Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations brown gravy

New 1/2 acre pond southern Indiana 10 ft deep, built in sept of 2006.

I've developed this patchy floating scum like brown substance almost like thick nasty gravy, 2 things have happened lately. The water temp has warmed a good deal and we had a windy storm that blew some tree debris(leaves)into the pond. The last few days this brown stuff has steadily increased, it is scattered throughout the pond, the biggest area is about the size of a large dinner plate, seems to be increasing. My neighbor about a mile down the road looks to have the same issue. Is this just a type of algae? What do I use to get rid of it, I'm a rookie and obivously want to keep the fish alive and the pond attractive to swim in.

PL:

It sounds like it might be Filamentous Algae.

I have seen it looking more brown than green after floating up and starting to die.

close...but not quite...this stuff is more of a nasty brown goo...I really need to get some pictures up....I don't have any stringy green underwater plant growth like in that FA picture, it is entirely floating in all areas of pond....deep and shallow, it covers approx. 3% of the surface at the present...any other guesses or pictures to help me id would be greatly appreciated!!!

after decribing over the phone to the lady at the aquatic store, she said it sounded like a type of a heat induced microscopic algae....theo, filamentous algae?? what does it look like in its intial stages?

Initially it grows on or near the bottom. The variety I get just looks like green cotton candy in the initial stages - I don't have the kind with the stringy look.

I don't have any greenish cotton candy lookin stuff, that is what I meant by "stringy". Mine must be a floating algae, hopefully easily treatable. I was told to start with a gallon of a Copper based algaecide type product, (didn't catch the name, I'll have to go in there and see what she is talking about) she said to mix the gallon on a 9 to 1 ratio, any helpful ideas for what to use, without harming the fish, or should I let it go and let the hard frost this fall kill it?

Portable ladder

Have a look at this link and see how it compares to what you have.

http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=000066

A couple of times each summer I experience what sounds like exactly the same thing as you have. Sometimes it thickens and curdles. Sometimes it seems to have an oily sheen. When it curdles, it looks like a few of the cows snuck (sneaked?) down to the pond and took a dump.

I had a little bit of it over the past couple of days. I took the camera down to the pond this evening, and it was completely gone. When I came home past my neighbor's pond tonight, it looked like the cows had some serious disrespect for his pond -- except his critters are all fenced off from the pond.

I'm not sure, but I think mine forms about a week after I've weed-whacked the edges of the pond, and the weather has turned really hot and sunny.

Except for ruining the desire to go for a swim, it doesn't seem to affect anything else in my pond.

russ & catmandoo -

Yep, sounds pretty similar to what I have. My personal view on it, the storm blew tree debris in, temps got real hot = strange algae. I'm not too worried about it, once we get a good wind and rain hopefully it will be for the most part gone. I'll post back if it get's to the point where I decide it needs to be treated.