I have a 2.5 acre pond and have FA how can i control it. I live in central Mississippi.

Can you give some more information on your BOW? What is the water source? Is there run off that would bring in nutrient-rich water? How bad is the FA and how deep? What is the clarity of the pond?

Here is an excellent primer on FA. Anyway, as stated above, let us know a little more about your pond, particularly if you know how it is getting the excess nutrients that are causing the FA.

Controlling Filamentous Algae in Ponds

Ken,

The author Bill Lynch is my original supplier of Yellow Perch. The guy is a well spring of knowledge. Great publication!

OSU provides a good Fact Sheet about filamentous algae (FA). Always remember it grows because there are excess nutrients / fertilizer in the water that act as stimulus for FA and all plant growth. Control the nutrient input or production within the pond and there will be less stimulus potential for FA. FA usually starts growth when FEW other plants are present to use the nutrients. Then FA thrives. FA always starts growth as tiny plants attached to under water surfaces, then it later breaks loose and floats. The new small plants are most susceptable to treatment. Be observant. The Fact Sheet does not discuss Tilapia which are very good at eating FA and converting it into fish biomass that provide a benefit to the pond ecosystem and the pond owner as a food source. Experience has shown blue tilapia are best for overall FA management. Consider using them as part of a eco-friendly management plan.

Bill,

It doesn't take much in the way of nutrients to produce FA does it? At least I thought I read that somewhere.

the pond is 1 year old, it is fed by water shed from wooded area(no way for the pond to get unwanted fertilizer other than from what i fertilze it sits in a valley). I have fertilized the pond 2 times this year. I just had the first water go out of my drain pipe on the last rain. Should i stop ferilizing? The water is very clear i can see 6 feet deep in the pond. Fish look to be doing great they seem to be feeding very well.

The fertilizer is producing FA instead of phytoplankton. This is one of the risks of fertilizing. Some will kill the FA growth before fertilizing so the plant competition is low for the phytoplankton.
All ponds, especially a pond that sits in a valley, collect lots of windblown and runoff materials from the watershed. Consider just the amount of tree leaf input. Those materials collect, accumulate and with luck decay in the pond. The fertilizer will grow some sort of plant - phytoplankton, periphyton, FA or marginal or submerged plants. That increased growth eventaully dies. Decay releases fertilizer. Generally this growth potetntial increases each year due to the total of accumulation.

My 1/4+ ac. pond is also experiencing an abnormal amount of FA. I have a tremendous amount of runoff and am surrounded by crop fields. Are tilapia a viable resource in controlling it in my location? I live in north central In.

Yes, they will control the FA. A few pointers:

Stock enough to control the FA. I've had poor results at 17#/acre and less, great results at 40#/acre.

Make sure the stocked fish are large enough to avoid predation by any other fish in the pond.

If stocking Blue Tilapia, remember that they do best in water temps above 60°F. They get sluggish below that, although they can survive in waters that dip below 50°F. They all die in waters below 45°F.

Other species of Tilapia need warmer water than that, IIRC 65°F and greater.

Where are you at in Indiana?

I live near Mentone, home of the big egg, isn't there a supplier in Goshen? thanks for the help.

Yes there is, he grows fish for the restraunt trade. But, he doesn't have equipment to haul live fish.

Caveat Emptor..all Tilapia are not the same!

I just came in from my first experience trying to rake FA out of our 1/4 acre pond. Ugh....not a pleasant experience. And I kept wondering if I was just spreading spores so that it will be worse tomorrow. The curious thing is we have no run off from neighboring fields and the only plant growth are some woody stalks from last summer before the pond was full...so there isn't much (any) decomposing plant matter in the pond. There isn't much floating but lots underwater...and areas of bright green sitting on the bottom.

We are in Goshen so I am really thinking about the tilapia guy. But also thinking about the $125 worth of FHM, RES and LMB we put in just last week. Would tilapia just eat them all up before thinking about eating the FA? And how many would we need for a 1/4 acre pond?

Tilapia will not eat small fish unless nothing else is available . Since you have FA don't worry about tilapia eating fingerling stockers. Number of tilapia is dependant on amount of algae and how fast you want it gone. IMO 10-15 6"-8" tilapia will eventually take care of your FA problem esp if you provide a little help removing some of it. Don't look for big improvement until mid-late July.

Bulldog,
I would stop fertilizing until you get the filamentous algae under control. Have you checked the soil pH or alkalinity in the pond lately? Cutrine Plus can help get your FA under control, I would proceed cautiously with fertilization from there...

Yes stop fertilizing. Fertilizer is just encouraging FA. Either use an algacide or Tilapia. If you use a algacide don't kill all the FA at once. Treat the pond in 1/3's or 1/4's, one to two wks apart.