Danny, those are normal color variations in those leaves. If they are otherwise healthy, I don't think you have a problem. Wait a while and green will come to most of the leaves though the streaks will stay.

PH levels are a real problem if you have fish. They are very sensitive to PH changes and PH is very changeable. What you need is a PH Buffer. A buffer prevents rapid changes in PH. There are a number available off the shelf. Muratic acid is not a good choice. It does nothing except give you a rapid change in PH levels that doesn't last and can be dangerous to keep around.

A good buffer should last a long time but most additives require that you test frequently. Personally, since I don't like adding stuff too often, I use POP, or Plaster of Paris Calcium carbonate) slugs. I make several at a time and drop them in the water where there is a good flow. The POP has a chemical reaction with the water and as it slowly disappears it stabilizes the PH. In my pond it takes weeks to disappear and I can see it is still working. The big problem is that it is getting difficult to find POP without additives so not everyone likes to use it. I haven't had any problems.

Bicarbonate of Soda is probably a better choice. I am posting a link below that gives an excellent discussion of the subject.

Here is a link that might be useful: PH buffering

Great, thanks for the Input. I'm going to pick up some Sodium Bicarbonate tomorrow.

Adding Sodium Bicarbonate will lower Both my PH and increase my Alkalinity Correct?

Though the plug idea sounds fun. How big do you make the plug and is it the same POP that you find in a craft store?

Any thoughts on adding Iron?

Thanks for the articles.

Danny

Hi
I personally don't see much wrong with the plants .Many types of tropical lilies have splotched and colored pads. Do you know the cultivar name?? When you say the pH is high what do you mean??. What is your water source and what are the readings from it??
What have your temps been ?? Most tropicals slow down at around 40 degrees. If you have no fish why so concerned about pH .?? You have lost some plants?? Were the pads solid green before?? gary

Sodium bicarbonate will increase your pH to around 8. What it does is it buffers the pH so acidic rain or other events will not cause sudden pH fluctuations that are lethal to fish. Goldfish and lots of other fish including mosquito fish are very happy with a high pH. Most of the pond plants we know are also happpy with it.

I was loosing plants. the PH was way high 8+ for a few months and the plants started to die. Since I've adjusted the PH down to 5-7 range they have come back. The pads were not a spotchy as they appear now. I checked the alkalinity today and it was at 30PPM. I'd like to get it to around 80PPm and keep my PH at 7.

You don't mention how and what you do for fertilizer. One fact that doesn't seem to be generally known is that high PH will reduce the uptake of nitrogen based fertilizer by plants. That is possibly the reason that your plants were not thriving. If you are using plant tabs or a nitrogen based fertilizer directly in the soil the plants MIGHT have a better chance of absorbing the nutrients but not at an efficient rate. If you are applying the fertilizer through the water, it might very well be too bound up by the alkaline chemical balance by the time it gets to the plant or it's roots. This is why you use a fertilizer containing sulphur rather than nitrogen when the soil in your garden is very alkaline. The same may be applicable to your pond plants.

I am just making a guess here because I lack data on your pond but I would guess this might be a good part of your problem. Try ammonium sulphate. Ironite has had a few problems. The greensand recipe didn't work for them.They may have changed it back. Read the label if that is what you use. Elemental too sulphur is difficult to dissolve. Both leave orange stains.

I have seen mentioned adding Stump Grinder to ponds. What will that help and is it safe for water lilies?

Those waterlilies are perfectly healthy.

Those are hardy waterlilies and they go dormant in winter.....

Messing with ph is worse than having constant high ph, I would stop.

I agree with Buyorsell888. You have to ask whether the cost or time in applying chemicals for the next umpteen years will be worth it. Or if it will even work. Or what kind of side effects it will cause. Or if the plants would have been better off with constancy of less-than-ideal conditions rather than fluctuating conditions to which they must repeatedly re-adapt to.

I agree with the above two posters. Don't worry about the ph. Leave it alone. The lilies (hardies) are perfectly normal. Sometimes the variations in the pads will fade as the pads grow larger. They are hardy lilies...red pads usually indiciate red or pink varieties and the flecked pads will be yellow or orange-ish or a pink/yellow blend, most likely.