Hozelock filter
gsdfandf
Posts: 114
Hi all. The water in my totally revamped pond (Sept. 2014) is decidedly murky. I'd installed the Hozelock EasyClear 3000 combined filter & pump, (before deciding to revamp the pond & fitting a Butyl liner) which seemed to be doing the job, only having to clean the filter sponges etc every now & then. But, hardly into summer & the water is grotty. I've cleaned the filters 4 times now in as many weeks, each time they are well & truly clogged. When I first posted on this site about my pond, the Hozelock idea was not recommended, but it was already in situ & was doing the job ok! the water staying very clear. Other systems were mentioned, but being new to ponds (this was in a sorry state when I bought this property) I didn't want to go to great expense at the outset. The tiddlers I introduced are now whoppers & seem quite happy, but with the water as it is, they are hardly visible when near the bottom of their domain. The pump is running 24/7 & the UV light is ok as it's visible at night. The outlet from the pump forms a waterfall, but could I direct the flow to a better filter system & then have the outlet again forming the waterfall?
Thanks in anticipation.
Posts
Hi GSD, I dont really know, but just wanted to Hi, long time no see!
You know I did my pond at the same time you relined yours, it was clear for a while, then, you never see anything like it, the whole lot was murky and full of blanket weed.
Now the plants have just started growing again, water lillies, grasses reeds etc, the blanket weed has gone, I twiddled lots out then left it, didnt have time, when I did look, it was clear again, I can see newts and tads on the bottom.
I have never had a pump, and never would as I purposely made it for a wildlife pond and you only need a pump for ornamental ponds with fish.
Anyway, good to see you again. X
Nice one Lyn, good to hear from you too & glad you've got your pond sorted. My pond area is now a swathe of fabulous flowers & plants, pity about the mucky water though, but the fish seem happy enough. Take care & enjoy your garden.
Bryn, aka (GSDFandF) x
Hallo gsd, I can recommend Pond Wizard from T & M, worked well to clear the green water in our pond, which is about 6 x 3 m. Not cheap, but it works!
http://www.tandmworldwide.com/garden-supplies/other
Hi Swiss Sue, thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into it.
@Edd, There's no blanket weed, the water is just very cloudy. To explain it better, when I retrieve the filter/pump to clean it, the disturbance results in lots of sediment swirling around in the water. I've had a section of netting spread across the pond to catch all the leaves over the autumn & winter period, so I don't think the murkyness is caused by that. I'm thinking the Hozelock is no longer up to the job. The water coming from the pumps discharge hose looks clear, but the water itself is far from clear??
I'm not exactly a pond expert; though I've got 2 natural ponds, they're mainly for ducks. But you say you've got a lot of sediment, fish of some sort, and a pump that runs a waterfall. I've had fish tanks in the past and fish produce their own 'sediment', plus some may wash in with heavy rain etc. The fish will grub around in it and the current of water will keep it agitated so it never gets chance to settle - the very fine particles would take ages to do so even in still water.
Could you try turning the pump off for a day or two to see if things improve ? If the pond is not overstocked and you have plenty of oxygenating plants then the fish should be fine for a short while, (providing it is not very hot at the time), and you may find more of a natural balance starting to establish. If you also have other plants (marginals, waterlilies etc) they will also help remove excess nutrients and keep the water healthy.
Just a thought, but if it does help then you may want to have a rethink about how you want to manage the pond and fish to keep everything healthy.
Good point. The waterfall is just a by-product of the filtration return. Turning the pumps off is really a no no, because they are oxygenating the water, plus still water at this time of year is a haven for mosquito larvae. The plants that are in situ are marsh marigold, water iris & lily. In the past I've used a treatment similar to Swiss Sue's suggestion, but my main reason for posting was that the pump/filter being an "all in one" may no longer be up to the job, as the pond is now established & was hoping for a better way of filtering the water.
Thanks for your input.