stagnant pond

herbgarden2

  My small pond has gone really  nasty and green ,although I have cleared it as much as I can it still seems whiffy and in the evening is attracting some nasty midges . I used to have bats around but some unmentionable person cut down the trees they inhabited "Because he could" so nothing to clear the air either.

So please can anyone suggest a way of clearing the pond and cleaning it ?

Dovefromabove

We have a small wildlife pond - we use this regularly as per the instructions https://www.pond-planet.co.uk/pond-c1/food-treatments-c50/pond-treatments-c23/blagdon-extract-of-barley-straw-p40?gclid=CN3-qJ_Ogc0CFcSRGwodhVAN2A 

and the Sludge Control by the same company . We get it on Amazon - we have clear water with lots of wildlife including water snails, damsel flies, frogs, newts and grass snakes

Good luck 

The_herpetologist

On the assumption that the green colour is being caused by excess algae (as opposed to say, excess duckweed), the problem tends to be caused by one of a few factors which you may wish to explore:

1. Too few submerged oxygenating plants / lack of oxygen

2. Excess sludge at the bottom caused by rotting debris such as fallen leaves

3. Excess nutrients in the water

4. Insufficient algae eating organisms in the pond such as pond snails

5. Use of tap water to top up pond, instead of rainwater

Potential solutions to these issues in order might be......

1. Get some submerged oxygenaotrs, or a pond pump

2. A good clean out

3. Use of activated carbon or nutrient hungry plants such as water forget-me-not

4.Get some snails (ramshorn are the best for this)

5.  Wait a while - the algae bloom will subside after a few days and the clear water will return

Bunches of barley will clear up an algae-infested pond in a few weeks. As the barley decays it gives off algae killing substances which, unlike artificial algaecides won't kill off the microorganisms in your pond.

If your pond is attracting midges or mozzies it may be because of a lack of oxygen. If the water is stagnant you may need to combine more than one of the above. Would need pictures to advise further.

Hope this helps

HH

herbgarden2

Yes this is a great help thank you  .I did not manage to remove all the leaves at the bottom if the pond which i think you are right ,this is the main cause . I do have some barley straw so will use some of that when the rain stops.  Once more thank you for your suggestions 

ladypandy1603

My neighbor has a beautiful California Pine tree that sheds it's needles and pollen into my wildlife pond.

ladypandy1603

Will this affect the wildlife on the pond? 

Fairygirl

It'll certainly create extra debris in the bottom, so it can mean more sludge and less water. 
Most people wouldn't site a pond in that kind of area so that it's less of a problem. Alternatively, you can  keep it netted to collect it.
In windy sites, it's worth doing to prevent excess foliage getting in during autumn, and is quite common practice. 

ladypandy1603

Thank you. The tree was relatively small when I made the pond, now it's HUGE!  Will netting prevent my Newts and Frog entering? We also have a variety of wildlife that drink from the pond, so would netting cause issues with this? 

Fairygirl

If you leave a few gaps round the edges, wildlife can still access the water. 

I'm afraid pines of all kind grow very, very large. 

ladypandy1603

Excellent advice, thank you!