Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello, all! I joined some time ago and finally have a system set up, using an existing garden pool and a child's turtle-shaped sand box! Was very pleased when it was up and running, very excited (of course) when the seeds actually germinated! Unfortunately, newbie problems have cropped up. First, I lost my first batch of fish for unknown reasons. Got some feeder goldfish to put into the pond, but the plants never really took off. Very slow and yellow. The water in the pond got totally filled with algae, which didn't hurt the fish, but did hurt my enjoyment of the system. Then, yesterday, the danged pump gave up! Now, I've got the pool all cleaned out and refilled, probably will lose what small plants have been trying to grow, and my fish are in a bucket. From reading here, I figure I need more fish, for a start. I also need some way to get the algae out. Any ideas?

The look of that water doesn't look too bad.
I think it just needs to 'cycle' . Have you tested the water?

A freshwater master test kit will help you quite a lot in figuring out problems.
You want to be able to test Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and pH (often there will be two separate tests for different ranges of pH.)

At least temporarily you might want to put a heavy shade cover over the pond to help clear the algae. Once the gravel bed is cycled, you might not need the shade for the pond anymore. Is that grow bed operating as flood and drain?
Hang in there.

I need to pick up a test kit, for sure. Should have done already, but...As for the pic, it was taken when the set up was new and the algae had not yet bloomed. Very murky within a day or so. I will try the shade cloth idea. I have also taken a scoop of sediment from my flourishing indoor aquarium and added it to the grow bed. Am I right in believing that will give a kick start to the filtering process? Thanks to all who responded! I'm not giving up!

Aquarium gunk (especially the filter squeezings) can be good for helping a system get going. It still takes some patients though.