Hi there. I'm Jennifer, and I just bought myself a home with 3.5 acres of land and a small pond. I measured it yesterday, and it comes out to about 195,000 gallons. It doesn't seem like it has been cared for very well, and I'd like to change that. I like to stay away from harmful chemical treatments. I don't want to kill or harm any aquatic life, bees, birds, my dog, myself, etc. But I do want to get rid of harmful, nasty agae and muck. I'd like to see clear, enjoyable water. I'm not sure really how or where to start. I've looked around online, and I have a pond type store near me that is open next weekend when I can go. I know I need to get some mosquito treatment and algae treatment. The questions are...how much? what brand? A water test kit? Open to help!

Jennifer, welcome to the PBF. Some one with more knowledge of ponds in NY will come along soon. Can you post picture of your pond so we can see what the pond looks like? There are several ways to solve pond problems like u listed. Example would be fish will remove most or all of the mosquito larva in the pond. They can also remove some vegetation. Pics will help the experts.

Tracy

Jennifer, Welcome to the forum! You can use this to accurately measure the surface area of your pond: http://acme.com/planimeter/

When used correctly, the chemicals are only harmful to the plants and algae that they are supposed to harm. But I can understand you not wanting to use any.

Without using ANY chemicals, you have to be resigned to mechanical removal of the algae - i.e. raking it out. Algae is caused by an excess of nutrients in the pond, and the only thing that will help that is a lot of plants growing in the pond. Clear water will let sunlight penetrate further into the water, allowing plants and algae to grow in progressively deeper water.

You can look for Phycomycin or Green Clean Plus. Basically it's a very strong form of hydrogen peroxide. But that is a chemical compound.....

If you do not want plants or algae in the pond, you will have green colored water. That's actually good - it is phytoplankton, which is the bottom of the food pyramid in the pond. It limits sunlight getting to the pond bottom, and helps limit plant growth.

But, you want clear water, so that means having a lot of plants growing in the pond to use the nutrients before the algae and phytoplankton can.

I would look into bacteria and aeration (if the pond is deep enough to set up a thermocline) to help take care of the muck on the bottom of the pond. You can get a blend of bacteria that is specifically tailored to your pond by calling these guys. You will need to send a sample of your muck to them, but they can walk you through the process to do that. https://teamaquafix.com/

The ONLY way to have clean, clear water in the pond without using any chemicals and without having plants in the pond is to dig another pond the same size as that one, fill it full of submerged and emergent plants, and pump the water from the original pond through it, using the 2nd pond as a biological filter. But, that still won't help you with the existing muck problem. Either mechanical cleaning out of the pond or weekly/bi-weekly bacterial treatments will do that.

A fully natural pond will have some algae and muck. Ponds are nutrient collectors and nutrients cause plant growth. The amount of growth is dependent on the amount of fertility present. Lots of dead growth causes the bottom muck.

There are prior posts here about managing a primarily natural, clear water swimming pond. It is very difficult to produce a pristine pond naturally. Mosquito and algae treatments usually involve chemicals. Fish even if they are mosquito fish (Gambusia) or shiners/minnows in the pond will control the mosquitos. Be aware most all algae treatments have copper as the active ingredient. Ideally an older small neglected pond will be best and easier managed if it is drained and the muck-slop removed and the pond is restarted as a new clean basin managed properly with aeration, beneficial plants and minimal black mucky sediments which are hard and very time consuming to overcome.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=388567#Post388567

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25802335?...ontent=gallery0

Besides mechanically clearing the pond by raking out crud as suggested above, maintain clear water by adding plants that will absorb nutrients before algae gets to it. Hybrid lilies (not the wild ones, they take over!), arrow plants, bull rush, etc are all great candidates. Cattails and that switch grass are too aggressive to allow getting a toe-hold.

There is a lot of info here on maintaining a pond. Welcome aboard!

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showgallery&Number=446940

A post earlier this spring about my clear water. It isn't looking so pristine now as the strong sun is causing O2 bubbles to lift algae and leaves from the bottom and float some nasty blobs around. It should clear up in a few days though as that algae type appears to be a cold water lover, and the leaves are decaying quickly.

I see you listed your location as Pine city. Small world... I grew up in Big Flats. You've found the right site here... Lots of great folks and info. Adding some fathead minnows to your pond, 4-5 pounds worth, will rapidly fix the mosquito issue. Are there any fish present in the pond now?