Replacing pond liner this weekend....need tips

[livetogarden]

We repaired our liner earlier this spring but now discovered it needs to be totally replaced. Any tips for keeping the water clear once we refill the pond? Is there anything we can add to the water? After repairing and refilling earlier the water turned green pretty fast, we're hoping to avoid that this time.
BTW....Sunday is our 34th anniversary. Our gift to each other is a new liner and the work of putting it in. That cracked our 25 year old daughter up, she says it's kind of sad that a liner thrills us enough to call it our gift. We will go out for dinner also though.
Anyway...thanks for any tips.
Cath

[happyoutsidegirl]

Happy happy Cath and congratts!!!! The main thing I would say is a good mecanical filter and a bio filter. I have only ever used Microb Lift PL and autom and winter to help kick start the good bacteria.
Good luck and don't forget Pix!

[tranquility]

Sorry to say but, with out a UV you will go thru the greens...It just happens....as long as your water perimeters are in check...then when the pond cycles and matures the green will go away....
the only advice I could give about putting in the pond is to make sure the liner is not exposed to the sun---that is where most people make their mistakes in putting in a pond...the liner will deteriorate fast if it is exposed...and filtration, filtration, filtration....Did I mention filtration  ....
Lawanna

[Julles]

Maybe you're expecting something that will never come about... I've totally redone my pond about three times in the last three years (don't we all?!), and never experienced green or cloudy water.  Shade may have something to do with it - sun = growth of green things.   

How about saving a little of the original water, so you are re-introducing the same bacteria and etc. that the pond's ecological system is used to.

[perplexed ponder]

Happy Anniversary! Hey, I once got 15 yards of soil for Mother's day, only a gardener can understand. haha!

[SueSTx]

   Happy Anniversary...and I understand those kinds of gifts...I got a new stocktank one year, also a "new" used tractor and a donkey for my birthday  (from a friend not DH).  Some gifts just keep on giving.

When I fill a new tank, I pump water out of the big tank right into the new one.  "Water Change" for the big tank.  Adding potted plants from the other tanks also seem to help.   I am in week 3 now on the latest tank and no green water yet.  It has small fish and tadpoles/baby frogs also.

I vote:  Save as much water as you can before you bull the liner.

[livetogarden]

Kathy....I got a HUGE (104 lbs. and as tall as our kitchen table) black 2 year old gorgeous German Shepherd for Mother's Day one year. When my best friend asked what I got and I told her she asked "Did you want it?". How funny....yes, I did want it. I had wanted a dog ever since our last one had died a few months before.
Thanks for the tips everyone, keep them coming.

[Ruthie]

I understand that gift!!!  My Christmas gift was a tiller and for mother's Day, we are making a trip to American Aquatics in New Orleans.  I say that in future tense because we still haven't had time to do it (Hubby's work schedule is crazy.)

Happy anniversary!

[Brian]

As Julles mentioned, saving some of the original water.  If finances allow, purchase one of those 10 foot by 30 inch deep swimming pools with the inflatable ring on top.  They're only about $55.00 and that will hold quite a bit of your original water, plus be a storage place for your fish and plants.  Just use your pond pump to transfer the water back and forth.

[Esther]

Yup, and do the liner in the sun to keep it as soft and flexible as possible. Of course if you are using a bio filter, keep it full of water to keep the bio bugs alive. I saved the water and the trickle tower that was in the huge stock tank that was the temporary home to the fish when we were building the new pond. Even though I didn't intend to use the tt in the pond permanently, I put it in there along with the used water. I also had put a bunch of bio media in the stock tank for about a week before putting it in the new skippy to jumpstart the bugs. Didn't have a bit of green water. Good luck.

Oh and don't cut away the excess liner unless you are double sure about it. I folded mine under and am glad I did.