Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Filamentous Algae vs. Ocillatoria

Have about 1.5 acre pond in Ohio which is 5 years old. Have used bottom aeration and aquashade since beginning with much success. Had very limited algae issues in past 4 years and spot treated algae with Cutrine Plus which worked well. This year has been a nightmare! We have a very shallow and large beach area where the entire bottom is covered with algae mats that eventually float to the top. I also have it along some of the edges. I've tried Cutrine plus liquid and granular but with limited or no success. Had a pond guy come out today and he said it's ocillatoria but I think it looks like filamentous algae? My questions below and thanks for your help!

1) Can anyone confirm algae type (see pic)?
2) Any remediation ideas? Note I plan to drain pond enough to dig beach deeper and cleanup edges as now beach way too shallow.
3) Any algaecide recommendations?
4) Would tilapia help next year if it's ocillatoria?

It sure looks like a blue-green algae, which I think is what ocillatoria is. This has been a rough year here in Ohio with the heat and very limited rain. Don't go swimming in there as long as you have it, and keep pets out.

If Bill Cody sees this, I am sure he can/will provide a more certain answer.

That is difficult stuff to deal with and eliminate. It is a benthic Cyanobacteria aka bluegreen but it could be Oscillaoria, Lungbya, Phormidium, or Planktothrix plus maybe a few others mixed into the mat; all filamentous and capable of forming jelly-like spongy sheets or masses on the bottom and later floating to the surface. It grows because the bottom is bare and fertile. Your treatment / management program for the last four years resulted in producing the heavy growths of this algae which is tolerant of pond dye and Cutrine-Plus . You managed to exclude most all other plants except this tolerant type, and once introduced it thrived. This bentinc Cyanobacteria thrives on a bare, fertile, mud, pond bottom.
Consider getting yourself a surface circulator (Kasco) and it will chop up all those floating mats. Tilapia at the higher density (30lbs/ac) will eat that stuff at lower biomasses although it is not one of their favorite foods. About the only algacide that I have seen works okay on these algae mats is heavy doses of peroxygen (GreenClean Pro or Phycomycin). In my experience it is easier to prevent it than get rid of it.

Kevin "the Bug Man" at Aquafix has a treatment program that deals with this type of algae that he calls Lyngbya which involves an Aquasticker, an algacide, and bacterial products.

Thanks for the info this far guys. What would be preventative measures for next year? Would it help to have the beach deeper as its only < 2 ft for a very large area? Also if I get the it deeper would aquashade help ? Thx again!

I can't really give you answers on this with any confidence. Bill refers to Kasco, but is it surface or bottom diffusers? I am assuming surface aerator for this case. But a bottom diffuser may be a good option for you in the long term. Some links here:

http://www.pondboss.com/resource_guide.asp?id=13&c=1
http://kascomarine.com/products/pond-lake-aerators/af-series-surface-aerators/

I am starting to experience a little bit of this myself, but the pond is 1500' from any electric. I assume the surface agitator is run directly from a electric line, not air line. I wonder if a generator would run it for short periods when it is only needed. I am also pondering the idea of setting my trash pump to act in some similar way.

Also a link with Bills comment on 8/18 to get rid of it:
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=454383#Post454383

I had the same stuff in my small, 1/4 acre pond in NE Ohio. I found that Green Clean Pro would cause the bottom mats to float to the surface (in a very short time) and I removed them manually. Since adding Tilapia in June, the floating mats have disappeared. I found the bottom mats only formed in shallow areas so were easy to treat. I use bottom aeration, a small amount of dye, and have never used any copper based products. Good, bad, or indifferent, I only run air at night….to try and keep the water temperature down.

pondrookie said he has bottom aeration. The surface circulator with the 4ft working depth chops the algae from the surfaces and creates pond currents slowing growth of many problem algae.

Thanks guys. Yes - I do have bottom aeration and I also only see this ugly stuff in the shallow areas (beach and sides).

Looking at the pics of the blue-green algae or Cyanobacteria I'm puzzled because mine is not that color at all (when alive or dead). Note I do have alot of aquashade in which might be throwing the color off. How do you differentiate between FA and Cyanobacteria? I included another pic to help.

Also, any issues with swimming if it is Cyanobacteria? We've done so all year and the water seems clean (except the floating mats) with no issues.

