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LeighAnn,

Welcome to the forum. Very sorry about your loss. One question I have is do you have leaves that drop into your pond? Tea colored water is usually caused by decaying tree leaves, especially oak and maple leaves. Oak and other tree leaves, when decaying in water, release toxins that turn the water a tea color and may cloud the water as well. These toxins may become harmful to your fish or plants and can greatly increase the chance of an algae bloom.

As far as having a problem with mulch running off I would consider replacing the mulch with decorative stone. We had a similar situation where our waterfall is built into a sloping hill. Though we wanted to use mulch around the waterfall we knew this wouldn't be a good idea do to the potential of run off from a heavy rain. We ended up putting in stone.

For pH stability you may want to check your hardness (kH). Having a high KH will help stabilize your pH. Try measuring your pH twice during the day, once in the morning then again early evening. If you have a wide swing you should increase your hardness in order to prevent a pH crash. If your KH is low you can raise it using baking soda (Arm & Hammer). As far as experiencing a pH spike, not sure where you live but did you start feeding your fish? Were your filters off all winter? A pH spike could have occured due to the bio-filter not being fully mature (beneficial bacteria established). You may want to add beneficial bacteria in the spring to assist in jump starting the pond. What type of pond do you have (liner, concrete, etc). If pH spikes continue something could be leaking into the pond and causing the pH increase. Common causes are untreated concrete blocks and potting soil or mulch that may have gotten into the water.
Steve

Steve, I do have leaves that drop into the pond through the fall. So it is a good possibility that this is what is turning the water brown.
The pH spike occurred mid July, it was extremely hot last year and dry and up until that point the pH had been stable. I live in eastern KY. The pond is lined with Firestone 45 mil EPDM liner. I do turn my pumps and filters off in winter but only for a 2 month stint to prevent freezing. They are left on as long as possible and turned on as soon as possible. When warm weather came, I added some Laguna Bio-boost (I think that is the name of it) to the pond to try to jumpstart beneficial bacteria.
We have well water run through a filtering system to get the heavy concentration of iron and other minerals out. We use the same water for our reef tank and it is fine so I know the well water is not causing an issue.
Over the last two days, the pond has cleared up some so I am thinking that some of the brown in the water may be dirt in the water column and now it has begun to settle to the bottom.
The mulch episode...ugh. I have since funneled all the possible runoff to go around and away from the pond but am still keeping a very close eye on it to be sure.
I have swtiched to higher grade testing kit this year to make sure my water parameters are all correct. Should I try a flocculant to clear the water the rest of the way?

LeighAnn,
You should consider putting a net over your pond in the fall to catch the falling leaves. Once the leaves fall and end up in the pond they will begin to decompose which can cause ammonia to build up. Remember as vegetation falls into the pond water and decays, the process of decay uses the oxygen in the water and releases carbon dioxide. This means that if large quantities of vegetation enter your pond then enough oxygen can be removed to cause the pond's wildlife to suffocate.

Yes, you can try using a flocculent. A flocculent will help coagulate the small suspended particles into larger particles so they drop to the bottom of the pond. Paricles that don’t drop to the bottom should float and be picked up by your skimmer. But this is only a temporary fix. Bonnie sells Pro Clear on her supply page. It can also be used clear up the green water. Once the particles sink to the bottom you need to vacumm it up. Perform your water changes by siphoning off the bottom. This helps cylce out the heavier water.

Koi clay (also found on Bonnie’s supply page) is a mild flocculent too. Koi Clay won’t kill green water alage but will kill string alage. Like Pro Clear, once the sediments settle to the bottom you need to vaccum it up. There are lots of benefits of using Koi Clay inlcuding it has a number of minerals that help your fish thrive as well it helps their digestive system. Refer to Bonnie’s link for more benefits of Koi Clay http://www.bonniesplants.com/KoiClayBenefits.htm
Steve

Steve,
I forgot to thank you in my last post for your time and welcomed advice. So, thank you very very much. I didn't know whether to try the koi clay or the Pro Clear and your last post answered that for me. I will net the pond this fall, as we pulled an enormous amount of leaves off the bottom 2 weeks ago (more than last year). I am going to order the Pro Clear and will have to quickly replace all my missing hornwort. I came home today to find the water turning a slight shade of familiar green, so the pro-clear should help settle the floating particles and kill the green algae temporarily until my new UV bulb gets here and my new plants and filters have time to hopefully put the pond back into a natural balance. I will post an update in a couple of weeks, hopefully it will be a positive one! I'm also going to order some of the koi clay, I used it last year just as an additive to the water for the fish and plants. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to help me.

LeighAnn,
You're welcome. Hope all works out. In the fall you may want to try using Microbe-lift Autumn Prep. It helps to accelerate the decomposition of leaves and other organic matter in the fall and winter.

Post pictures sometime. Would love to see your pond.
Steve