Hi,

We have a couple of shallow fishponds running alongside the paths leading to our home. The ponds are only one to two centimetres deep

As the water is still it goes green over the course of a couple of weeks which means catching the fish, draining the ponds (manually ), scrubbing them down and then refilling them - all very labour intensive

Is it possible to get pumps and and/or aeration units (preferably solar powered) that will work in water this shallow

We're in Chiang Mai so any local leads would be appreciated

Also if this is the wrong forum please feel free to bump it to the correct one

Cheers

There are Fish Pound shoppes in back of the Tessco Lotus of the supper highway. They are in the area of all the garden shops. They will may have what you are looking for.

Water absorbs more air on the surface than through aeration especially for shallow ponds. So if you can move it it will absorb on its own.

I can't help directly but what you need to look for is in indoor fountain or bird bath fountain. You water is very shallow if the 1 - 2cm is to be believed.

Or

Join them together using the ubiquitous blue plastic pipe and use a cheap aquarium pump to create water circulation.

Getting a pump and circulating the water WONT remove the green. Your need a UV filter to do this

You should be able to get a combo box with the UV unit on the top and then the filter materials below.

This will keep the water crystal clear and filter all the crap. Your then just have to clean the filter maybe a few times a year. It might set you back some money but save you loads of work.

Edited December 11, 200916 yr by XCom

Getting a pump and circulating the water WONT remove the green. Your need a UV filter to do this

You should be able to get a combo box with the UV unit on the top and then the filter materials below.

This will keep the water crystal clear and filter all the crap. Your then just have to clean the filter maybe a few times a year. It might set you back some money but save you loads of work.

Yes but if we can get him to think about a pump then ..................

Can't believe you pools are only 2 cms deep...that less than 1 inch...would seem like they are just damp ! ...and your fish must be very small as well.

If the depth is correct maybe you can add some biggist stones..put in a pump and make it like some rapids.Fast moving water will not get so clogged with algae. Water lilies also help to keep the water clear by using up nitrogen that feeds the algae,but in such shallow water,you dont have the depth.

Thanks for the advice folks - I'll go looking for a small pump to start off with

The pond really is that shallow - I guess 4 cm maximum and yes, the fish are really small - we have a couple of goldfish that are maybe 5cm in length and the rest are between 1 and 3 cm plus lots of small fry

Those goldfish must be scraping therir anal and tail fins in the bottom of your "pond".

put a boom across half of the pond, add some floating plants such as lemna(duckweed) or riccia, the will cover the surface and remove nitrate and phosphate as it grows, this will stop the water getting green naturally (outcompeting the microalgae) and also providing some shade for the fish, you can harvest the every 6 weeks and throw away or put on the garden as compost, put some elodea or other submerged oxygenating plant in the other half and you will solve your problem naturally.

This will only work if you pond recieves a good deal of sunlight.,

No electrical wires needed.

I was going to suggest the above ^^^, use water-lettuce, readily available and if it gets too much bung it on the compost heap.