How to Clean Murky Pond Water without Chemicals | Full Version
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Is your small garden pond looking like pea soup? I came up with this simple way to clean the water in my pond which visibly clears the gunk within just a few hours. Please read the details to make sure you do it safely and properly. UPDATE: I've answered lots of questions I've received since originally posting this video here:
➜empressofdirt....
Since I first shared this, thousands of people have tried it, and everyone gets good results if they have a good recirculating pump and DO NOT GIVE UP. The bigger and murkier the pond, the longer it will take. Just keep changing the batting as needed. Eventually, you will have run all the pond water through batting (which removes the gunk and algae) and your water will be clear.
This method helps filter out any large particle algae. It does not grab fine sand or dirt.
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BATTING
➜This is the type of quilt batting I use (Amazon.com): amzn.to/4gtKwQu It must be polyester, not cotton, and be certain there is not any fire retardant or other harmful additives in it.
PUMP EXAMPLE
➜Example of a pond pump: amzn.to/3xUXz8M
You have to get one that is the right strength for your size of pond, by water volume and how far the water has to be carried (to a waterfall or whatever).
Years ago my mom was struggling to get her pond water clear. After trying a traditional biofilter, which was too slow for the volume of gunk in the water, I came up with this idea for pre-filtering the water quickly before it goes through the submersible pump.
If you try this, it is at your own risk as I have no way of knowing your particular conditions or set up.
I have tried this on about a dozen ponds now (all under 1000 gallons), and the water was clear each time within hours. Often you can see the change within about 30 minutes if your submersible pump is working properly and the right size for the volume of water in your pond.
See the blog post for more details and please feel free to ask questions and let me know if you try this in your pond.
➜empressofdirt....
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Wishing you nice, clear pond water!
Melissa
Empress of Dirt ♛
Followed your instructions and from a luminous pea green to a much healthier looking color in 11 hours.
Size of pond is 21 foot by 10 foot depth 4 foot /pump is a pondXpert pondpush 8000 I run the pump through a filter system too.
Really works!! 1400 gallon pond. Could not see the pump covered in batting. Within 20 mnutes noticable. 1 hour clear. Amazing!
Excellent!
This worked amazingly well, my pond was like pea soup, a week later its crystal clear, I can actually see my fish! Thank you!
Great to hear! And hello to your fish. :)
I can't believe this worked. Your video + 20 minutes of my time and less than $20 of tools saved me from paying thousands in contractor costs. Thank you so much.
Great to hear! Thanks.
Used this method over the weekend and I am pleasantly surprised how well it worked!! Thank you for sharing!!
Ok this works like a dream! I put the batting into my existing box filter, instead of the crap filters that came with the unit. Crystal clear!!
I can't believe it thank you so much I tried so many things.
We have a huge half wine barrel as fish pond couldn't get it clean no matter what we tried.
We tried so many things but this worked so well. It took a few day but we can now enjoy watching our fish thank you xx
I followed the concept and modified to fit my 3600 gallon koi pond which has two skimmers. I went to Michael's and bought some thicker rectangular polyester batting for cushions and cut them to fit into my skimmer netting. Had to clean the polyester pads multiple times, but the pond is getting cleaner. The picture of the dirty batting is from running about 12 hours. Thank you for sharing your video!
Hi are you in Perth?
I have a 1000+ gallons with a waterfall and this method worked perfectly in 2 days.... thank you so much was so frustrated 🥴 now I am happy 😁 and so are fish....
Ok so I was super skeptical. I have a 10x10'pond that has never been cleaned. I never hoped i could see the bottom. 10h. Thats what it took. I cant believe it. This is amazing. THANK YOU
What pump did you use
Thank you...I'll be heading to a store tomorrow to get this set up
Lady this is so good and simple and I can now hardly wait to try it on all my ponds. I have 3 and have had this hobby for years but am in Australia and it is only just getting warm down my way. Spring is here and temperatures will rise quickly. I have watched many now but You are the best! Richard
Hi I have had a murky pond for years and I took your advice and after about 4 changes of the padding a miracle happened and i can see the fish!!! Yippee. Thank you very much. Surrey. England
Thanks for sharing this video, tried this on my pond, and after about 2weeks and 3changes of badding it's crystal clear for the first time ,
Completely works! Our pond was Swamp like and now it's crystal clear! Thanks.
