Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Identifying plants something green

i have something green growing in my pond now near the shallow edges. we have had some pretty cold temps here, especially for alabama. i actually saw my pond with a light cover of ice once this year. i wouldnt have figured that anything new would have appeared in the winter. it looks like a real soft, fuzzy green moss. any idea what it might be?

Check out this website. It should help you identify the plant.

http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/database/index.htm

sounds like fa,

search "spirogyra" does well in cooler temps/ sun or shade. It adapts well to almost any conditions except very warm waters.

i believe it is fa after i looked at the pics. is this a problem?

I would not call it a problem, It is an indicator that you have enough sunlight,nutrients and temperature to promote its growth.It will produce some oxygen in daylight hours in that immediate area.

I'm also in Alabama, my pond has alot of this fa this year, several big blobs near the top of the water and around the banks. So we shouldn't worry about it? Seems like it's not a bad thing for the bass and coppernose bg huh ted?

FA all depends on your goals-- moderate growth is good for fish production, but of course too much of a good thing....

I keep fighting tooth and nail to get some of my customers to let algae and weeds grow. I get tired of "nuclear" ponds where the owner thinks they can make a swimming pools out of a frog pond.

In my opinion, keep it green and keep it diverse! But don't let it get out of control, and aerate like it's your job!

Good point Justin.

Does aeration help control FA? Please explain?

bullhead, in my pond the aeration serves to mix the water column and promote phytoplankton growth (blooms). these two things decrease the visibility and sunlight penetration in the early spring when FA and other things get going.

before aeration, my pond was gin clear and i used to have nearly complete coverage of the pond by FA and other things. now i maybe have 10 to 20% coverage by FA and other things. aeration can make a huge difference.

Aeration helps but the underlying "problem" is a problem only if you want it to be. Small amounts of vegetation (up to 10% coverage) are just fine, probably beneficial (though I haven't seen the data proving this). I prefer vegetation with larger interstitial spaces that are limited to shoreline growth only. Try pickerel weed or some other shoreline rushes and sedges. These are relatively cheap to get rid of if you need to later, and you know how. If you want the smallest amount of vegetation possible reduce the nutrient load as much as possible and plant desirable vegetation to use of the rest. At the other extreme to maximize fish production fertilize the pond to maintain a 18-24 inch bloom during warm water times of year (greater than 60 degrees) and treat any weed growth over 5% coverage. Watch DO during the height of summer heat. Treat weed growth exceeding 5% once the water is warm enough to begin your bloom growth.

Jeezo Wetland - what good information. Welcome to the forum!Your knowledge will serve as a great resource for us. I have reread your post three times to make sure I "get" it all.