Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

This is a goose pond we built for a friend who has a pet goose named Ida.
The Pond holds about 12k litres and it has a growbed of about 2 cubic metres running down one side of it.
There are local ducks that come and visit Ida and she also has many small fish to keep her company. These pictures are taken of the pond a few days ago after we finished the deck. The pond has been operational for about 6 months.

more pics

Niiice use of aquaponic principles to filter a pool FishFingers... reckon Ida would be very pleased with her surrounds....

Yes I think Ida is happy. We are however having trouble with string algea and it needs to be cleaned out with a pool scoop every few days. I know this is due to the amount of sun on the water but this can't really be helped. Barley straw is in the water and making a slight difference and there is no pea soup in there. The bottom is quite clear but any suggestions that may help with the algea and ph swings it produces would be a great help. Water registers 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and very little nitrate but ph swings between 8 and 9 and that is a worry.

Nice pic's Brett, why the crab scoop? what else grows in there

If only Ida's owner was not vegan and Ida had been someones christmas dinner as advertised... mmmmm maron

She's a lucky duck!

Maybe some yabbies, mussels and/ or pygmy perch to help keep the algae down.

I thought yabbies but they will do alot of damage to the lillies and other plants in the pond... and may even just end up duck food. there are about 50 fish in there some rainbows and some gold fish and a few cat fish. I don't know where we can get pigmy perch around here.
I know gold fish love algae but we care talking about strands almost 1m long growing in 2 days..... would take alot of fish to consume that and it would in turn just create more nutes for more growth wouldn't it. There obviously needs to be algae in there but at a more controllable level so it does not constrict the water plants.
Shade is the best way to deal with it but it has to be safe for the goose. Duckweed could be nice but getting it established is hard.
Any help would be much appreciated.

Chuck a handfull of silver perch in there.

ok obo that sounds like a good idea and i have a few spare