Subject: Re: uv sterilizer question
From: Derek Broughton <dbroughton@bigfoot.com>
Newsgroups: rec.ponds
Date: Sat, Jun 23, 2001 6:23 PM
Message-ID: <hs43h9.uq.ln@192.168.42.15>

Leslie wrote:

> I agree Jeanette...  I have never in 6+ years had a problem with algae
> OR lost a fish because my pond IS built right....  I've continuously
> had the water checked and it's always fine...    MY problem is that
> the tree that shaded my pond through the middle of the day fell over
> in a wind storm last winter (actually fell on top of my waterfall
> Ughh! ) so now my pond gets no shade... and the algae is starting to
> act up this year...  not so much green pea soup but brown algae.. that
> just makes my water look murky all the time..  I can see my fish but
> after they get about 6-8" down they're just blurrs..  I've paid a lot
> of money for these koi and spent a LOT of money on my pond and the
> surrounding deck... I want to enjoy my fish/pond like I have the last
> few years...
> 
> Now I'm thinking of a UV light..  my question is this...   Do I want a
> clarifier or a sterilizer and what exactly is the difference?    Do I

If you really want to go with a UV, you want a 'clarifier', because a 
sterilizer can't do anything more than a clarifier for an outdoor pond.  
But are you certain you have brown algae?  Brown algae is typically found 
in _low light_ situations, but you have more light now than you used to.  
Are you sure it's not just suspended silt?  Check out Rod Farlee's posts 
about using gypsum (? - Alum?) to precipitate clay out of a pond.  It'll 
only cost you a few buck to experiment, and potentially save you a bundle 
on the UV.
-- 
Derek (www.netcom.ca/~dbrought/pond)