Chalk on Fibreglass pond

Gwenrose

I have always had lined ponds and when we moved house decided to have a fibreglass raised pond.
I'm having trouble with the build up of chalk and the water looks brown even after a water change and declorinator added, plus I've cleared out the filter of all the sludge and it was thick Checked the ph, all fine, but the shelfs and sides of the pond is thick with chalk. I'm going to use the pond vac tomorrow, but in the mean time any advice please?
We moved from a east facing garden to a south one and I've got lillies and plenty of pond weed.

wallbash

Well I have a raised fibreglass pond , where is the chalk coming from??
Do you live in a very hard water area and are topping up all the time?

after a water change

Why are you changing the water?

Lots of questions.

forgotmyname

Fish in the pond? what size & how many gallons?

If the chalk was on the surface i would have said its the lime from the mortar weeping through the fibreglass.
But if its thick enough to vac up then i doubt its that.

Could be down to the food or something else in the water. What sort of filter system and pump do you have?

Brown water could be down to DOC's (Dissolved Organic Compound's)

You can get or make a foam fractitioner to help remove it.

Or it could be your filter is not upto the job.

Gwenrose

forgotmyname wrote: »

Fish in the pond? what size & how many gallons?

If the chalk was on the surface i would have said its the lime from the mortar weeping through the fibreglass.
But if its thick enough to vac up then i doubt its that.

Could be down to the food or something else in the water. What sort of filter system and pump do you have?

Brown water could be down to DOC's (Dissolved Organic Compound's)

You can get or make a foam fractitioner to help remove it.

Or it could be your filter is not upto the job.

The chalk is on the sides of the pond and not floating on the surface. I have a Genie green to clean filter, bio mechanical with UV light and a fishmate 4000 pump, the combination are well matched. We live in a hard water area and I keep having to top up as the water evaporates.
I remove any dying lily leaves and flowers, but the sun has been on the pond all day this year and maybe I need to give the pond some shade.
Cleaned out the filter yesterday which was thick with black sludge, never had to do that before and did a partial water change, the pond looks a lot clearer now, but I'm going to use the pond vac today to clear the bottom.

What do people think of the sludge buster stuff you can buy, is it worth using it?

SallyForth_2

Is it possible that you might be over cleaning? I think it might be worth leaving it be and see if it will balance itself, and I wouldn't vac the bottom as there will be organisms in there which are vital to the pond's health, all ponds have sludge in the bottom. Not sure why you have so much chalk, that is very odd, I live in a hardwater area and have never seen the lime solidify like that in cold water, it only tends to happen when boiling water.

wallbash

I also have the green genie ( filter and uv light )
When did you last change bulb?
I live in Herts , very hard water . Never change the water , top up when required , using only tap water.Have not got a vac for the pond, and I have too many fish .
Muck at bottom of pond supports the lilies.
I do clean the sponge filters every so often.

You have got your pump raised off the bottom of the pond?
My water is normally very clear, can see down to the bottom of the pond , with the right light conditions.And that's about three feet.

If worried about calcium/chlorine from tap water ( I never worry , % added is too small) fill dustbin and leave for a couple of days.

But I also think you are over cleaning.