Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Blue Green Control

Hi Guys!

I built a 1/2 acre pond & and had it professionally stocked 3 years ago. This is the first year Ive had any type algae build up. Seems Ive identified it as blue green?? .. its very fine and goes thru a pool type skimmer like powder. No way to scoop it out. Ive watched over the last couple weeks as it has spread and now is covering 80% or more of the pond. I put aquashade in it twice a year and its still very blue from the last treatment making the algea appear almost flourescent.
What can I do to get rid of this type algea?

Thanks!

PsWorld welcome to the PB forum. Where is the pond. Things vary a lot by area. That looks like a heavy plankton bloom. If it is it is the base of the food chain in your pond. What do you want from the pond (goals)? Tell us a little about the situation. Is there fertilizer run off and or is the drainage fertile. Source of water and how much flow through if any? There are ways to reduce the plankton bloom but they can have negative effects on fish an DO (dissolved oxygen) which can kill your fish.

Your pond is a little young to have a bluegreen algae bloom and the color is not quite right for the typical bluegreen forming surface scums. I suspect that it is a bloom of Euglena sp? which belongs in the algal Division Euglenophyta. To be positive of the identity of the algae, it should be examined with a microscope.

If it is a bloom of Euglena, they are usually short lived and not typcially harmful or toxic. Euglena surface films usually decrease with cooler weather, or when stimulating nutrients are depleated.

Thanks for the welcome & fast replys! Ive been a lurker for a long time now. Great site!

That isnt my pond in the pic above.. just a pic I found online that has a similar growth on top. I was just outside earlier watering some plants and I sprayed the hose out on the pond to see what would happen. The growth is so fine when the water hits it it just turns to a cloud like powder in water. After time it floats back up.

As for area Im in southeast kentucky. Pond is fed by two springs and run off from about 20 acres. In the dry months it drops 2 feet or so and is down that much at the moment. I have a fountain for aeration. Pond is about 16ft at the deepest 4-5 feet on the shallow end. Side are steep and I had it lined with rock.







Normally its nice and clean and I dye it so its always like the last pic.

Now I have that flourescent very fine growth on top that Ive never had before. the pond is stocked with everything from stripers to koi and I feed daily and have since day one. Ive read here were feeding can cause problems as well .. but .. its never been a problem before and I feed at the same rates I always have. I dont want to kill off anything. I would though like to get rid of the growth. Anything I can do?? Or just ride it out let mother nature take charge??

Thanks again!
paul

On your current pics I don't see any surface disturbance. Is the fountain running. If not I would turn it on and wait and see what happens. The long term answer is to try to reduce/control the fertility of the pond in combo with blocking light penetration ( if you are going to use dye). To much feed can lead to water quality problems. What is the fish density? Lots of fish and feed in a small pond with little water flow through can lead to over fertile waters and or other problems.

Here are 2 links - one to water quality and one to pond dyes.

http://aquanic.org/publicat/state/il-in/as-503.htm


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