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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 4
Fingerling
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Fingerling
Joined: Oct 2009
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I am looking for a good product to clear up the algae in my pond. I am looking for something that is natural. Someone told me about a product called Laguna Barley Straw Pellets . I was wondering if anyone has used this before or used, Barley Straw? Or any other natural product would be appreciated.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,099 Likes: 22
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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The "someone" that told you about it wasn't therrien was it?
Where's your pond located? What kind of fish do you have? Is this a "garden" type pond or clay lined?
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,414 Likes: 792
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Posts: 28,414 Likes: 792 |
From what I've seen work in my pond, I'd recommend Rainmans' Blues if legal. What's more natural than fish eating algae? Tommy, where in the USA are you located?
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Joined: Jun 2007
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Tommy1, I have no idea what our new friend alexdestin is referring to, but Barley Straw won't clear algae. Barley straw is used to help clear suspended clay particles from the water and often fails at that.
As barley straw decays it may even ADD to the nutrient load to grow MORE algae.
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110 Likes: 478
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Barley straw can help slow down the growth of SOME? of the few types of algae. Barley straw will NOT kill existing algae growth, if it works, it will only slow new algae growth. Many algae tend to be resistant to affects of barley straw. I have seen some filamentous algae grow on the bales and bags of barley straw! I would consider use of barley straw and the bartley pellets just a test to see if it MIGHT work or help in a particular situation. In tests so far the tilapia eat many more types of algae compared to what are temporarily controled by barley straw. Tilapia eating algae are converting plant biomass into fish flesh that can be harvested to remove the offending nutrients from the pond. Plus an added benefit is one can eat the tilapia; can't do that with spent barley straw or algicides.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 09/04/10 10:13 AM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 563
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
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Tommy, Algae is one of a pondmiester's biggest battles. For me, Barley straw does not work. Take Rainman's advice that it tends to make stuff worse. The big thing that you need to focus on is what is causing your algae. If you have a new pond, you probably do not have enough plants in your pond to use the excess nutrients. If you have lots of runoff from fields, you may be getting lots of fertilizer flowing into your pond.
I agree with esshup and Bill that tilapia work really well as a natural defense.
Please give us more information about your pond and where you are located so we can help you.
Last edited by CoachB; 09/04/10 10:10 AM. Reason: Bill is faster than me.
Brian Retired Coach Just another day in paradise!
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Joined: Jun 2011
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Joined: Jun 2011
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The Local County Co-Op man recommended Copper Sulfate for control....but he said it would kill any fish.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,414 Likes: 792
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Copper Sulphate will kill trout, but if used in correct amounts won't kill the other fish. What it WILL do is build up in the sediment on the pond bottom, with the levels of copper rising every year that it's used. There are better, more pond friendly chemicals to use on algae, and biological methods if the state allows you to use them.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,474 Likes: 264
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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CUSO4 will kill fish quickly if used in low alkalinity water. It inhibits gill function in that situation. Lots here on the topic.
There is a bunch of published data on barley straw and its effects. I think Bill's comments come closest to the data.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,596 Likes: 36
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Jul 2005
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Here is an interesting article I stumbled across in treating a chronic toxic algae problem at a public lake in NE. What do the pond experts think? A one-two-punch with Cutrine Plus followed by an Alum treatment? http://watercenter.unl.edu/archives/2009/2009%20Fremont%20Lake.pdf“From June 2004 to September 2007, the beach at the lake was closed for 36 weeks, making it one of the most impacted public lakes in the state for blue-green algae toxins,” said Paul Brakhage, water quality expert at NDEQ.
Because of these frequent closings of this one lake in the chain of Fremont State Lakes, the entire state recreation area lost thousands of public visits each summer.
Uncontrolled algae growth can clog these sandpit lakes with bluish-green scum, contribute to fish kills and make them unsafe, foul smelling and unusable for swimming, boating, fishing and water skiing. It has long been known that nontoxic aluminum sulfate bonds with phosphorus, which is the primary food, source for toxic algae in sandpit lakes, and takes it to the bottom of the lake. Alum, as it is known, forms a flock-like barrier on the bottom of a lake that binds with the phosphorus and keeps it out of the water column. UNL researchers have successfully treated other Fremont State Lakes with the solution in the 1990’s. What hadn’t been tried before was treating one of the lakes after the algae toxins were already known to be in it, as was the case when they treated lake #20 in 2007.
“Water chemistry, the shape and size of the lake and sources of nutrients for the algae to feed on are all factors in how successful treating with alum might be. Typically a treatment can last five to 10 years or longer,” Barrow said. Several months later the lake was treated with an algaecide, which did not harm the fish, to reduce the amount of algae in the water and make the alum treatment more effective, Brakhage said.
Following treatment, lake water quality results have shown phosphorus is down 85 percent and a result of that is that chlorophyll-a, algae’s biomass, has been reduced 92 percent, resulting in no algal toxins being detected in the lake last year.
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