Short Answer:
It can take anywhere from 5 days to 8 weeks to clear green pond water, depending on what’s causing the green water.
If your pond is new, then you can expect it to take a bare minimum of 5 days to clear. However, it’s more likely to take around 2 to 3 weeks if you’re using a UV clarifier. Without one, it can take up to 8 weeks to clear.
If your pond isn’t new, then the time it will take to clear depends on what’s causing the green water.
If your pond is naturally green without any floating particles, then you can expect it to take around 2 to 3 weeks to clear with a UV clarifier, and 4 to 8 weeks without one.
If your pond has floating particles in it, then it can take anywhere from 5 days to 6 months to clear, depending on the cause. I’ll give you some pointers on how to tell below.
How to Clear Green Pond Water in 5 Days
If you want to clear green pond water as quickly as possible, then you’ll need to use a flocculant.
A flocculant is a substance that makes all the tiny particles clump together into larger particles, which will sink to the bottom of the pond and form a layer of sludge.
This may not sound particularly appealing, but the idea is that you’ll be able to remove all the sludge from the bottom of your pond by using a pond vacuum cleaner, which will then clear up your green pond water.
To use a flocculant, first you’ll need to turn off your UV clarifier, if you have one. This is because the UV light will break down the flocculant, making it useless.
Next, you’ll need to use the recommended amount of flocculant for the size of your pond, and add it to your pond by following the instructions on the bottle.
After that, you’ll need to wait for the flocculant to do its job. It usually takes around 3 days to get to the point where all the particles have clumped together.
Once all the particles have clumped together, you’ll need to wait for them to sink to the bottom of your pond and form a layer of sludge.
This will usually take around 2 days, but it can take up to 4 days if your pond is particularly deep.
Finally, once all the sludge has formed, you can then remove it all by using a pond vacuum cleaner, which will clear up your pond water.
If you don’t have a pond vacuum cleaner, then you’ll have to use a net to scoop out as much of the sludge as you can. This will take longer, but it’s still perfectly doable.
How to Clear Green Pond Water in 2 Weeks
If you don’t want to use a flocculant, then you’ll have to use a UV clarifier to clear your green pond water.
To use a UV clarifier, all you’ll have to do is turn it on.
A UV clarifier is a device that exposes your pond water to UV light, which kills off the single-celled algae that’s causing your green pond water.
However, the dead algae cells will still be floating around, and they’ll actually make your pond even greener than it was before.
That’s why it will take around 2 weeks to clear your green pond water with a UV clarifier. It will take that long for all the dead algae cells to clump together and sink to the bottom of your pond, which you’ll then have to remove with a pond vacuum cleaner.
Of course, you could just use a UV clarifier to clear your green pond water, and then get rid of the greenness left by the dead algae cells by using a flocculant, but that would take longer overall.
How to Clear Green Pond Water in 8 Weeks
If you don’t want to use a flocculant, and you don’t want to use a UV clarifier to clear your green pond water, then you’ll have to wait for your pond to clear itself.
I know, it’s not exactly the answer you’re looking for, but it’s the only other way, and it’s pretty much the worst way possible.
Waiting for your pond to clear itself means that you’ll have to wait for your pond to establish a balance between the amount of algae in it, and the amount of good bacteria in it.
This balance is known as your pond’s “ecosystem,” and it’s what keeps your pond clean and clear.
However, it will take around 8 weeks to establish this ecosystem, which is a long time to wait for clear pond water.
The best way to speed this process up is to add beneficial bacteria to your pond, as this will help to establish your pond’s ecosystem much faster than if you just left it to happen on its own.
It will still take around 8 weeks, but if you don’t add beneficial bacteria, then it can take up to 12 weeks for your pond to clear itself. That’s why it’s worth it to add them.
To add beneficial bacteria to your pond, you’ll need to follow the instructions on the bottle, as the dosage depends on the brand.
However, as a general rule of thumb, you’ll need to add the recommended amount of beneficial bacteria to your pond every week until it’s established, which is around 8 weeks.
If you stop adding beneficial bacteria to your pond before it’s established, then your pond will just go back to being green again. It’s the beneficial bacteria that keep your pond clear, after all.
