[MWG] Today's Pond Q&A
------------------------------- Today's Pond Q&A In this issue: - UV Lights & Pond Leaks - Green Water ------------------------------- Question> Hi Carolyn, Thanks for your question emails. They really help a lot. In my case, I added a submersible filter before my UV filter. The UV is very finnicky and shuts down during our rainy season in CA. This last time I have not been able to get the light working (dried out the parts, installed new light). But the submersible is keeping the water clear nevertheless. Do I need a UV at all? Another question I have is that I top off the water each time I clean the submersible (Every two weeks or so during the summer months). I fill up to the tip of the turtle's mouth in the pond. I do expect some evaporation to occur, but this seems to go for inchces each day. I think there is a leak but have no idea how to find it. Any suggestions? Thanks again, Dandre DeSandies _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Pond Filters, Pumps, UV's and More... Discount Prices at Our Online Store! http://www.macarthurwatergardens.com _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Answer> Yes, Dandre,in answer to your first question, most UV lights generally have a ballast somewhere attached to them, probably encased to protect them from the elements. They are very sensitive to water and humidity. That would cause a light to blow out prematurely. UV lights have a primary purpose of eliminating bacteria from the water. Free floating algae is a side benefit. When your fish accidentally gets a scale knocked off or a parasite bites into the fish and opens a pinhole somewhere, the bacteria can start its ugly process of "eating" your fish, inside out, as it develops a colony using the fish as a host. So, my advice is to have a UV light on the pond. Maybe you need to house it in some way that it can't get wet in the future. As for the leak, now that is easier to find. You simply do not top off the water. Allow it to empty until it stops. Then you will find the leak at the surface, wherever the water stops. In most cases a waterfall is the culprit. Try shutting off the waterfall to see if the water loss stops first. (If you have a waterfall?) You mentioned the turtles mouth? I guess this is a fountain? Perhaps the fountain is the guilty party. Have you tried shutting off the fountain for a day to see if the water drops? -Carolyn Weise == Question> Carolyn, I built a 550 gallon pond last summer and have had pretty good luck with it staying clear until the last couple months. I installed a Filtoclear 800 pressurized filter with 9 watt ultraviolet light and a biological filter. I am using an OASE Aquamax 1000 pump. The fish appear to be very healthy. They recently had lots of baby fish. I am very disappointed in the green water. Is there anything I can do different to clear the water? Thanks, Bill in Huntingburg, IN == Answer> Hi, Bill, That's a funny thing about green water- seems to go hand-in-hand with spawning. Although it isn't as pretty to look at, it is so very healthy for the fish. What I generally have to do after a spawn is water changes, until I get the extra protein out of the water. This is as very big strain on a filter. In time it will clear up but in the meanwhile, water changes and reduced feeding will help the filter and UV clear up the water. You also mentioned you installed the pond last year. I hope you replaced the UV bulb this year because they are generally only good for one season (although there are some on the market that claim to be good for two years before needing a replacement bulb). This may be part of the problem. Good luck and thanks for writing! -Carolyn Weise Happy Pondkeeping! Brett Fogle MacArthur Water Gardens www.macarthurwatergardens.com © MacArthur Water Gardens 1698 SW 16th ST Boca Raton, FL 33486 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This email is never sent without permission. You (or someone using your email address) bought something from MacArthur Water Gardens, or signed up for our newsletter, affiliate program, mini-course or requested a fr^e report.. The information we have on file is Your name: Friend Your email: If you wish to be removed from this list, simply click once on the link below.
Message Added: August 6th, 2005 at 6:14 am
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