Q about DIY garden decor-pond maintanance

A few months back I did a DIY garden decoration 'zen' thingy I saw on the net,
I made two small, undeep ponds with solar fountains.
The bottom is filled with white pebbles and the water surface is a few cm above the pebbles, just deep enough to keep the fountains going.

they turned out quite nice and soon became a drinking spot for many birds... even my cats seem to prefer the pond water over their fresh water bowl. Also spotted little frogs and salamanders in it.
I clean out leaves and dirt once a week.

But now, a couple months later, in one pond all the pebbles turned green, in the other pond the water turned reddish-brown and the pebbles just look dirty. I've put a lot of work into them and now they are just hideous. I'm even surprised that the cheap solar fountains keep working.....

so the question I have is, how do I keep the water clear and the pebbles white?
Preferably without poisoning the birds!

I use a couple of products from home Depot... algicide and sludge remover. Don't think either harm birds ...not sure about cats.

Add some shady plants around the little ponds to reduce the direct sunlight.

Add a couple of small sponge filters like tupperware boxes that have holes punched into the bottom and one hole on the top for the fountain to poke out.

Remember also, that "ornamental" in a garden is not natural, so things rarely look good unless they receive constant attention.

I just added a solar fountain to my small container. Clear water and I didn't bother with rocks. Plants are overgrown around the edges.
No problems with mosquitoe larvae and the water stays clear.

You could also find a "loach" type fish or two that would feed on the algae.

Have fun.

originally posted by: kinglizard
I use a couple of products from home Depot... algicide and sludge remover. Don't think either harm birds ...not sure about cats.

I saw those products but I'm really not sure if they are harmful for other animals, certainly not sludge remover. I'll ask ar vet first before using any of these. maybe the algicide, the kind that is meant for ponds

originally posted by: nerbot
Add some shady plants around the little ponds to reduce the direct sunlight.

Add a couple of small sponge filters like tupperware boxes that have holes punched into the bottom and one hole on the top for the fountain to poke out.

Remember also, that "ornamental" in a garden is not natural, so things rarely look good unless they receive constant attention.

I just added a solar fountain to my small container. Clear water and I didn't bother with rocks. Plants are overgrown around the edges.
No problems with mosquitoe larvae and the water stays clear.

You could also find a "loach" type fish or two that would feed on the algae.

Have fun.

thanks for the sponge tip, I'll check that out

the ponds with the fountains have no mosquitoes, but I think that is because of the moving water. But I think the water is to shallow to put fish in there. Poor fish! lol

I know it's not natural, but I didn't expect it to turn ugly so soon either... If I can't fix it I'll probably just remove them next year or put plants in them instead of rocks and water.

a reply to: KindraLabelle2

There is also something that can be bought at pet stores -- a liquid, one spoonful of which can be added to reasonably large amount of water. It "clarifies" the water and doesn't harm goldfish, so may be okay for other animals as well.

Cheers

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
a reply to: KindraLabelle2

There is also something that can be bought at pet stores -- a liquid, one spoonful of which can be added to reasonably large amount of water. It "clarifies" the water and doesn't harm goldfish, so may be okay for other animals as well.

Cheers

Thanks, I'll check that out as well

We had an aquarium over 20 years ago and we did indeed use a product that help keep the tank clean. Hadn't even thought of that!

You should search YouTube for "Clear pond water" and "New pond syndrome".

There are many ways to keep your water clear. You can choose filtration of many types or combinations of plants, both require no additives whatsoever.

But you must spend time researching on YouTube to find out which method will best suit your pond and your situation.

Get an aquatic snail.

a reply to: KindraLabelle2

You've got an excess of nutrients in your water. The algae is using it for fertilizer.

The nutrients is what needs to be cut down on. You can take a sample of your water to an aquarium store and get a free water test to find out what the excess nutrients are. That might suggest some solutions to you. There are media for ponds that will cut down on excess nitrates, etc.

originally posted by: and14263
You should search YouTube for "Clear pond water" and "New pond syndrome".

There are many ways to keep your water clear. You can choose filtration of many types or combinations of plants, both require no additives whatsoever.

But you must spend time researching on YouTube to find out which method will best suit your pond and your situation.

Thanks for the input

It's not new pond syndrome since the problems only started after 4 months.

It's not really a pond, more like a big decorative container with water and rocks. I guess most people just put new water in them each year. I didn't consider that when I build it and used a frame under the pebbles to make it look like they are floating, I would have to break it all down and start over.

I got the idea from youtube, a lot of what they show in the video's does not go well when you DIY

originally posted by: ketsuko
You've got an excess of nutrients in your water. The algae is using it for fertilizer.

The nutrients is what needs to be cut down on. You can take a sample of your water to an aquarium store and get a free water test to find out what the excess nutrients are. That might suggest some solutions to you. There are media for ponds that will cut down on excess nitrates, etc.

Thanks

someone suggested I place a bag with active charcoal (for ponds) to filter the water, but I'll have to make sure that it really is safe for the animals and pets. I can't prevent them from drinking the water.

you can buy a natural plant based pool dye, it stops the UV rays entering the water, therefore any algae cannot survive, it also gives your pond an interesting tint, you can get black or blue, its cheap , has no chemicals. SIMPLES

a reply to: KindraLabelle2

Your little water source is probably safer than most rain puddles they'll drink out of. Brown algae tends to be an issue in many aquariums, but it's mainly just unsightly. It's a new tank thing. I know you're thinking 4 months isn't new, but it actually is. It's a sign that your cycle is settling in and still has some kinks.

Brown algae is diatoms.

The green algae is harder to diagnose. On the one hand, it's actually not a bad thing if it's actually green algae. But there is the other stuff blue-green algae, that you don't want. Blue-green algae means you really have some issues. It's unlikely to hurt anything drinking out of the container, but it looks bad, and it's a cyanobacteria, not algae at all.

a reply to: ketsuko

the green algae don't worry me much, I think it's just algae.

I have a larger rock garden in another spot with a big pond, it only has lotus plants in them (the flowers opened this morning and it's a delight to look at). There are lots of amphibians around that pond and I think they took the algae from the big one to the small containers. I just let this one be, without interfering and it does well.

Now the container that turned brown does worry me, because earlier today I found a death salamander in it. While taking it out I noticed lots of death mosquito's floating on the water. So that can't be good.
I'm emptying it tomorrow.

try the dye, its natural, safe and very effective, i have a 20 meter natural swimming pool and without it the algae gets hold.