Not a pro but it looks like FA to me..... Does the algae smell bad? My blue green looks emerald green then turns blue when it floats to the top( dead or dying). That's what I observe in my pond

My profession is a phycologist. Phycology the branch of botany dealing with algae. Trust me it is primarily Cyanobacteria.
http://learn.org/articles/How_Do_I_Become_a_Phycologist.html

FA is primarily or almost always a type of green algae aka Chlorophyta and exists as filamentous algae thus FA. There are also lots of species of unicellar and colonial green algae. Whereas your particular type of Cyanobacteria exists as tricomes with gelatinous sheaths not true filaments that grow in mats usually attached to mud bottoms. This type of algae is called 'epipelic".

Lots of it dying can at times produce toxins in the water and be toxic to animals that eat it. The Cyanobacteria that are considered harmful are unpredictable as to when they produce toxins and are still being researched as to why and when.

I'm confused, so some blue green is that lighter color and doesn't turn blue?

Just like my reading skill let me miss pondrookie's bottom aeration statement,
I thought Bills recent post read as "I am a psychologist, trust me" and thought ,Huh?

Bluegreen algae is a very diverse group. Many are not harmful, do not cause blooms, and go unnoticed. Most if not all bluegreens do contain a the bluish pigment that is more visible when the green chlorophyll pigment breaks down when they are decomposing. The blueish color is not readily apparent unless they are abundant and gathered together. Here is a pretty good layman's explanation of how Cyanobacteria relate to pond/lake management:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/algae/publichealth/GeneralCyanobacteria.html

Search engines also have a hard time distinguishing between psychologist and phycologist since many people spell them wrong and read them wrong.

Then it will be hard to tell if it's toxic or not.... Guess its best to err on the safe side and stay out of it

Pat, ask Bill how many different types of algae there are and you will be amazed. We use broad terms here, like that's a "dog" or that's a "cat" when referring to algae.

I'd be willing to bet that there are more species of algae than there are species of canines and felines combined, including wild ones world wide.

Great info and probably wishful hoping it was FA. Some more questions
1) Will this Cyanobacteria die over the winter ?
2) once you have it is it likely to come back each year? Never had this previously.
3) would you recommend I stay away from the cutrine plus and go with the aquashade and good bacteria supplements and treat it as it shows up with options you described above?

Thanks again for the help. Very informative.

I don't know your thoughts on vegetation in your pond but, IMO if you add some desirable vegetation, there are less nutrients to feed the algae. I have seen a big reduction in FA in my pond this year as the "good vegetation" is getting established.

Bill
That was my thinking but it seems the blue green has a different idea. I have more plants , American pondweed is in most shorelines and that plant that Kelly Duffie hasn't identified yet , primrose. So I'm not sure what to think.just hope the combination of plants and tilapias will put an end to the nasty algae

Many of the mat dwelling Cyanobacteria are resistant or tolerant to copper based algacides, as I eluded to in my 1st post. Cutrine-P, dye, and lack of bottom growing plants taking up bottom space as competition all helped create your algae problem. Eliminate everything else and something will colonize in the available habitat - that is how nature 'works'.

Bill, can you provide Kevin's contact info from Aquafix? Thx.

Aquafix.
https://teamaquafix.com/contact-us/

Pat, your plant samples have been growing in a bucket on my patio all summer. The growth-pattern changed soon after I began the sample's rehab, and it never returned to the growth-pattern that I recall seeing in your original photos (which I can't find again).
I think it's simply a species of primrose, but not one that I recall seeing before. BTW, I found some worms that really seemed to enjoy munching on this primrose.

HERE are some photos of the rehabbed plant that I took today, along with some bladderwort that also made the trip via USPO.

Kelly my plants are morphing to land plants also, but very low to the ground and yes the bugs like to eat the leaves..... I don't see any in the water like it was.... Now I have the dreaded blue/green algae blobs around..... Phew

Just brought the pictures bact to the front

Pond Rookie: Have you had any success? sufficient aeration and granular Cutrine should do the trick. If you have a resistant strain there are some tank mixes that will help.

Came across this thread and I also have a 1 1/2 ac pond fed by a spring. When first moved in had a mossy bottom with a lot of muck. Have used aeration and bacteria and now the muck has markedly cleared as well as the moss. Now have bare bottom with little vegetation. What favorable vegetation would you recommend. Have had FA problems past several years and treatment has been with dye and Cutrine. The Cutrine has killed off our snails and crayfish. Have trout and grass carp. Nothing kills the grass carp. Wanted to know if anyone have used barley straw? How do you use it and how much? Any suggestions as to a good bottom vegetation?