Don't know if this is the right place to ask this, but some of you seem to have experience with algae.
I'd like to remove most of the algae from our pond so we can swim and fish in it. It's nearly 100% covered right now. I don't know what the specific name of the algae is, but I've seen it in lots of ponds. It looks like a light green scum on top of the water and goes down fairly deep into the water.
I've looked at a couple websites for this sort of thing. Two of them recommended the same product, but one said there would be no swimming restrictions and no danger to fish, and the other said there would be restrictions on both swimming and fishing. Just to be on the safe side, is there a way to do it without chemicals? If I simply cleaned out the whole pond (3/4 acre?) with a rake or some improvised tool, would the algae come right back?

 

Hello Omega

Probably different ecosystems in a farm pond and a garden pond, but the severity of the algae bloom will still depend on the nutrient levels in the water, the temperature and the amount of sunlight.

My experience with a garden pond is that there tends to be more algae when the pH is over 8.0 also, but this is purely anecdotal, so might not hold true.

This quote comes from the following website http://h2osparc.wq.ncsu.edu/info/algae.html

"Algal production is correlated to the levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the water. If the N:P ratio in a freshwater system falls below 10:1 by weight, algal growth will usually not occur if it is P-limited. Above a 10:1 N:P ratio in a freshwater system and above a 15:1 - 16:1 N:P ratio in an estuarine system or coastal area, the system will likely experience an algal bloom, the severity of which will be in relation to the excess phosphorus available (Schindler, 1978; Jaworski, 1981). Freshwater systems tend to be phosphorus limited. In those estuarine systems which are nitrogen limited, if the N:P ratio falls below 10:1, the system will likely experience an algal bloom, the severity of which will be in relation to the excess nitrogen available.

Generally, a phosphate concentration of 0.01 mg/l will support plankton, while concentrations of 0.03 to 0.1 mg/l phosphate or higher will likely trigger blooms (USEPA, 1986; Dunne and Leopold, 1978). A high availability of P does not always indicate continued production because the system may become nitrogen limited. Estuarine systems tend to be nitrogen limited." I interperate this to mean that algae prefers higher phosphorus levels.

If all aspects of the pond (nutrients, sunlight, temperature & maybe pH) are favorable for algae formation, I think it will form as fast as you can rake it out.

One of the other major differences in your pond and most garden ponds is the size and volume of water - I add bacteria to my pond (about 720 US Gal) to help control the algae, but for something three quarters of an acre in size, the cost of the amount required might be prohibative. The bacteria will multiply under ideal conditions, but when the temperatures drop (somewhere below 55F), they will decline and the algae will take over once again. The bacteria that I am using does not overwinter, so has to be re-introduced when the water temperatures rise in the spring. There might be a type of bacteria that can survive winter, I just don't know about it (if you find one, please let the rest of us know...)

If you can limit the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus getting into the pond by fertilizer run-off, that may help reduce the algae growth. Fish, snails and some water fowl will also eat some of the algae, but probably not enough to maintain the balance that you are looking for.

Not much else comes to mind right now - hope someone else here will read your post and respond with a possible solution.

I am going to move your post over to the Garden forum - hopefully there are more people with ponds over there (here now ) who might be able to help...

Good Luck

Howie

 

Hi Omega,

I like the fact you want to get rid of the alge in a natural way. I see you have learned the importance of fertilizer run off into your pond. Like the lawn around the pond.

Water fowl tend to make the problem worse, by there manure, feeding even more algae. Carp or the Largest form of the Goldfish, has the same effect.

I believe the story goes like this. The USDA brought in the carp as a way to control Algae in ponds and lakes. As always it backfired in our face. No natural enemy to control it and it over grew it's water ways.

What is the name of the Algaeside, that you can swim & fish with?

Just as I found out about Sluggo a natural bait Killer for Slugs. Products are coming on the market that only 5 years ago we did not have.

When people started showing that they wanted an alternitive to poison, the big Chemicals COs found a market. That market made it more profitable to find & develop natural plant protection products. So this is why we have so many choices today with more & better to come.

When you think about it, only 10 years ago the public was not so conserned about the Toxins they were using in there own backyard. As the children started getting Cancer at a younger age, we just woke up and said why.

I think a search with Google, on aquaculture would be a good start. Write E-mails to the pros in this field, & find out just what your options are. Most I write, return an answer in a short time & seem happy to help.

I just learned of a USDA study on using vinegar as an herbside. Perhaps someone has a safe way to control your Algae problem.

Good luck to you on your task.

Marturo

 

Hello again Omega and Marturo

I tried vinegar to lower the pH last year with limited results - depending on where it was in the beginning, the amount of vinegar (5% acetic acid) required was too much for even a pond of my size... Not willing to try any of the stronger acids for obvious reasons...

This year, I am using peat moss and peat pellets in permiable bags to lower the pH - so far about 1/2 cu ft + 1 bag of commercial "Biopeat Pellets" (from Sera) has lowered and maintained the pH from over 8.5 to about 7.6. So far the algae is under control. (Which is why I have a feeling that pH will affect it)

Barley straw is supposed to have simialar effects and is marketed (at very high prices for very small bundles) specifically to control string algae in pond supply stores. It is supposed to take up to 6 weeks to start showing results (it takes that long to begin breaking down, which is why I used peat). If you can find a supply of barley straw that is not being marketed to the garden pond crowd, you might find the price is a lot better and it could be worth a try...

