Pond Boss Forums PHOTO GALLERY Image Gallery Blue stuff in pond????

I have a new pond (<6 months old) that has been going through a lot of different looks - clumps of algae - suspended algae blooms, clearing, more algae blooms etc - but now I have strange looking BLUE stuff on the surface along with green algae. The pond it just under 3/4 acre, ph ~8.2, coppernose blue gill stocked about 2 months ago (and growing well) - (feed program). The pond has been aerated since stocking as well - Does anyone know what this stuff is (see pics) and what do I do about it?

thanks in advance - I look forward to reading ALL of the forum posts this week!

Mook

Looks like an oil sheen to me in the pics...

Its not oil - the blue is very blue - the pics do not do it justice

I think that is some form of algae.

it does look like some sort of algae? does it have any odor?

If I were seeing this in my water I would be concerned about the water quality. It appears to me you have an overabundance of nutrients.

There is a smell but to be honest it smells like a pile of cut grass that has decayed. Since my pond has gone up over 2 feet in the last two months a lot of native weeds and grasses have grown and are now dying due to being partially submerged - do you guys think it could be related to this?

Yes it could be related to being a new pond.

Although different in color it looks a little similar to the Euglena that we had at our pond and that Greg Grimes identified.

Perhaps you could get a sample of some of it and send it off to Bill Cody as a belated birthday present.

Mook,

That is blue-green algae. I have seen it hundreds of times in fertile commercial production ponds. Certain forms will turn a shocking shade of blue when piled up on the surface and exposed to the sun. I usually see it piled up on downwind corners and blown up on the bank. The blue is actually algae that has recently died from over-exposure to sun. Don't worry about the blue stuff being a problem. Blue-green algae present is a sign that your pond has a high level of nutrients and this could present a problem with regards to creating an algal bloom which is too heavy. Heavy algal blooms sometimes experience rapid and volatile die-offs which create periods of low dissolved oxygen in the water which can kill fish.

-HH

Since this is a new pond, the water is quite new and it primarily run-off from neighboring pasture. Would you guess the high nutrients are from the runoff (some horse and cattle but not a whole lot) or would you guess that it may be from over feeding?

Also, I do have an aerator in both the deep end and the middle of the pond - would I still be at risk for low DO and a fish kill?

Mook