Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Identifying plants Pond scum ID

Is there a place where I can actually look at pictures of different types of "pond Scum"? that anybody may know of so I can postively ID my scum It has lots of bubbles in it but not stringy green to brown in color was thinking it was planton algae and it still may be. Pond guy was out a week ago to check on WM and DW and it had rained the night before and it was completely gone then comes back the next couple days. Real slimy looking with bubbles trapped in it with like a light film between the scum. Has no type of structer to it, just falls apart when handles or raked. Any ideas?

Try this site it helped me.

http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/

Thanks,
I have been on that site quite a few times lately what they show as plankton algae kinda describes mine in color but has never indicated that it has trapped bubbles in it, or has a close up picture of it to pos. ID it.

does FA have different growth cycles? maybe its new growth FA that hasnt "hardened off" yet? that's the only aq.weed i have any experience with having bubbles in it.

I think it's just whatever you get when large amounts of DW and WM die off and decay. microbes and aeration will take care of it by fall, hopefully.

That is what I am hoping is causing all the yuck. My water sure is clear, with the angle just right I can see the frog when they jump in to hide on the bottom, and I think the herons can too, they are getting less and less each day.

D.I.E.D
Its not at all stringy, breaks away when handled or disturbed. bubbles could be all the gases from the bottom of the pond, not uncommon to see 2-3 bubles streams at a time at different places of the pond

This is what I had in my pond just a few days ago..it had lots of bubbles in it too. I think the white spots in this pic are the bubbles.


http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/database/algae/planktonic_algae.htm

That NWW is planktonic algae (aka bloom) when it is thick usually when pushed up by the wind. I would not worry about it unless it covers large areas and there is little open water.

Trials the pic you posted last week is what BM described. DW/WM when dying. The thick gooey clear stuff could be cytoplasm from the dying plants. I have seen DW do that several times. Turn up the aerator if you can without straining its capacity. Waves and water turnover are good in dealing with DW.

Thanks for the info, I cant turn up the air but for 50 bucks I can add another pump to the line and get it going a little better, actually I was just down tonight and cleaned the membrane it was cover with yuck, still flowing but seem to be less, looks better now. I can add another and only draw a total of 1 amp to the system and kick up the pressure at the diffuser, Just moved it tonight to right at 11 feet the water has dropped 2 feet so now when it fills back up it will be at 13'. darn pond is suprisinly deep for no bigger than it is,, Also the water sure feels warm right now. I am so itching to throw some fish in there