MetalSpine - I've been in your shoes and spent many long hours raking algae, determined to be chemical free. Forget it! Its like raking leaves in the forest. You can do it forever and they'll keep coming back. Since this is your first year, and with a new home you have other priorities, consider hiring a local acquatics company to treat your pond for you. Others on this forum may think this is sacrilegious, and it costs more than doing it yourself. But then you can devote your time to deciding on an aerator, edge plantings, talapia, etc. After observing the pros you'll be better equipped to do the chemical treatments yourself next year. You'll be surprised how quickly it will look beautiful again.