Thank you - the pond cleared within 4 hours!!
Great to hear!
Thank you, it really works, I have tried many things without success but this is simple and has cleared by pond unbelievably
Fantastic. Thanks for letting us know. And enjoy your pond!
Thanks for the quick reply. Our pond is 1000 gallons and the pump is 1000 GPH. I’ll leave it over night & check it tomorrow. Lynn Mc
This is fantastic, I used old pillow filling. It cleared our 1000 litre pond over night. So glad I found this chemical free budget friendly video. Thank you.
This totally works! Thank you so much! My pond has looked like pea soup for months and used your advice this morning and my pond is looking great.
Yay! Great to hear. It's so satisfying when it clears as hoped. Thanks for letting us know.
Thank you for the idea. I have a 5 by 12 goldfish pond. I couldn't see a single rock on the bottom two days ago. Now I can. I used a mini crate for my pump. It fit perfectly and was easier to handle. And it worked. Only now I have new problem. This morning my goldfish decided that the polyester material is a good place to lay eggs.
For my pond not work I still have green water
Great I put a pond planter basket in the top of the waterfall directly under the hose. Had to change it a lot at first but after three days you can now see the bottom of the pond.
We have used batting in our pond skimmer to clear up the water but I like this idea better
OMG, Totally ROCKS! So fed up with trying to strain, re-do water, etc.-- Going to get started now. Thanks so much for a simple way to fix this stinking pond!
If you put bio balls in it helps with plants and keeps it clean because the good bacteria that grows on the bioballs 😊😊
I have done the method here when I need to add an extra pump for circulation. But I have also used the batting at the bottom of the waterfall, in the skimmer (catches most of the gunk) and in a small waterfall that is fed from the uvlight. Most important is to always clean out those filters. Sometimes its everyday or weekly. But it really, really, really, does work. I live in san diego and its almost sunny here. I have no plants in my pond and it gets full sun.
Madam what can I say after spending a small fortune on chemicals ..I bought a box with holes in and a bungee cord some wadding and it worked, thank you so much, am just about to change the wadding for some fresh stuff, my wife thinks you are the bees knees x
Wow great idea. Heading to the store now to grab supplies. We are trying something a little different. We're hoping your great idea helps keep our ducks bath clean! Can't see why not! Thanks.....
THANK YOU VERY CLEAR & CONCISE INSTRUCTIONS I WILL GIVE THIS A TRY.REGARDS B.
Brilliant design! This solution seems beautifully simple! I would like to use it for the pond in the garden at my kids' school. I have a few questions though.
1. How often do you need to change the batting?
2. How do you dispose of the used batting? I hate to generate non-compostable waste unless absolutely necessary.
3. How well does this system work in a place with snowy, icy winters like New England? Do you have any tips about pond maintenance through the winter? Thank you for sharing this amazing technique!
Hi Betty,
You may want to read the article I wrote about this method here: empressofdirt.net/clean-murky-pond-water/ It has more details.
1) The batting is changed when the water flow starts to diminish. This will be different for every pond--depends on how mucky it is.
2) When creating this method I tested a variety of items including cotton batting. It did not pass the test because it clogged quickly and could not manage large volumes of water before replacement was needed. The batting that works best is synthetic. Some people wash out the gunk and reuse the batting many times over.
3) I live in Canada. I find no need to do this method during the winter because algae doesn't grow in the cold months. I resume using it as temperatures warm in spring. I have shared all my winter pond tips here: empressofdirt.net/how-to-care-for-a-winter-pond/
Best wishes,
Hello Mellisa , thanks for taking the time to show this simple yet effective solution. Once the pond is clear it would be great to connect this up to some sort of murky water switch (maybe optical) and then it'll come on and clear the pond automatically if it starts to murk up again.
I have a couple of questions that you may know the answer to.
I've been told that keeping a good sized colony of Daphnia in the pond will keep it healthy and will help keep the algae growth down. Have you tired this ? does it work and if you do have Daphnia does this type of filtration also filter out the Daphnia?
Thanks
Great idea. I got to try this on my water features.
Hello thanks for the info. I did as you instructed and the pond is crystal clear!!! Thanks for the amazing video!
