Many people build new ponds in late winter or early spring, so this month we’re focusing on New Pond Syndrome (NPS) which is a common problem.
Many people find that shortly after they have filled their new pond the water begins to look cloudy and turbid and then often quickly becomes green with varying degrees of algae growth, often culminating in a pea soup appearance. At this time even the most enthusiastic new pond keeper can begin to wonder whether all their hard work has been worth-while.
But, with a little patience, the situation can be rectified and the pond will become the attractive feature that was originally envisaged. Firstly, it is important to understand what has happened and why. Secondly, you need to know what to do about it!.
Ponds experience NPS because the eco-system is not balanced or stabilised. This is only natural in the early days of a pond’s life. A freshly built pond full of clean water is an open invitation to many species of organisms which look upon it as new territory just ripe for them to take advantage of. The quickest off the blocks are the dispersed algae species. These tiny plants are abundant as spores in the air and attached to stones, plants, grass, etc. They rapidly take advantage of the tiny amounts of nutrients in the water and multiply at such a rate that in no time at all the water begins to turn cloudy and then green.
Why are they able to do this? - because they are free of all other competition and they have virtually no predators to keep them in check.
So, how can you prevent or minimize this “syndrome”? The best way to minimize the effects of NPS is to introduce, from day one, competitors for the nutrients on which the algae feed. These competitors can take the form of marginal plants, lilies, or oxygenating species and should be placed in the newly constructed pond as soon as it is filled with water.
Do not add any fish for at least 3 weeks from first filling the pond and when you do introduce and feed the fish be very conservative about how much you give them. If your pond has a filter, consider using AquaHydrotech Fresh Start for Filters to get it operating at maximum efficiency and ensure it has been running for 2 weeks minimum before adding fish to the pond.
Even if you observe all these guidelines you may still find some evidence of NPS in your pond. If you are able to catch it early use AquaHydrotech Cloudy Water Treatment before the pond turns green. This will mop up the nutrients in the water and also the particles that cause the water to appear cloudy. It will cause the particles to clump together and carry them to the bottom of the pond where they will slowly degrade as the pond matures.
If the pond water does turn green, use our liquid barley straw product AquaHydrotech Extract of Barley Straw to combat the dispersed algae growth and prevent the development of filamentous algae. Both products are also currently available as a combined Special Offer.
If you would like more advice or assistance call AquaHydrotech on 01295 273676 and ask to speak to a Technical Advisor or email us at admin@aquahydrotech.com.
