While Im not a pond pro by any means, I have battled heavy FA problems so heres my 2 cents.

I was getting FA for the last 3 years that grew quickly and matted up half my pond by the end of May. I struggled with treating it fast enough to kill it off and protect my fish at the same time. This season I treated the edges and coves of my pond where it typically starts, very early in the spring. Early enough to not interfere with bass spawn. Well, my pre-emptive strike seems to have worked and I havent seen the slightest bit of FA yet. Weeks after I treated my pond, I got an unexpected bonus, darker water early in the season. Being spring-fed with quite a bit of watershed, I have trouble with fertilizing or gaining a natural bloom in time to thwart the chara in some areas. This year it is greatly improved. I may not even use tilapia this year, although the bass appreciate it when I do...