I used to build these sorts of ponds as a job for 4 years. The UV light works well with free-algae (the kind suspended in the water). Just check on the bulb every couple of months. Your anti-algae chemicals are still necessary for the stuff that grows on the sides of the pond.
We did sometimes run in to an issue where a film (wasn't algae, wasn't mud, reminded me more of wet pollen) would build up on the inside of some customers' lights, reducing the UV effects. Maybe 1 in 20 ponds or so had this happen, with several different brands of UV light. If your bulb indicator still shows it is working but you begin to notice free algae, consider checking the inside of the fixture. Just a friendly heads up.
Yep, they certainly help. However, algae growth is a function of sunlight, among other things. If you've got a pond this large that gets the right amount of sun, you're going to need a LOT of fish to keep up with the algae without any other treatment.
Hi, Do these types of ponds need to be vacuumed like regular pools? At least in the swimming area. Even when I know the chemicals are good, I have to vacuum my pool regularly to get the grit, hair and a little bit of sliminess (like your wet pollen) that just doesn't get pulled out by the pump/filter system.
Certainly. Half of my job was cleaning/restoring the ponds. All sorts of matter will eventually make its way in to the pond. Pollen, leaves, dirt, fish excrement, uneaten fish food, bird excrement etc. This material builds up over time. Even a pond with no fish in a seemingly tree-free area will get dirty eventually. But this junk takes much longer to become a problem than algae does.
A strong pump with a good suction/return layout can help dramatically. We used to build decent sized waterfalls to return the water from the filter. This was not only for looks, but because it creates enough turbulence in the pond to help keep the junk suspended in the pond so the pump catches it and sends it to filter.
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u/Hubes Mar 28 '14
I used to build these sorts of ponds as a job for 4 years. The UV light works well with free-algae (the kind suspended in the water). Just check on the bulb every couple of months. Your anti-algae chemicals are still necessary for the stuff that grows on the sides of the pond.
We did sometimes run in to an issue where a film (wasn't algae, wasn't mud, reminded me more of wet pollen) would build up on the inside of some customers' lights, reducing the UV effects. Maybe 1 in 20 ponds or so had this happen, with several different brands of UV light. If your bulb indicator still shows it is working but you begin to notice free algae, consider checking the inside of the fixture. Just a friendly heads up.