I agree with the last two posts - more time is needed. The pond plants are the key, as they will compete with the algae for light and available nutrients. Lots of surface coverage will help greatly but that will take time. In my opinion, I would either hold off on fish, add only a small few at a times, and/or not feed them much because the fish will only increase the nutrient load...thus increasing the algae growth.

I just started a 7x7 koi pond with three levels. I thought all I needed was the liner, and a pump with a fountain. I eventually got some plants, but I couldn't find pond plants. Luckily I looked on line and knew what to look for. The nurseries I went to didn't have "pond plants", but I noticed they had the plants I needed listed under "tropical plants". I found a few aquatic plants from the pet store. I have 3 koi and 2 goldfish so far. But a week after setting up my pond it turned into pea soup. After trying out different products on the shelf and nothing seem to be getting better, I looked up different pumps and filters. The biological filters were so expensive, so I checked out how they were made and had my husband help me make one ourselves instead. I think it's prettier, and heavier duty. The fountain sucks up the water and shoots up at the top so you can see the water above the vase (which was green but has gotten really lighter..lol), then it falls back into the vase met by a layer of those barley squares, a two inch thick wide webbed filter, then another thick tight webbed filter, and at the bottom of the vase are bags of charcoal filter rocks. There is a contrast between the green water shooting up at the top, and the clear water spitting out from the bottom of the vase. The pond so far is getting cleaner every day. I am just waiting for it to get clearer like it was when we first started the pond. Luckily I didn't give up and kept trying, or I wouldn't have come up with that convenient and money saving idea. I would love to hear more about money saving ideas. Or if there is anything else I am missing in my vase to filter. Oh, I also added a scoop of that enzyme powder with algae. I think that is everything other than getting a UV light filter. Any suggestions or tips that won't harm my plants or my fish?

As an example, here is what I put into a batch in a tumbler that holds about a cubic yard. Two, large, stuffed bags of shredded leaves. These are pretty dense and heavy. To this I will add about two half full bags of freshly cut grass clippings (I look for bags of short clippings). The reason I use half full is because if these bags were filled, I couldn't lift them. So it turns out to be about two to one ratio. Some more material (mixed leaves and grass clippings) is added after a few days due to settling. If I use whole leaves, I use a three or four to one ratio but end up adding a lot more of the mix after several days due to increased settling. Now these leaves are incredibly dry so adding moisture is usually necessary. I add the water after I have mixed, this seems to alleviate the clumping of the grass clippings a lot. How much water depends on the dryness of the leaves and moisture content of the grass. In any event, I don't measure the water, I just use a garden hose on mist setting and go by gut feeling. Sometimes it takes a few days of adding small amounts of water to get an even distribution throughout. Turning. In the tumbler it is easy so I usually give numerous rotations once a day once the temperature is above 150ish. If it's a pile, definately not so often, maybe once a week if I am energetic so it usually goes longer. Soil. I don't intentionally add soil to any of my composting methods. If I am using a continuous add method in a tumbler, I tumble a few times, add the greens, add equal volume of shredded leaves, tumble a few more times then add another equal volume of shredded leaves on top. This mixes nicely and the thin layer of leaves on top helps to prevent any odors. If the greens are relatively dry, I add a small shot of water when I add the greens. By the next day the leaves on top are usually moist, they seem to absorb the moisture given off and any condensation drips down onto them as well. I don't use kitchen scraps in a pile due to possible rodent issues but I'd probably use much the same ratio except add additional water due to evaporation from the pile. Once a person has done it a few times they quickly get the hang of it. It is tough to make a major mistake as there is always ways to correct as you go along. Having said all that, we could probably get ten compost enthusiasts together and we could have ten different methods that are successful. Lloyd

lilacs of may - I agree w/the "need more greens" opinions above (which is not to say that I disagree w/the "need more water" opinions - I just don't have an opinion about the water thing b/c my bin is in a container & I tend to have too much moisture more often than not). The way you described it - 1 thin green, 1 thick brown of mostly leaves - seems like it would take a real long time to decompose. I've noticed leaves in my bin take a long time, which I didn't expect. But, my bin takes a short time to decompose when I've used mostly garden/kitchen waste, intense greens (such as UCG/dried blood/alfalfa), and some browns such as (leaves/paper towels/napkins/shredded moistened cardboard) - IF I turn it ALOT (again it's in a bin so this might not be as crucial to your formula). Plus, I also find that we each have a preferred "formula" for our individual systems, lifestyles & area of the country. I've added below a link to my list of 201 Compost Ingredients, if you want to brainstorm about more "greens." BTW, we just got our first Starbucks (10 min away) - prior to that the nearest starbucks was 1 hour away & that was just in a bookstore. I am already collecting from a local coffee shop (actually, they were new about 2 yrs ago - pre-local-Starbucks - and I told them about Starbucks' habit of bagging & offering UCG for peoples' gardens & so now they're doing it! yippee!). And, actually, most of the UCG I gather go directly onto soil (under the store-bought pine/other bark/shredded mulch) or onto the grass. So, do it again this year & keep experimenting to see what works! polly in IL - that is BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for the pix! All the Best, Tree Here is a link that might be useful: 201 Compost ingredients