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stumble
Posts : 215 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2010-01-03
| Subject: Foam not going away. Thu May 13, 2010 8:52 am | |
| My pond is 2 months old now, and I don't know if i am being impatient, but my foam is not going away, and if anything appears to be worse. Water parameters are perfect and fish are healthy, very active and hungry, so not worried about them. I have been flushing settlement, back-washing etc weekly , but its just remains the same. I never had this with my first pond. anything I can do, or will it go away in time? |
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Neville
Posts : 1457 Reputation : 1 Join date : 2010-01-17 Age : 77 Location : Krugersdorp
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Thu May 13, 2010 2:21 pm | |
| Hi Stumble
Lovely cenery you have there.
The foam, in my opinion this time of year is created by mainly three things. Firstly, heavy feeding of high protein food. secondly, the adittin of salt and thirdly, by excessive agitation.
Dont know wich one is the guilty one reduce it and see. You should also daily scoop that foam off and discard it use your sock net. It will definately go away. |
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angryant
Posts : 192 Reputation : 1 Join date : 2009-05-16 Age : 51 Location : Blouberg, Cape Town
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Thu May 13, 2010 4:45 pm | |
| Hi there I had the same with my pond was the salt and over feeding high protien food if you look at my past post I made a protien skimer that worked well, took it all out in a week, was Cristal clear, took the skimer off as it did not look great but did it's job
Yes must also say awsome view
Shawn |
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bobby
Posts : 1375 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2008-06-30 Age : 71 Location : Malmesbury Cape Town
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Thu May 13, 2010 9:49 pm | |
| Hi Stumble, I like, Amazing setting. what is your salt reading? Still very much NPS and lots op patience is required. |
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stumble
Posts : 215 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2010-01-03
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Thu May 13, 2010 10:24 pm | |
| Thanks guys. Neville I'm not overfeeding, but did add salt and have lots of agitation. I have 2 air stones on one side, one on the opposite side and one air disk, that one is the main culprit. Once I have the trickle tower installed I can take out some of the airstones I think. Right now I need the oxygen. Thanks angryant, I will look into that. Bobby my salt is reading 0.17 right now. I added salt when I put new fish in from QT but will let it dilute with water changes. Still thats not very high. I think my first pond never had so much agitation.. boy it makes the fish very energetic.. Guess it is still NPS |
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stumble
Posts : 215 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2010-01-03
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Fri May 14, 2010 10:13 pm | |
| Bobby this is the quiet corner (right hand corner by the wier) (as you can see its still turbulent) Water level is low because i was doing a water change. these big guys are super active since I added more oxygen. I think the oxygen is fine for now. |
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bobby
Posts : 1375 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2008-06-30 Age : 71 Location : Malmesbury Cape Town
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Fri May 14, 2010 10:40 pm | |
| The kohaku stands out Your foam is tranparent white which could be excess salt, but your salt reading is very low. When you have some fine solids in the pond the foam will be brown or green. What happens when you turn the air stones off for an hour or so, does the foam clear? The algea on the side walls looks strong! Are you 110% sure on your pond volume to try something else? |
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Cliff
Posts : 741 Reputation : 55 Join date : 2009-07-15 Age : 47 Location : JHB
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Mon May 17, 2010 9:28 am | |
| Hey Stumble,
Is it possible for you to turn your skimmer\weir off? I have a problem in my pond that when ever I open my skimmer i get loads of foam on the top, as soon as I close it, it goes away.......give it a try. |
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JoesKoi
Posts : 168 Reputation : 15 Join date : 2009-12-15 Location : Johannesburg
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Mon May 17, 2010 10:28 am | |
| Hi Stumble Nice Pond... if you dont want Foam then your best option is a Protein Skimmer I bought mine from Ultra Zap. with salt or without I never have foam in my pond
Last edited by JoesKoi on Mon May 17, 2010 12:04 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Chris Maritz
Posts : 313 Reputation : 8 Join date : 2009-10-06 Location : Port Elizabeth
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Mon May 17, 2010 11:41 am | |
| I think that with the heavy aeration you'll get that amount of foam even with your lower salt level. |
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Colin Hunt
Posts : 270 Reputation : 22 Join date : 2010-02-16 Age : 70 Location : TYGERBERG HILLS
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Mon May 17, 2010 10:05 pm | |
| Very nice setting and view, if this is still a new pond it may be the paint or pigment they used to colour the cladding. This is non toxic and will not harm the fish but can create a bit of foam in the beginning. Just a possiblity. |
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Ernst
Posts : 169 Reputation : 6 Join date : 2009-04-11 Age : 51 Location : Paarl
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Tue May 18, 2010 2:59 pm | |
| Is that rainwater pipe coming from the roof running into your pond? Can you adjust the speed of your surface skimmer?
I've got the same amount of salt as you do and I'm still feeding quite heavily. I have a airstone stopping the food from going down the skimmer and I've got no foam. I do have a small protien skimmer and my water is clear.
So I think Collin might be right or worst case you have run off water from your roof with all kinds of pollutants entering your pond. |
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Admin Admin
Posts : 2330 Reputation : 46 Join date : 2007-07-25 Age : 62 Location : Cape Town
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Tue May 18, 2010 3:12 pm | |
| - Ernst wrote:
- Is that rainwater pipe coming from the roof running into your pond?.
Well spotted Ernst. I am surprised to see how many people divert rainwater from their roof to their ponds and I personally believe it is a absolute NO NO. If it is a rain water pipe flowing into the pond, you will get all the dirt, bird poo(with possible parasites), possible toxins, bacteria gathering in the gutters etc. into your pond, and it will increase the organic matter in the pond creating foam. |
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stumble
Posts : 215 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2010-01-03
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Tue May 18, 2010 3:42 pm | |
| Thanks for the replies. Bobby the walls have 'fur' lol Cliff the weir helps get rid of the foam, so if i close it, it stops scooping it off the surface. When i open the weir lid, the bubbles are sorta green in there and i scoop that out. Colin, I think you hit the nail on the head. Before the pond was filled the walls were washed down and the water was 'soapy' and there were lots of bubbles. So it might be the residue of a newly built pond, and over time I think it will dilute until its not a problem anymore. The agitation causes it. If the air is off the bubbles stop. - Ernst wrote:
- Is that rainwater pipe coming from the roof running into your pond?
Can you adjust the speed of your surface skimmer?
No, Ernst, the rainwater does not go in the pond. Where you see it go into the concrete - that is an elbow, the rainwater is diverted pass the pond, to way down in the garden. lol. i would never divert rainwater and dirt in the pond! With a heavy downpour and if the gutter overflows, it goes on the tiles and washes down a drain nearby. I have watched it, so no, definitely no rainwater washing into pond. That in itself would have given me all sorts of problems. As i said, fish are healthy and happy, its me who doesn't like to see the foam. The surface skimmer is fully open. |
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stumble
Posts : 215 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2010-01-03
| Subject: Re: Foam not going away. Tue May 18, 2010 3:46 pm | |
| - Admin wrote:
I am surprised to see how many people divert rainwater from their roof to their ponds and I personally believe it is a absolute NO NO.
If it is a rain water pipe flowing into the pond, you will get all the dirt, bird poo(with possible parasites), possible toxins, bacteria gathering in the gutters etc. into your pond, and it will increase the organic matter in the pond creating foam. I do have birds who visit daily and 'bath' in the water feature, they love it. |
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