Boatmen/Water Fleas in Pool
Mar 21st 2008, 8:29 pm
#1
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Boatmen/Water Fleas in Pool
Hi, we are looking to refill our pool shortly and last year we had many of these come and swim in it! No matter how many we netted out, there were hundreds in again an hour later!
We have a stream about 45metres away from our pool at the bottom of the garden, but it is dry in sumer. Don know if this has any bearing on things?
Has anyone else had this problem in their pool and if so, did you manage to eradicate it?
Any info greatly appreciated.
Thanks
We have a stream about 45metres away from our pool at the bottom of the garden, but it is dry in sumer. Don know if this has any bearing on things?
Has anyone else had this problem in their pool and if so, did you manage to eradicate it?
Any info greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Mar 21st 2008, 10:10 pm
#2
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Re: Boatmen/Water Fleas in Pool
OK, water life likes water and will arrive from great distances. Water beetles fly until they see the reflection of sun on water then dive into it full tilt. Not all such shine is water derived, which is why you find concussed water beetles next to cars (windscreen reflection) and on tarmac etc. There were dozens lying there when I flew into Spain last time.
Such nearby water will act as a reservoir for stuff like water boatmen and other winged arthropods.
Do you really mean water fleas? Tiny little things about the size of a full stop?
If anyone wants to know, there is a very simple way to stop water going green.
Such nearby water will act as a reservoir for stuff like water boatmen and other winged arthropods.
Do you really mean water fleas? Tiny little things about the size of a full stop?
If anyone wants to know, there is a very simple way to stop water going green.
Mar 21st 2008, 10:19 pm
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Mar 21st 2008, 10:50 pm
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Re: Boatmen/Water Fleas in Pool
OK, slightly techie stuff. I used to keep koi, and one of the curses is green water and blanket weed. All algae, driven by the nitrogen in the water.
For ponds the nitrogen cycle takes ammonia (NH3) and turns it into nitrite (NO2), whereupon a second batch turns the nitrite into nitrate (NO3).
That nitrate builds up and is the big problem.
The trick is to remove the nitrogen from the water body completely. Plants can't do the job fast enough no matter what anyone may say.
I used to run an aerated kaldness filter which was basically plastic pasta shapes churned in a chamber while the water flowed thru. This is a terrific bio filter and quickly turns NH3 and NO2 into NO3. However it fails to remove the nitrate.
When my K filter broke down a month or two before I closed down my pond, half the kaldness was left as a solid mass, with water flowing past, and a very slow flow passing thru the mass.
Withing a month, the nitrogen had fallen thru the floor, the water had cleared and the blanket weed all died.
To cut a long story short, this was the final step in a series of experiments I had done altering aeration levels. I deduced from all these that there was another category of bacteria that removed nitrogen completely, possibly to the atmosphere as a gas. Washing out/overaerating the filter caused the effect to stop for a while, and instead of restarting immediately, as it would have if it had been a purely physical process, the system took the same time to 'come online' again as it had to set up in the first time.
Sand filters do the opposite, and will make water green as they act as a nitrate factory because they are compressive filters, holding organic matter in the water stream under compression.
Google Kaldness to see the stuff I refer to. The trick is to use the kaldness as a static, open, non compressive filter. This can be achieved by either flowing water from the pond/pool under gravity into the box of kaldness then pumping water out, or else pump up to the box and have the water flow back to the pool under gravity.
This will remove very small dirt particles from the water most effectvely, as well as removing nitrogen, which is added to the pond all the time. You need to keep the kaldness static while the water flows thru slowly, and allow a facility to wash the K with pond water and flush to waste every so often. Not too often or the effect will never work. You might need to experiment a little with the amount of K. I was using about 100 litres static to clear a 18,000 gallon pond, but it might well work with a fraction of that.
One easy trick is to bag the K tightly in a mesh bag and hang the bag in the water flow.
For ponds the nitrogen cycle takes ammonia (NH3) and turns it into nitrite (NO2), whereupon a second batch turns the nitrite into nitrate (NO3).
That nitrate builds up and is the big problem.
The trick is to remove the nitrogen from the water body completely. Plants can't do the job fast enough no matter what anyone may say.
I used to run an aerated kaldness filter which was basically plastic pasta shapes churned in a chamber while the water flowed thru. This is a terrific bio filter and quickly turns NH3 and NO2 into NO3. However it fails to remove the nitrate.
When my K filter broke down a month or two before I closed down my pond, half the kaldness was left as a solid mass, with water flowing past, and a very slow flow passing thru the mass.
Withing a month, the nitrogen had fallen thru the floor, the water had cleared and the blanket weed all died.
To cut a long story short, this was the final step in a series of experiments I had done altering aeration levels. I deduced from all these that there was another category of bacteria that removed nitrogen completely, possibly to the atmosphere as a gas. Washing out/overaerating the filter caused the effect to stop for a while, and instead of restarting immediately, as it would have if it had been a purely physical process, the system took the same time to 'come online' again as it had to set up in the first time.
Sand filters do the opposite, and will make water green as they act as a nitrate factory because they are compressive filters, holding organic matter in the water stream under compression.
Google Kaldness to see the stuff I refer to. The trick is to use the kaldness as a static, open, non compressive filter. This can be achieved by either flowing water from the pond/pool under gravity into the box of kaldness then pumping water out, or else pump up to the box and have the water flow back to the pool under gravity.