Marturo is right about the effects of fowl and fish eliminating in the water - one can only hope that in a balanced ecosystem, they might eat more than they leave (but by your example, they probably don't...)

Howie

 

I've been there. I believe what you've got what is commonly referred to as scum algae. The only way to get rid of it now is to scoop it out. I've used a round screen I got at a dime store that's used for covering a frying pan. This algae just breaks ups if you try to rake it and you'd get nowhere. It's a long job to screen it this way but I don't know of any other way.
Also, get a water test kit for ph, nitrites, nitrates and ammonia. They're not expensive, $20. Here's one place you could get it: http://www.pondsolutions.com/test-kits.htm
Then you'll know how your water is.
It's going to take awile to totally get rid of this algae. My problem started last year. My pond is 1 arce in NE Indiana. I added bacteria last year and again this year and the algae is almost gone. I don't have any floating on the surface but I can still see some on the bottom. This stuff is expensive, $300 + for this size of pond.
Another suggestion would be to put some colorant in your pond. This is suppose to help cut down the sunlight that algae needs to grow.
You should aerate your pond too. What I've read and been told that this is a must. O2 is needed for the fish and to get rid of nitrites.

 

Hello Omega,

I believe you are in good hands with howiek & CliffLm.

I would like to have a small pond someday, so I will be learning all I can on this post.

Good luck on your task Omega.

Marturo

 

CliffLm,

Do you know what kind of bacteria you are using? and did it overwinter sufficiently to only require supplement in the spring?

I've been using the bacteria formulations available from Aquascape Designs (at http://www.aquascapedesigns.com/prod...at_8_nac.shtml ), both the Aquaclearer and SAB with good results, but have to start from scratch in the spring.

Never thought about a colourant - might be a good way to control the sunlight

Thanks in advance for any info you have.

Howie

 

I used some last year but I don't have the name. This year I used "Pond Saver", which I found at www.planthealthcare.com
This place had about the best price. Most places talk about small back yard ponds so the expense wouldn't be all that much. But my pond is one arce. I bought the 25 lbs granular bucket for $300.
I've asked them about the bacteria lasting over winter and following was there response.

"When using Pond Saver, you always stop treatments when the water gets cold (below 55). In the following spring, when the water temperature exceeds 55 F, you need to re-start the process with the initial (high) rate. While the bacteria can survive the winter, the new population level is too low to maintain the effect. The reason one must periodically add small "booster" doses, is to keep the population of bacteria artificially high to affect a rapid cleanup rate in the water. WIthout this, the population of bacteria falls back to less effective levels. Once introduced, these species of bacteria will likely remain as members of the ecosystem for many years. However, without booster doses, they may not dominate the ecosystem, as is needed for effective cleanup."

This was from Michael J. Kerman, Ph.D.
They have been very helpful and seem like great people to talk with.

 

I live in south central IN and have a 1/4 acre pond. We have had problems with various types of algae and vegetation, increasingly getting worse over an 8 yr. period until last year, when we finally decided to do 'whatever it took.'

You can get some helpful info from www.aquaticcontrol.com, which is where we bought most of the products that we have used. We bought the dye at our county agricultural co-op because the price was better and the copper sulfate at a local feed store.

Scooping out some of the algae can be helpful, but that alone won't work. The warmer the temps, the faster it grows and it can grow VERY fast in only one day.

Depending on what you have in your pond, you may have to use a variety of controls because there isn't a 'one thing gets it all' product. The hardest and most expensive to control is watermeal. It was over $200 for the product, but we haven't had to use any this year. I had thought that we would have to use it yearly, but apparently not.

I highly recommend the dye. It will work in water over 3ft to block the sun's rays from the bottom of the pond. For under 3ft, which is along the edges of the pond in some places, we use copper sulfate as needed. We also use a product that breaks down the sludge more quickly, which reduces the ph. I am very pleased with it. (There are a lot of leaves that fall into our pond each fall.) We had a cattail problem and bought something for that, (they attract muskrats, which can damage your pond and/or dam), but haven't had to use it. It seems that the other products have done the job well enough.

We didn't put in copper sulphate soon enough , so my son skimmed some floating algae off of the top when the wind blew it all to one side a couple of weeks ago, applied the copper sulphate and now the pond looks 'as good as new'. It needs to be applied when we start noticing green in the shallow areas. he made the skimmer from some scraps of wood and window screen.

We have a lot of fish in our pond (among other things) and none of the treatments have affected them. We eat the fish and the pond is safe for swimming. That's what they tell us, at least.

We haven't chosen to invest in an aerator and the pond is doing fine without it so far. We have added channel cats to aid in the cleaning of the algae and some add triploid carp for the same reason. There is someone who has a fish farm in Arkansas who comes to our area to sell fish a couple times a year.One last thing; it might be too late in the season to correct your pond problems. I'd let the freeze kill it and be prepared to be on top of it in the spring.

I am very glad that we invested in the pond. We enjoy just looking at it every day, if nothing else. I'm going to put more bass in it next week.