Spring Cleanout. Phosphate Issues & New Products

Cleaning out the pond, Phosphate issues and a new Anti-Blanketweed product called Resolve by Aqua Source.

[@lkgreydogs]

Wow! your pond and koi are incredible. Thank you SO much for sharing. We are new to the hobby, and are very enthusiastic about it. We really appreciate your sharing of knowledge. And, as a side note, thank you for sharing the details at the beginning. We are still learning the names of koi types and you helped a lot. Namaste! :)

[@shantanumathur1059]

Thanks for this video , very informative .

[@rickigoode8536]

Koi clays keep my phosphates in check. Aluminium silicate sulphate in certain clays bonds with phosphorus and acts as a flocculant. Blanket Answer seems to work through enzymes and minerals, so important to apply whilst growing heavily. I feel the best products to use in the winter are Envii Winter Treatment, Koi Clay and a mighty protein skimmer. Reducing dissolved organics and combining phosphorus to clear water is key at the very end of Autumn (as plants stop or die back). Worth checking ammonia also, as string algae will feed directly off it. That's why I use winter pond bacteria in below 10 and stop feeding.

[@womblestacker7993]

Thanks your video has really helped me out my pond phosphate is around 5ppm

[@muj2012]

Very knowledgeable video ,thank you for the upload 👍

[@Mythril1976]

muj2012 Thank you. I've another one I'm working on at present. Once I get back of holiday, I'll finish it and get it uploaded.

[@trustnoone3285]

like your video but loved those birds, beautiful...!

[@worldoffish4573]

Nice educational video 👍

[@Mythril1976]

Thanks mate. I don't know everything but what I do know, I try to pass on.

[@JN.0_o]

I just added a couple of grass carp. They take a year or so to get big enough to keep it completely down but they do a good job.

[@mattredford6642]

hi another great video thanks for sharing this may sound silly but where did you get your antibiotics from to treat the ulcer regards matt.

[@Mythril1976]

Matt Redford: Thanks for the compliment. The antibiotics were sourced from my Koi dealer. It's called Baytril. Most proper Koi dealerships should carry Baytril for their own usage, but you maybe able to get it from your local vet if you ask them nicely.

[@jaaasgoed]

I hope you got your money back from that phosphate treatment. Nice Pond

[@786free1]

Thanks for doing this video. Did the blanket weed return or has it gone totally? Was it Resolve that did it?

[@Mythril1976]

Hi. It was the Resolve that worked where others failed. These days I either use salt at 0.3% or Resolve. Either work in all weather.

[@neilmann444]

Next time you try this, be patient, if you leave it a couple of weeks the algae will die right down, turn black, the little bubbles will help lift the black slime, it will then float and get captured in a skimmer or you can net it, no need to scrub the pond , this will happen in you filters too. 👍

[@baodestin1451]

nice birds! are those your pet?

[@darrenross8676]

What is the water testing kit u use ? Thanks

[@Mythril1976]

Darren Ross It's the Colombo test kit. You can pick them from any reputable dealer. Here is an Amazon link in case their not available in your area: www.amazon.co.uk/Colombo-Aquatest-TESTLAB-Professional-Advanced/dp/B007X3FD22

[@cjyoung7372]

The pond scum was cool and all but the pheasant 👌

[@1habicher]

Brother You deserve time out, what month and State is this. Well done Mate! At least You got some help. Look after it! Richard in Australia

[@Mythril1976]

Richard Habicher Thanks buddy !!

[@michaeljustice294]

I have a big grass carp ever since I had this no green blanket weed ( I recommend this highly )

[@LightYerPipe]

Two words for you. Grass Carp.

[@ricardodelgado7398]

what size of containers are you using and filter mat

[@Mythril1976]

Ricardo Delgado: They were 3' Vortex Filters with K1 and Micro K1 in. I no longer use the Vortex Filters as I have moved over to a Combo Drum Filter. I have a mixture of K1 and K1 Micro in the Bio section.

[@adampratt9733]

Please could you tell me the name of the birds at 9.28 PLEASE

[@adampratt9733]

Golden pheasant ;)

[@Mythril1976]

Yep their Golden Pheasants. Sadly the male has now passed away.

[@adampratt9733]

Thinking of getting a pair ...thoughts ? Nice pond too.

[@Mythril1976]

Great to have but the male will wonder or of the garden come Spring as we found out in search of another mate. They do stay put though for the duration of the year. Very friendly. Our female is still here. Roosts in the tree at the bottom of the garden and is good friends with the chickens. You can eat their eggs if you fancy but it's not something is personally like.

[@adampratt9733]

Thanks for reply..very tempted...

[@fearno1839]

Do you really mean 3% and 6% salt?

[@Mythril1976]

.3 / .6%

[@goodall1bay]

Get yourself a RO machine. Store the water in drums and do water changes from that and buff the water ph

[@Mythril1976]

Sadly RO isn't feasible as I'm on a water metre otherwise I would run with RO.

[@mrspiderman125]

what is blanket weed?

