Pond Boss
Posted By: Swan Keeper Black Water Pond :( - 07/05/11 07:21 PM
Hi I have a pond we built in the back yard It is about as big as a large above ground pool and 4 feet deep... We have a liner in it and 2 Mute Swans. The problem is I cannot keep the water even half way nice.
There is a filter on it and a large stream that circulates the water. About every 3 weeks the water turns almost black and doesn't smell very good either Is there something I can put in it that wont hurt the swans but help keep the algae or what ever is the problem down?
First it is green then slowly changes to almost black, There is about 4" of visibility in the water looking down on it. I am having to drain and refill it WAY too much to be fun. It is beautiful but how can I keep the water better. We tried 2 catfish in it and within 2 weeks they both died,

Any help is appreciated..
Here is a photo of what I am working with.
http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy182/qhrider_2010/019-1.jpg [img:center][/img]
Posted By: jason7858 Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/05/11 07:37 PM
dont know a lot about water chemistry but i would think with changing the water like you do and no fish or anything else to create good bacteria basically you have a dirty swimming pool...sorry didnt see you tried adding fish..i would start with smaller fish...do you have any gravel or anything else on the bottom?..what kind of filter are you using?
Posted By: adirondack pond Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/05/11 07:45 PM
Swan Keeper it sounds like your gonna need an ultraviolet clarifier which can really help to kill the suspended algae.
I use an 18 watt unit in my 1400 gal. pond, and a bubble bead filter.
Those Swans are probably putting out plenty of fertilizer.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ultraviolet-36-Watt-...=item43a048ee91
Posted By: Dave Davidson1 Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/05/11 11:31 PM
Agree with AP on the swans and water quality.
Posted By: jason7858 Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/06/11 05:44 PM
do you have any plants in the pond? they will take some of the nutrients in your water so the algae doesnt have as much...also have you tried some sort of dye, aquashade? might help
Posted By: Bluegillerkiller Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/06/11 06:09 PM
Is that a weeping blue spruce?
Posted By: esshup Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/07/11 02:15 PM
I'd venture to guess that the nutrient load that the swans are putting into the water is the culprit. The algae cannot keep up with the nutrients, and you are barely staying ahead of the curve with the water changes that you are doing. Somethinng that will utilize the nutrients would help greatly. Lots of plants, a huge biofilter, etc.

Swans are big birds, when they're in the water, they are basically swimming in their own toilet. Take a water sample to an aquarium shop to have them test the water. Do this every day or every couple of days starting when you change the water until a day after it turns black. You'd be suprised at what the results would show. sick
Posted By: Swan Keeper Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/08/11 11:19 AM
Hi That is a weeping blue spruce, my boyfriend is a landscaper so he brings me all sorts of neat plants......There are no plants "in" the pond, Esshup I have a 3000 gallon biofilter on the pond still no luck What do you think of the UV Clarifier idea?
Posted By: jason7858 Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/08/11 12:36 PM
have your boyfriend get some water plants for you and throw a few small goldfish or other small fish and get an ecosystem going first...i think youll be surprised at the difference....i would do a partial water change before throwing all of that in...also if you dont have any substrate in the bottom throw some gravel in...
Posted By: esshup Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/08/11 12:51 PM
I think any plant that you put in the pond will have to be caged to keep the swans from eating it. I used to raise Mandarin and Wood Ducks and had water hyacinths in the pond. I had to jump thru hoops to make sure they couldn't eat them, and most times they were smarter than I was. blush
Posted By: ozarkstriperscom Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/13/11 04:08 PM
I agree with everyone above bout too much swan poo in the water, however, looking at your set up (which is beautiful and very well done) the mulch looks like it may be of the dyed variety. I know with a lot of our customers with ponds we will NOT use dyed mulch of any kind because it will turn the pond black after it rains and in some cases ie; heavy rain after mulch is applied, it is toxic to everything in the pond. All dyed mulch will leach the dye and chemicals used in the dye into the pond in varying degrees depending on the amount of rainfall. Usually after this occurs it will begin to smell foul and filters are of no use in any way to remove the color. If your mulch is dyed you may have to remove the mulch and use another type that has no dyes. I finished my own personal koi pond bout four years ago and used a dyed mulch around it. My slopes also drained away from the pond, however, after the first rain it became black and was filled with floating koi. I figured that it was a one time deal so did nothing but clean the pond and start over with fish. The next time it rained it turned black again but not quite as bad. I removed the dyed mulch after fussing with this for a year and have not had a problem since. We also had this problem with a number of customers that have used dyed mulch.
Posted By: ozarkstriperscom Re: Black Water Pond :( - 07/13/11 04:15 PM
Another thought is to have your boy friend build you a bog type filter loaded with plant material to pump water out of your swan pond and circulate it through the bog filter. With the right plants they are very beautiful and easy to maintain and should thrive on the amount of swan waste you have to offer.
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