UV or Not to UV for newer pond

[ootyboy]

Now that the weather has warmed up in northern california, my new pond has turned pea soup green. I realize that the pond is still cycling, and not fully established. I only started running the pond in December 2007. My main question is this: Should I turn on my UV light to eliminate the algae? I have an Aqua Ultima UV System 80 Watts.

The reason for my question is that I had read some information that you should not use UV in a new pond. This is to allow the pond to build enough algae. Is that true? Here are the pond specs:

Gallons: 8500
Aqua Ultima 10,000 Pressure Filter
Oase Biosys 18 Biological Filter
Bacteria House media used in a waterfall feature with aeration
80 Liter air pump with 2 10" diffusers @ 6 Feet

[l113892]

Run your UV. The algae you want will build on the pond walls and a clear pond will help with that.

[aquitori]

If it is "pea soup" green I would turn on the UV....How much sun does your pond get in a day and are there fish in the pond to help cycle it?

[JasPR]

That's always a tough call. In the ideal, you are better off without it on. But if the green water is interferring with the cycle, pH,oxygen or is just prolonged due to new pond syndrome, you do need the UV.
You sound like you have the concept down and understand the balance needed so trust your judgement. I assume you have fish in the whole time and that you are hardly feeding them ( maybe every other day during new pond syndrome).
Personally I'd leave it off for three weeks and if no clearing, I'd then switch it on. But you are there so your judgment will be better than mine.

Just watch you pH and oxygen for wild swings if the green water is getting way out of hand ( that green pea soup look). The dying green soup is your real potential problem there. If you have an FF use it and do make sure the sumps are dumped daily or even twice a day. If you do switch on the UV you definitely need to work those sumps twice a day. The dead and clumped algae will collect there at a shocking rate. JR

[ootyboy]

The pond gets a few hours of sun per day. It is in a well shaded area. The best way to describe the color/green of the pond is that I can only see about 10-18" down into the pond from the surface. Keep in mind that this is a 6' deep pond.

As for feeding, the water is just barely over 50F, so I have been feeding about once a week in very small amounts.

There is roughly 50-60" of Koi in this pond.

[KoiCop]

Hello ootyboy . . .

Sounds like it's time to fire up that bad boy and nuke some algae before it begins to cause problems with oxygen depletion or pH swings.

To find out if this is a temporary condition linked to New Pond Syndrome, once it's been cleared turn the UV off -- then see if the pea soup algae comes back.

In a mature koi pond, you should only face this condition in the Spring. If otherwise, you'll have to figure how to better balance your pond.

Best wishes,

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by ootyboy The pond gets a few hours of sun per day. It is in a well shaded area. The best way to describe the color/green of the pond is that I can only see about 10-18" down into the pond from the surface. Keep in mind that this is a 6' deep pond. As for feeding, the water is just barely over 50F, so I have been feeding about once a week in very small amounts. There is roughly 50-60" of Koi in this pond.

What part of NorCal are you from? Curious to see where your source water is coming from.

[ootyboy]

East Bay, Lafayette, CA..10 Miles from Oakland. We get our water from EBMUD, which gets is from San Pablo Reservoir.

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by ootyboy East Bay, Lafayette, CA..10 Miles from Oakland. We get our water from EBMUD, which gets is from San Pablo Reservoir.

What the water vitals coming out of the tap and is your pond concrete or liner?

[ootyboy]

I did not check the vitals from the tap. I can do that when I get home today.

The pond is concrete, with an epoxy coating -- which is supposed to block the alkaline leaking from concrete. I also acid etched the concrete prior to coating and waited 60 days for the concrete to cure.