Great! Very nice to hear. Thanks!
I use quilt batting in my biofilter/pump when I want to clear up fine dirt or algae out of my small 200 gallon pond
Could you do the same on a pump 10 times the size you have shown ,kind regards
Theoretically, yes. The reason I have not encouraged it is simply the logistics. Presumably a stronger pump is for a much larger pond and it could get costly to run that much water through clean batting. But I've had lots of people say they did it anyways (successfully) because they had exhausted all other options.
my pump is a small water fountain instead, this should still work right?
I have a submercible pump that connects to filter box . Box has charcoal filter 12 x 12 and poly fill coarser for top. 2 layers. The fountain attachment comes out of small pump with waterfall attachment. pond is 4 x 6 by 18 deep. 2 goldfish 1 frog. Had it for years no chemicals use 10 % drain weekly method. Everything fine crystal clear for month or so then over nite it starts to change within couple days completely cloudy. What makes it change so suddenly. Too much rain? Too hot too humid? It is in full sun til about 5pm. I pull box and pump out wkly and clean when i do water 10 % change. I have always done it this way.
Thank you, easy enough
How do I remove the filter out without the yuck going back into the pond. It definitely cleaned it I am amazed!
I keep a large plastic tub handy so I can put the batting box right into it as I raise it out of the pond. Could also use garbage bags if you don't have a bin/tub.
I'm attempting this on a 20,000 gallon pond. Will share results (possibly upload a video on my channel).
I am going to build this today. A few questions. In the video, you did not put the batting around the bottom of the crate. Should the batting also be wrapped around the bottom as well to completely cover all holes of the milk crate? Can I use a submersible sump pump for this? I already have one and can attach a small garden hose and then adapt a larger hose to it? Thank you. Great video. I hope it works.
How often do you have to keep replacing the polyester I can imagine it would get quite expensive
It all depends on the size of your pond and how murky the water is. You get several batting changes from one bed-size roll. Most people here say they cleared their water in 1-3 batting changes which means they would have some leftover.
I take my batting out, gently rise it, and reuse it!
Poly fiber is the best filtration, it absorbs every small debris.
Thank you so much for uploading .
Thank you so much, just like a magic it cleared my pond in couple of hours. Is it safe for the fish to leave the polyester padding on ?
Thank you I will do this as soon as I can.
This pond was in the house we bought fourteen years ago. We had any idea of its care. Its capacity is a 350 gallons. I can not see the bottom and less the fish. One week ago I found you and put the crate with the pump and wrapped with double batting but has not been successful yet. Today i removed lots of dirty stuff from the bottom. Can you please suggest another tip to get my water clear and without that greenish color? We're tired of buying chemicals that has not worked . Please help us with other natural ways to make it. Thank you, Maria
Maria, to get crystal clear water you need to kill off the single cell algae with a UV light. There are lots of videos on here explaining how they work :)
this is a great idea, thankyou
I have a 125 gallon pond can I use the batting in it i instead of the green spong to clear the green water
The very best and NATURAL way to combat green water in my opinion after
fighting it now for years. IS Freshwater muscles, I have 20 large ones
in my pond, i have never had green water again. Just make sure you have
enough sand to cover them during the cold @t pumps, no filters. Just, Fresh water muscles.
I'm gonna give it a try..thanks
Genius idea thanks
Is it ok to assemble the batting and basket in the water? My pump hose is covered by too many rocks to disassemble the pump and then reattach in the pond.
what about the algae and gunk on the bottom? And, can you advise on how much plants can/should be in the pond? I have water reeds and lillies - they look beautiful but they cover half the pond.
Thanks
Will this work to clear pond water which has become cloudy due to unwashed pebbles being put in the pond? Put in against advice by my oh🥴
Cool i am sos going to try this
Ill be right back and give my own honest review if it does work or not🤔
how’d it go?
@@kiwi9660
It didn't work for me
So i tried the other way around
Those dirts will still be in the tank
Since thsoe dirt will be be trapped with that padding around the pump
I suck upal the dirt instead by using the pump
Then its just a matter of filtering the water going back to the pond
I tried to duplicate nature
Water pass trough sand and roots as a filter
So i planted aqua plants on a tank with gravels on it
All those dirt will be trapped between the gravels and roots and clean water goes back on the tank😁
@@michaeldev5962 all those dirt.😏😏😏
I have a 2500 gallon pond, made with a vinal liner and have a 3000gallon pump for a waterfall. The water stays murchy. Help¡!!!!!!!
