystems (dot) ltd (dot) uk
Hi Rodney
Thanks very much for replying.
My pond is 18 months old, and I currently have the one Water Lily(now
well established), one Water Hawthorn and some Canadian Pondweed. Do I
need some more plants do you think? If yes, what do you recommend?
Should I forget the filter business for a while and concentrate on a
more natural approach?
Thanks for your help in this, it is much appreciated.
Regards
Rick
--
blobby
Rodney Pont
>Thanks very much for replying.
>My pond is 18 months old, and I currently have the one Water Lily(now
>well established), one Water Hawthorn and some Canadian Pondweed. Do I
>need some more plants do you think? If yes, what do you recommend?
>Should I forget the filter business for a while and concentrate on a
>more natural approach?
>Thanks for your help in this, it is much appreciated.
It's very individual and really it's what you like. I like some of the
grasses that have black bands but you have to put them in a the right
depth.
Is there room on the surface for another water lily? You are restricted
in what you can get since your pond is fairly shallow. The depth on the
water lilies ticket is the distance from the top of the compost to the
surface and not the depth of the pond. It's the length of the stalks
really and if you put a deep one in a shallow pond the leaves and
flowers stretch a long way and don't look right to me.
I would forget the filter side and add more plants. The more of the
surface you cover the better from the point of view of clear water. I
don't think anything much is going to happen at this end of the year
but you can pop another illy in to help next year. In a plant only pond
the lilly will need fertilizing but get a tab to stick in the compost
so that it doesn't feed the algae.
If you get green water next year I'd bung in some watercress from the
supermarket (for instance). It will grow rapidly and remove the
nutrients and cover the water. Don't let it get out of hand though,
keep pulling it out and composting it and just throw a few shoots back
in. Once you have enough plants established you won't need to do that
any more.
blobby
'Rodney Pont[_2_ Wrote:
> ;867078']
> -
>
>
> It's very individual and really it's what you like. I like some of the
> grasses that have black bands but you have to put them in a the right
> depth.
>
> Is there room on the surface for another water lily? You are
> restricted
> in what you can get since your pond is fairly shallow. The depth on
> the
> water lilies ticket is the distance from the top of the compost to the
> surface and not the depth of the pond. It's the length of the stalks
> really and if you put a deep one in a shallow pond the leaves and
> flowers stretch a long way and don't look right to me.
>
> I would forget the filter side and add more plants. The more of the
> surface you cover the better from the point of view of clear water. I
> don't think anything much is going to happen at this end of the year
> but you can pop another illy in to help next year. In a plant only
> pond
> the lilly will need fertilizing but get a tab to stick in the compost
> so that it doesn't feed the algae.
>
> If you get green water next year I'd bung in some watercress from the
> supermarket (for instance). It will grow rapidly and remove the
> nutrients and cover the water. Don't let it get out of hand though,
> keep pulling it out and composting it and just throw a few shoots back
> in. Once you have enough plants established you won't need to do that
> any more.-
>
>
Cheers Rodney. I will add more plants and see what happens next year. I
would like to see some clear water, so I may not try to cover the whole
surface. Maybe I'll try some grasses.
Thanks again fro your help
Rick
--
blobby
A Paul Ing
>
> - Show quoted text -
If dust etc blows in the pond you will never get rid of any algae
booms as the dust brubgs nutrient to fguel the algae. Get ahold of a
Bio Force filter with built in UV, They kick butt and do a remarkable
job of keeping a pond clean and algae free/ I gather your from the UK
so you should not hgave a problem finding one there as thats where
they come from. Its a pressurized canistewr filter with bio balls ands
sponge donuts of various density. Can feed a water fall too if
desired. I have one now over 6 years all trouble free and still the
same UV bulb and its working in the hot humid sunny south of USA just
fine.