Green water has to be the number one reason new pond owners give up the pursuit of ponding.

The pond is filled with clear water and a few days later, it begins to turn green. Within a week, it is as thick as pea soup, so the natural tendency is to drain and fill it again, only to have the cycle of green water return over and over.

What most new owners don't know, is that this green water syndrome is a natural occurance that all ponds go through on their way to becoming a biologically sound eco-system.

Green water is algae in it's rawest form, needing little more than sunlight to grow. Every pond goes through this stage. It's important to be patient and realize it is just a stage. If left alone, most green water goes away within three weeks after it appears, without any help from you. Another thing to remember is that it has to go through this stage in order to become biologically sound.

Green water can appear in an established pond as well, in the early spring, but usually goes away. Be patient. Give your pond at least a month to see if you have a real problem that requires your assistance. If you still have some green water in June (or a month after building a new pond), you may have more of a problem. Algae needs only two things to thrive. Well, three--Water, of course, then sunlight and nutrients. Nutrients can be removed by proper filtration, and by plants that compete for those nutrients. Sunlight can be filtered by adding more plants such as water lilies, hyacinth, or duckweed. You can also install a UV filter which will most certainly rid your pond of green water.