[@Mythril1976]

There are around 20,000 different forms of a group of primitive plants called algae. Blanket weed or silkweed or string algae is the name given to some varieties of algae that will, in the right conditions, produce large and dense pillows of green, foamy filaments floating on the surface of the pond. Hope this helps.

[@Adem-vt7mf]

I would not be so keen to drain my pond and clean it like this. I have never drained a pond down and topped it back up with fresh water. You are removing all of the beneficial bacteria. There are a lot of chemicals going in to this pond. I agree with those that are saying a lack of plants is a big issue, this was my first thought. I am more a fan of ecosystem ponds as opposed to these sterile koi ponds. I like to see dragonflies, frogs, wildlife. I think direct sunlight caused by a lack of shading is a contributory factor. Some lilies to cover the surface and maybe even a vine growing over a frame to cast a shadow over some of the pond would make a big difference.

[@bigp2225]

It’s a koi pond not a wildlife pond.

[@davidwonder3633]

You should do research first.

[@electoplater]

everyone has a different view, i think plant encourage parasites you dont see many mud ponds with plants

[@theemeraldfox7779]

Peroxide elf have killed the blanket weed!

[@Mythril1976]

Peroxide elf ?

[@djmadrik]

cleaning everything off the side has a detrimental effect on the eco system as it holds benficial bacteria, another cause of your blanketweed issue is the media your using, you would be much better of using a media that can use aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria, as this will help lower your nitrate levels, as blanketweed needs nitrate and phosphate to grow minimise either of these and you wont have blanketweed. having said that lowering nitrate is easier than lowering phosphate. adding certain plants will help massively, or setup an anoxic filter. the science behind it is quite complex but the setup if fairly simple and the effects are mind blowing

[@bigp2225]

It’s a koi pond not an eco system you donut! Lol

[@TheOpelkoenjas]

What is with pond owners and the use of so much harsh chemicals all the time? What about plants, fish/other animal life that eat blanket weeds, what about adding shade and do partially water changes more often?? Also, a good water circulation IN the pond and not just in the filters can make a big difference. Watch how nature does it - National Graphic to the rescue - and take vital lessons from it. Also, why do so many people fill their ponds entirely and solely with tap water? What happened with good old plain (pre-filtered!!) rain water, or even a 50-50 mixture of tap with rain water if you're afraid of the PH levels going banana? Now, I know that last one is a stretch, specially when you have a big pond like that and it's the "no rain" season, but com'on people. It's not like it never rains into our ponds, right? And over time all that is left in the pond anyway IS rain water (unless you do 100% water changes with tap water all the time), specially during heavy raining seasons. The fish don't mind, once they are used to it, trust me. I had a 10 000 Liter pond that was build in the early 80's. I NEVER had the issue of any icky algae and it was 100% rain water (with proper filtration system, of course). I just added a few grass carps and made sure there was plenty of plant life present all the time. The key here is to use a lot of different plants. Some will add more oxygen to the water while others get rid of more waste. Do a bit of research and learn from mistakes. Also, keep in mind that a pond is a closed system. Just like aquariums it needs a 50% to 75% water change from time to time, no matter if it's rain water or tap water. I did this once a year, with the painfully slow but very effective trickling system. Water changes took a full week here. This to prevent any shock the fish OR plants could get from either sudden temperature drops (rain water stored/cured under ground is very cold), or too much of a natural chemical imbalance between the old water and the new water, AND of course to keep beneficial bacteria alive. Remember people, the more (ridiculously overpriced) chemicals you add, the more you tamper with the water's naturel elements and the more chemicals you'll need to keep adding to keep the water "healthy". It's a vicious circle that big business owners gladly take advantage from. Just do the test for yourself. Go to a pond store and tell them you have an algae problem. Watch how fast they'll guide you to the pricey chemical department without even talking about simple and cheap naturel solutions. ;) Cheers. Ps: I don't have that beautiful 10 000 Liter pond anymore, the wife wanted a deck with BBQ instead. *sigh* Now - please don't laugh - I have a small 500 Liter pond just for 3 Muscovy ducks, that is a total and utter pain in the ass to keep SOMEWHAT clean. Got a 70 Liter mechanical filter hanging onto it for dear life. LOL

[@athaclanor]

Why bother, the blanket weed has a moderating effect on the water parameters does it not?

[@lee8830]

HAHAHA i just drop my 3 large plecs in my pond 3 months a year when its over 68

[@billfrater1948]

Risky ! That noxxle you are using can easily go through the liner .

[@Mythril1976]

Hi. It's fine. These liners are designed to take immense pressure. You can even roll large boulders over them without puncturing it.

[@ANDY-we7mr]

yes bill I have its a dirt blaster it will rip through that liner like butter

[@Mythril1976]

@@ANDY-we7mr I've actually jet washed that liner many times and have done on countless other liners with zero issues with my jet wash. If a liner is considerably old, ie: 20 plus years then I wouldn't use a jet wash. Ideally you don't want to be cleaning out the pond anyway but sadly on this instance, I didn't have any choice. It's not been done since either and probably never will. I'm hoping next year to rip out the pond anyway and replace it with a more modern design. Windows, fibreglass etc.

