Clearing up Green Water

I started my pond fresh a few months ago. I scrubbed it down (gag!) and cleaned it the best I could without poking a hole in the pre-fab liner with my foot. I have a small 50 gallon that usually plagues me with all sorts of issues. I noticed that literally about 9 hours after scrubbing it down there was, no joke, at least 2 inches of algae growing on the sides. It was like magic. I let it go.. I had one potted plant in it and that was it for then.

The weather got warmer and I dropped an Eco-Bio block in it since I had that in the plastic pond liner I had on my side porch to keep my fish alive during the winter. So, my fish were transferred to the outside green pond. I then dropped two water hyacinth in there and that was it. So two floaters and one potted plant and my 4 comets.

Let me tellya, this pond is CRYSTAL clear. There is not one speck of algae in it. I usually have the terrible green water.. string algae and whatnot. I have never been able to see beyond 6 inches below surface. We have had some spells of 98 degree weather for days on end.. I can see to the bottom of this pond. I am wondering if it's not the Eco Bio block I threw in there. What else could it be? I am baffled but happy.

Also, before I put the fish in there, there was the sweetest frog. He would croak at us every time we went out.. nice little fella. Well, as soon as the fish were put in there.. GONE! He split. Why won't frogs stay with the fish?

My fish aren't anywhere near large enough to eat him.. what's the deal? I want both, not either or. Perhaps when my algae bog cleared up, he wasn't interested anymore!



Pondlady sez:

I suspect it was the Eco Bio that did the job. And chances are your frog is around somewhere, just dug in to get out of the heat.

Put some submerged vegetation in under those hyacinths, don't feed those fish and you will have clear water all summer. And keep using the Eco Bio thing. Looks like it is working!

Read about keeping your pond water clear and more in my new book, A Practical Guide for Building and Maintaining your Pond.  You can download it here

And join us at pondlady.com for more pond info.  Ask questions and get expert answers.