Go to your nearest grocery store and get a bunch of watercress. Put it in a bucket until it gets roots, or just throw it in your pond and skippy filter (on top of your filter media). It will grow fast and multiply quickly. Mine even made it through last winter. The roots are good for filtering water. I put watercress on top of my filter media in my skippy and it takes over the whole stock tank. You can't even see it. You can see pics of it if you go to my Frogs, frogs everywhere thread.

Jenny

Plants & Patience is the key. Follow Anne & Jenny's advice; their experience is invaluable. Trust me on that, they have both helped me immeasurably (thanks ladies:)

Do.not.give.up.

The skippy is a great start. Now on to the plants. It does NOT have to be wallet-draining. Start w/the watercress from the gro store as suggested. Sprig a few in your skippy & put the rest in the pond. You will be amazed.

I'm not familiar with your zone so can't offer specific suggestions. I will add I like to experiment with terrestrial plants in the pond to see what works. Some do, some don't, but I have been amazed at some of my successes. (yeah, and the *experts* who say it's not possible miss it sometimes;) I just dig up what's thriving in my yard & try it...hey...the price is right...FREE! I'm adding a link below. Hopefully, something there will work for you.

Stay away from chemicals & additives (other than declor) unless you have an emergency in which your fishies are in danger. They just drain your funds and are temporary measures at best. Always better to correct the problem itself rather than treating *symptoms*.

You'll be enjoying your pond soon...have faith!

blessings,
~digger

Here is a link that might be useful: terrrestrial plants in pond

Thank you so much to everyone that responded! Your advice is invaluable, and I do believe that plants are the key to solving this green water problem! Patience is definitely not one of my virtues, lol, but I am putting my faith in your advice. I am attaching a picture of the pond as it looks now-it will look even better with clear water!

What a lovely pond! Thanks for the pic:)
Keep us posted..

blessings,
~digger

How are you faring there, dizzy?

Dizzy,

O.... M.... G What a beautiful pond and such a creative spillway from the skippy filter.

Hey, where's your fish-watching chair? You have to have one of those!!! hahaha
Anne

WOW!!!!!! That is soooo lovely!!! Ingenious and lovely! Unique and wonderful!!!! WOW!!!!

I use a multilayered quilt batting (largest size I can find) on top of the Skippy. Don't bother to unfold it. Just tuck and trim to fit. Even when it is almost black it is still effective. I usually change it out in spring and late fall but due to DH's surprise siding project and his failure to tell the contractor I needed access to the pond I couldn't even clean the bottom let alone change the batting. The water is still clear except for some tannic acid discoloration.

This is an old post, but thought I would add to it. You don't need to buy a lot of pond plants, it the water is green, just add a few to the pond and they should reproduce like rabbits. No, even in Virginia floating plants don't survive the winter, cattails and non-floating plants do in pots. Does you yard every overflow into the pond, looks like it might be a little hilly from the picture? If so, fertilizer is running into your pond. I am no pond expert but 18 inches is rather shallow, I would have thought near 3 feet would be better with shallow steps sides. Algae loves shallow water. The sun is able to heat the water and pond liner in shallow water.

I've used skippy's stuff for 10 years and my ponds have always been crystal clear. Do you use the Skippy bacteria? that is a must! Put it in when the water reaches 50 degrees in the spring and it will clear. Also I use their green water clearing product, if I get some algie - 1

teaspoon is all I have ever used. By the look of your pond it gets plenty of sun - the advice the other guys here give you about plants is invaluable - I too have plenty of plants in the top pond. Best not to have a pond in the open - but too late now!

Pauleen.. I love your pond. What fun it must be. great fish too.