[@JohnMartinez-sm1sk]

Your sure spending a lot on chemicals, if you keep the ph down you don’t have blanket weeds. A hose filer will remover hard chemicals before it goes into the pond. I have never had this problem and I have a 5,000 gal pond and it 25 years old

[@Mythril1976]

Hi. I've recently installed a dedicated dechlorinator unit that's feeding the pond so things like phosphates are now removed. This in itself will help to keep blanked at bay. If it does come back, I will add 0.3% salt to the pond. That will kill it.

[@Mapantz1]

I just don't get why you're adding phosphate remover? It is NOT the source of algae issues! This is a long-standing myth in both the aquarium and pond world. Phosphates are vital for good plant growth! You have a series of mechanisms causing your algae/blanket weed issues and it's not down to phosphates alone. The first thing I can instantly spot, is a lack of plants and therefore, a lack of shade over the pond - too much sunlight - that is a major contributor to algae/blanket weed. I can back this up with my 3000 gallon pond, it has high phosphates, but it doesn't have an issue with blanket weed. Plant growth during Spring and Summer is exceptional, which leads to good water quality, good shade, and no blanket weed. The only time chems get added to my pond is when I add tap water. These 'blanket weed' chems don't solve your issue, they just postpone it.

[@Mythril1976]

Hi. Every pond is different and no two are alike. I service ponds that are both in direct sunlight and partial shade. From morning until evening the sun shines on the water and yet they don't have any BW and have no plants either. One of these ponds I'm talking about is around 70,000L yet the pond that's at the end of the driveway, around 19,000 litres has BW issues for most of the year. Same water supply, same direct sunlight and no plants. Blanketweed issues can usually stem from high NO3 or high PO4 as BW will thrive from these sources. If we starve the water of NO3 and PO4, it stands to reason that BW will struggle to grow hence why you say you don't have any issues with it. Your plants are feeding off the NO3 and PO4. Most Koi owners these days do not have a planted pond but I decided to have plants in mine to give it a more natural look alongside the natural looking waterfall. Sadly, depending on your water supply PO4 can be very high straight out from the tap so already people are feeding the BW issue. Products like Resolve from Aqua Source not only deals with the BW safely, but it also contains an active agent that lowers the PO4 in your water. Since this video was made (a few months after actually thinking about it), I have not had any issues with BW. I personally, since the pond was dug some 3.5 years ago now have six Water Lilies on the shelves and many marginal plants to try and combat the NO3 that's produced. 10% water is replaced every week but this adds PO4 again to the pond. Resolve has been my choice of BW removal for a while now and will continue to be. It also has an active agent that removes PO4 from the water.

[@Mapantz1]

Thanks for your reply. However, re NO3 - I categorically disagree with. If you starve your pond of NO3, it has a detrimental effect to plant growth - plants need it, the same as they need PO4. My tap water is naturally very high in nitrates, and some people cannot believe how high my levels are in my planted tank. I do not suffer any algae issues in it, and one main factor for that is, water changes! In fact, I am over-dosing nitrate and phosphate every day, and my plants are growing like crazy! The 50% water change once a week ensures that the wasted nutrients don't stay in the tank. ,Ponds need regular water changes, just like an aquarium does - it's a closed system. The build up of multiple organic materials, poor water quality and too many other nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium etc etc will cause algae issues. I'm glad that you have no issues with BW in your pond, as it looks beautiful! It just grates me slightly, that people blame either nitrates or phosphates alone, on algae issues - it simply isn't the case. This has been debunked many times over! I think it stems from 'old school' aquariasts from the 70's and 80's?!

[@Mythril1976]

I agree with you. The modern day Koi keeper will actively try to remove as much NO3 and PO4 as humanly possible. Again, I agree with this also but like you say, to have good plant growth a balance must be struck. Personally speaking, 50% water change per week is way too much. 10% is more than adequate to maintain a healthy system. A trickle system is the best method of approach here I find, less shock for the Koi/fish. A good filter system should be able to handle the load the pond is producing but drum filters are the future. They take a lot of the strain off the biological side by physically removing the dirt before it has a change to get into the biological part of the filtration. One good thing I have witness is that Resolve will work in low water temperatures. I'm yet to find another product that does. Pink Crystals states that it will work but much slower. Well it never worked for me. I have to admit that having a nicely planted pond brings a smile to my face. These modern ponds don't really do anything for me. Saying that, I'm going to be building an indoor Koi House shortly. This will be modern looking but sadly no plants.

[@ketobeast8489]

I agree the plants and the other life that they bring to the pond, (small birds, butterflies, dragonflies etc.) is something I couldnt go without. Beautiful pond either way. Cheers.

[@vincentdaly6715]

Have you considered trying to remove nitrates from your system? . Your drum filter removes some solid waste, your moving bed forms part of the nitrogen cycle but then you are left with nitrates. I just saw this article describing the effects on Koi skin ,slime coat etc. could be a reason you ulcers on one of your fish. Seems that if you had a complete cycle where anaerobic bacteria broke down nitrates giving off nitrogen gas. You’d have less algae problems lower nitrates and healthier happier fish. www.mankysanke.co.uk/html/good_water_guide__pt_16.html