Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So my pond is about 17ft by 14 ft wide and 3 1/2 ft deep. We have a fliter and another pump that cerculates the water. we have Plants in there. My water has been very clear and my fish are doing well and growning fast. We have 4 koi 2 large 2 small, 2 cherbunkins and about 35 3 inch gold fish. I noticed about a week ago that every morning there is a layer of sudsy bubbles around the outer edge of our pond. ITs not from my dogs going in it because they hate water. I can't seem to figure out whats causing it. It goes away about 10am when the sun starts to hit the pond. My pond gets sun most of the day. I use pond enzime plus, last application was about two weeks ago and i also used aqua clear water clearifier. Anyone know what the heck is causing this foam???

If it’s spring and the water has just warmed up the first thing that comes to my mind is that your fish have been doing the “wild thing” in your pond. They’ve been spawning. Fish usually prefer to rendezvous at daybreak or at dusk so if the foam sighting is just after these hours that’s a good sign that all is well. Another indicator is if the fish have been wallowing in the plants or if several fish seem to be chasing one. If this is the case the foam you see is actually fish sperm. Lovely mental picture — isn’t it?

Another possibility is that your pond is doing it’s protein skimming “thing”. The pond naturally traps proteins and other organics that would end up as ammonia and nitrites in bubbles that form wherever air and water “collide”. This would be most noticeable at the base of the waterfall. It’s easier for soft water to form bubbles than it is for hard water so the hardness of your water contributes to the foam that you see. Metro Atlanta’s water tends to be very soft. If the foam is just located at the base of the waterfall chances are that the pond is skimming proteins from the water. The best thing for you to do is skim off the foam with a net and dispose of it or let your skimmer take it into the filter to be flushed out of the system.

When fish are stressed they emit slime. This can contribute to higher amounts of foam in the water because slime is organic. If you suspect this to be a contributing factor to your foam it is best to check for stress factors. ie ammonia 0xygen ect.