This will remove very small dirt particles from the water most effectvely, as well as removing nitrogen, which is added to the pond all the time. You need to keep the kaldness static while the water flows thru slowly, and allow a facility to wash the K with pond water and flush to waste every so often. Not too often or the effect will never work. You might need to experiment a little with the amount of K. I was using about 100 litres static to clear a 18,000 gallon pond, but it might well work with a fraction of that.
One easy trick is to bag the K tightly in a mesh bag and hang the bag in the water flow.
Mar 22nd 2008, 8:37 am
#5
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Posts: 445
Re: Boatmen/Water Fleas in Pool
OK, slightly techie stuff. I used to keep koi, and one of the curses is green water and blanket weed. All algae, driven by the nitrogen in the water.
For ponds the nitrogen cycle takes ammonia (NH3) and turns it into nitrite (NO2), whereupon a second batch turns the nitrite into nitrate (NO3).
That nitrate builds up and is the big problem.
The trick is to remove the nitrogen from the water body completely. Plants can't do the job fast enough no matter what anyone may say.
I used to run an aerated kaldness filter which was basically plastic pasta shapes churned in a chamber while the water flowed thru. This is a terrific bio filter and quickly turns NH3 and NO2 into NO3. However it fails to remove the nitrate.
When my K filter broke down a month or two before I closed down my pond, half the kaldness was left as a solid mass, with water flowing past, and a very slow flow passing thru the mass.
Withing a month, the nitrogen had fallen thru the floor, the water had cleared and the blanket weed all died.
To cut a long story short, this was the final step in a series of experiments I had done altering aeration levels. I deduced from all these that there was another category of bacteria that removed nitrogen completely, possibly to the atmosphere as a gas. Washing out/overaerating the filter caused the effect to stop for a while, and instead of restarting immediately, as it would have if it had been a purely physical process, the system took the same time to 'come online' again as it had to set up in the first time.
Sand filters do the opposite, and will make water green as they act as a nitrate factory because they are compressive filters, holding organic matter in the water stream under compression.
Google Kaldness to see the stuff I refer to. The trick is to use the kaldness as a static, open, non compressive filter. This can be achieved by either flowing water from the pond/pool under gravity into the box of kaldness then pumping water out, or else pump up to the box and have the water flow back to the pool under gravity.
This will remove very small dirt particles from the water most effectvely, as well as removing nitrogen, which is added to the pond all the time. You need to keep the kaldness static while the water flows thru slowly, and allow a facility to wash the K with pond water and flush to waste every so often. Not too often or the effect will never work. You might need to experiment a little with the amount of K. I was using about 100 litres static to clear a 18,000 gallon pond, but it might well work with a fraction of that.
One easy trick is to bag the K tightly in a mesh bag and hang the bag in the water flow.
For ponds the nitrogen cycle takes ammonia (NH3) and turns it into nitrite (NO2), whereupon a second batch turns the nitrite into nitrate (NO3).
That nitrate builds up and is the big problem.
The trick is to remove the nitrogen from the water body completely. Plants can't do the job fast enough no matter what anyone may say.
I used to run an aerated kaldness filter which was basically plastic pasta shapes churned in a chamber while the water flowed thru. This is a terrific bio filter and quickly turns NH3 and NO2 into NO3. However it fails to remove the nitrate.
When my K filter broke down a month or two before I closed down my pond, half the kaldness was left as a solid mass, with water flowing past, and a very slow flow passing thru the mass.
Withing a month, the nitrogen had fallen thru the floor, the water had cleared and the blanket weed all died.
To cut a long story short, this was the final step in a series of experiments I had done altering aeration levels. I deduced from all these that there was another category of bacteria that removed nitrogen completely, possibly to the atmosphere as a gas. Washing out/overaerating the filter caused the effect to stop for a while, and instead of restarting immediately, as it would have if it had been a purely physical process, the system took the same time to 'come online' again as it had to set up in the first time.
Sand filters do the opposite, and will make water green as they act as a nitrate factory because they are compressive filters, holding organic matter in the water stream under compression.
Google Kaldness to see the stuff I refer to. The trick is to use the kaldness as a static, open, non compressive filter. This can be achieved by either flowing water from the pond/pool under gravity into the box of kaldness then pumping water out, or else pump up to the box and have the water flow back to the pool under gravity.
This will remove very small dirt particles from the water most effectvely, as well as removing nitrogen, which is added to the pond all the time. You need to keep the kaldness static while the water flows thru slowly, and allow a facility to wash the K with pond water and flush to waste every so often. Not too often or the effect will never work. You might need to experiment a little with the amount of K. I was using about 100 litres static to clear a 18,000 gallon pond, but it might well work with a fraction of that.
One easy trick is to bag the K tightly in a mesh bag and hang the bag in the water flow.
Sorry to be so technical,
Anyway, what happened to the Boatmen??
Mar 22nd 2008, 8:59 am
#6
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Re: Boatmen/Water Fleas in Pool
would an ultra violet lamp not be easier?
Morning
Mar 22nd 2008, 9:36 am
#8
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Mar 22nd 2008, 9:43 am
#9
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,551
Re: Boatmen/Water Fleas in Pool
I stick to my fish tank..took months to stop it going green in the end i bought a pump and filter for a tank that was twice the needed size and found some anti nitrate Pasta like thingys that go it the filter system...and now its fine.
Mar 22nd 2008, 9:46 am
#10
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Re: Boatmen/Water Fleas in Pool
I cant describe the joy I feel at your wonderful news about the health and vitality of your fish.
Mar 22nd 2008, 9:55 am
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Mar 22nd 2008, 10:03 am
#14
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