Trying to send picture of my pond. Did exactly what was in the video. My 1st day trying it (see what happens)4-17-2022 at 2:20pm
😀😀😀😍😍😍🤩🤗🤗😘😘😘😘😘 its worked..😍😍😍from India
I did this and now I'm an old angry Army vet. Thanks alot pond lady!
Should I remove the fish while the pool is cleaning? If so, what kind of water should I put in the tank that is holding the fish?
Hi Irma, No, this is just for ponds that normally have pumps running. No need to move fish--the pump just runs as usual with the batting collecting gunk that passes through.
Hi hun I wonder would this help in a large pound only my dad has tried everything and it's still really great he loves his pond can you please help
Unfortunately, have not figure out how to share pictures on this post, but will keep trying.
Can you please tell me where can I buy small pump like your one.
Thanks
It worked !!!!!! Thank thank you!
Wonderful! Enjoy your pond. :)
Hello, once I prepare the crate do I put it back in the pond? I have a small filter with 2 sections with sponges...can I do the same with this, or so I need an actual pump? Thank you.
Hi. Can i use the usual filter sponge instead of the batting
hi, is this also applicable for ponds that are turning green due to algae bloom?
Thank you
Should I remove my fish before I start this? Or is it fine to keep them in
My sister moved into a new house (to her) that had a med.-size pond, filled with water, that had been sitting a long while and is green with duck-weed and maybe gunk in the bottom?? Would this method work for her also? Thank you for any helpful info.
The method shown in the video simply filters out any algae floating in the water.
Hello, I'm about to try your method but my pond is lined up with loose soil instead of pebbles and rocks. Will it still work? I have to try it and risking churning all the soil up and making it worse. Thanks so much!
@@empressofdirt thanks so much for the reply. Do you think having fishes will continually disturb the soil layer? I have 1 catfish, 2 koi, 4 shubunkin goldfish.
Hello ..is this method floating or fixed in pond
is it okay to put the whole pump in water? even though it has an electrical wire attached to it???????????
lol
Vic Gardner again.Having seen all the positive comments from people using the method described in your video I am surprised and disappointed that I can't get it to work.As I have said,it doesn't seem as if the batting is filtering the algae as even after several days the batting is only showing a slight green tinge.PLEASE HELP
Lol, I left it overnight & still not much change this morning. I thought the batting might have been to thick because there wasn’t much gunk on it so I pulled it up, washed it & will try again. Hubby says the pump is working well.
I accidentally submerged my pond plants without properly containing the soil.....and my once perfect pond is now dirt water!! I'm trying this today....and other ideas for my horrible accident!?
Hi Ange, this batting method works nicely on some types of algae--it's unlikely to grab fine soil particles. I've spilled soil in the pond. I let it settle and then get in the pond and lift it out with a trowel, repeating process as needed (lots of waiting for it to re-settle). Realistically, a pond will end up with a dirt bottom over time--leaves and other debris will always get in and rot. If it's a really small pond, draining and cleaning is always an option.
Question. Is this technique safe for a fish pond?
I have not heard of any problems for fish.
I'm going to try this method on my pond to see the result how often do you change the batting
+Melissa J. Will thanks kind of a side question too. can you suggest a good Pond heater? I live in Florida so I don't need something that will thaw ice ,I need something that will maintain a water temperature
+Melissa J. Will alright thank you
I have a natural pool. The water looks clear but not clear enough. I don't know how to send you pics
Can the battling be reused after a thorough wash?
Melissa J. Will Thank you
Madam im from sri lanka i dont know from where i can find this batting what are the shops that you buy this from?
you can buy from tailoring shops or Garment suppliers or it available in pamunuwa maharagama. cheers.
Hello. Have anyone tried to re-use a polyester fiber from an old pillow instead of the polyester quilt batting?
I would not simply because pillow stuffing may have fire retardants in it and how that might affect the pond is unknown.
