Spring could be the most annoying season for pond owners as the water from their lovely ponds turn soupy green. When pond water turns green, there is nothing to worry about! This is just a normal reaction of the pond in finding its natural balance.

Green water build-up triggers from the sudden change in temperature, from cold to warm. Oftentimes, when the temperature is low and there is little sunlight, pond water remains cold. But when the sunny days finally arrive, water temperature rises briskly, especially in small ponds. The rapid temperature change causes the growth of algae, causing dull, cloudy, and green pigment in the pond's water. Warm season can also spur the rapid growth of algae or known as “harmful algal bloom” (HABs).

A novice pond owner would empty the pond and refill it with tap water. Doing so, did you know that you are helping algae to multiply fast and ruin your lovely pond? Why? It is the fresh or tap water that contains nutrients that algae need to survive. What's more? The direct sunlight plus the warm water brings back the green algae to life in your ponds.

However, an experienced pond owner knows that spring is normal time for pond to become green. They are even patient in dealing with algae build-up, and treat algae as natural creatures in the pond’s life cycle. Algae normally die after it consumed the nutrients in the water, and the pond will slowly clear.

Here are some tips on how to maintain your ponds healthy and control algae from forming during warm months.

1. Adding enough tropical plants in the pond can help rid those unsightly algae. Oxygenating and floating plants help neutralize the water by absorbing the nutrients from the water and compete with algae for food.

2. Fish can encourage the rapid growth of algae in ponds. Its waste dissolves in water easily and turns out as nutrients for algae. If your pond is filled with fish, you have to reduce the number of fish to avoid the clogging of algae in the water’s surface. Otherwise, if you don’t want to reduce the number of fish, you can use biological filters for your ponds.

3. Make sure the biological filter fits on the size of your pond. Calculate the volume of water: length (in feet) X width X depth X 2.7 = volume in U.S. gallons. Always follow the manufacturer's instruction in installing the correct pumps.

The rule of thumb in using the filter is to circulate the pond’s volume every hour. For instance: a 1,000-gallon pond will need a filter that can handle a flow of 500 gallons per hour. Purchase a solid handling pump that can hold that amount of water to the filter.

4. Purchase a filter with an ultra violet light for ponds containing a lot of fish. The ultra violet light kills the single-celled algae, the main culprit for the green water. The filter also filters the debris coming from the water and traps the dead algae.