@@empressofdirt So the polyester will clean the water and fireproof the fishes too; that is a win-win😂. Thanks
Could you replace the filter in the pump by the quilt batting and get the same effect?
Jane Aston m
Great video! Can you share what is the brand and capacity of the pump you used in the video? Our pond is under 1000 gallons. We have tried several different pumps and would like to know your recommendation. Thanks
Grate
Dear,
My aquarium get milky
What is the solution for crystal clear water though I am using a hang on back filter.
Thanks
D.shukla
India
A better filter maybe
Tried this and it worked but unfortunately I can’t hide it in my pond and when the water is clear it’s an eye sore.
Yes, it can be tricky in small or shallow ponds. One idea is to get a nice potted aquatic plant and sit it on the crate to hide it. Or just use the batting every few weeks as needed to keep things looking good.
We covered the whole thing with black shadecloth and placed large rocks decoratively over the top of the crate with the outlet hose coming up through them to be a waterfall. Just looks like a water feature.
@@jacquimaxwell221 Great idea. Thanks, Jacqui!
This technology can we use in lake water mam?
Melissa J. Will mam thank you for your suggestion.
My idea is to create a water treatment plant without a clariflocculator process. So there is any idea to remove suspended particles from water without using chemicals? . If there is possibility please share with me mam. I want to implement it in a lake water mam. I am waiting eagerly for your reply.
Mail me with your powerful response mam @ gowrisankark13@gmail.com
Hi
I have my pump in a cage made of chicken wire, wrapped in polyester fiberfill. When it gets covered in gunk, I take the cage out of the water, hose the gunk off with the jet spray, and put it back in. No need for new fiberfill each time.
The very best and NATURAL way to combat green water in my opinion after
fighting it now for years. IS Freshwater muscles, I have 20 large ones
in my pond, i have never had green water again. Just make sure you have
enough sand to cover them during the cold @t pumps, no filters. Just, Fresh water muscles.
Thank you so much!! This was a factory what I was looking for because I’m going for a self-sustaining little eco friendly pond and did not want to use chemicals☺️ My pond is only 35 gallons with a small circulating pump for a waterfall feature, it did take a about 3 days for mine to clear but it’s CLEAR!!!!! Thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!!! I wish I could share the before and after pics!
Now see....that was one of the best pond vids I've seen so far, I'm new to this and trying to figure it all out without having to pay a professional
me too
This worked my pond Is so much cleaner... I can’t add photos but I used an old pump and a hamster cage to build an independent unit that I can use anytime separate from my pond pump.
Can you send few more videos ... my wapp no +91 9830332103
This turned my green pond into a very healthy looking pond! I can't believe the solution was as simple as this, using a couple free items I had already to expand the surface area of the filter.
An expensive UV light didn't work. Expensive bacteria colonies didn't work. Complex filtering options didn't work either, but this simple idea keeps my pond nice and clear. It's over the 1000g size but works.
Also I found a way to make this easier: I only wrap 4 sides of the crate which is easier to do. While not all the water goes through the filter before going into the pump, it still works well and the filter media becomes dark green. I also place this in a shallow part of my pond, allowing the top to work as a surface skimmer for leaves.
Can you please give me some details. I have similar problem with my pond. Where did you buy them from. The type of pump etc. Thanks
You can save a few more pennies by recycling your unwanted cushions for this - 9 times out of 10 they’re stuffed with polyester batting
Ya ur right
Great idea. You inspired me to build my own micro filter using a tiny waterpump inside a vase stuffed with filter medium. Now i have a tiny pond spring that filters the water and no pipes or hoses visible. Thank you!
Thank you! Can you show us where you put the milk crate and how you got it to blend in with the pond? I love your garden!
This works I’ve tried it 👍🏾... Thanks for your video.
I have searched for years and given up that during the summer I would never see the fish much less the bottom of the pond. I have researched online and I have tried all the chemicals without success. I tried this method. Only out $5 for the batting. This worked great! I did not know we could not put a pond out in the middle of an open field. By next day it was crystal clear. I have an in ground pond estimate water to be less than 600 gallons. Now my house is sold!
Thank you so much! I tried this method and my pond cleared overnight! I keep a whole bag of quilt batting in my bio filter now. 👌🏽👌🏽