Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Algae issue....IT's BAAAACCCCCKKKKK! LOL

Well the weather in the midwest is finally acting like summer and the ark building has been put on hold. In usual fashion the pond is starting to get the green algae film on top. Last year I used Cutrine Plus (liquid) and Aqua shade....both worked like a charm and cleared her up with no issues.

This year is a little different....or so I have been told. We have the pond stocked (last fall) with around 1800 fish....200 being channel cat. I was told that I should not use Cutrine Plus (or any copper based algaecides) if I have channel cat. Thoughts? Solutions? Thanks in advance!

The attachment pic is last years, but same stuff we have this year.

Wait until it all blows to one end and spray just the surface material that was pushed to one end with diluted Green Clean liquid or dissolved Green Clean Pro or Phycomycin. Read instructions with the product. Let us know if it works and how well it works.

Sounds good, it usually blows to one end a few days a week. Where would I find this product?

I identified the algae as FA. I used 2 gallons of safire and 20#'s of greenclean algacide. Everything seams to be good, however the greenclean doesn't appear to be as an effective of a product as Cutrine Plus. From the directions and my observations I'll probably have to treat it again before summers end where the Cutrine was one and done last year....we shall see! Thanks again...

Is that a blue dye?

I tend to agree that the peroxygen products such as Green Clean Pro -Phycomycin are not as effective especially on filamentous algae as the copper based products, however the peroxygen products do not add any heavy metals to the pond ecosystem. IMO and in the long term of pond aging and overall ecosystem health years from now the peroxygen products are much better when used early in algae development, correct placement and correct method of application. Green Clean and Green Clean Pro are two different strengths of products with GC Pro being significantly more concentrated. Keep in mind that peroxygen breaks down into water, oxygen and carbonate where as the copper in the Cutrine and other similar products leaves heavy metal bound residue in the sediments that will accumulate with usage. Bound copper products will periodically dissolve during certain sediment water chemistries.

Peroxygen will break down the cell wall of the alga after it has oxidized it is completely harmless. This is why Bill is stating to spray it directly onto the unwanted alga. It will try to break down the cells on your hand too so keep it off your cells too.

It is really amazing how well treating surface alga the days it blows to one end or the other. It works very well and after two or three gos there is not much to speak of for alga floating.

Cheers Don.

Peroxygen carbonate products are really most effective on the planktonic bluegreen algae especially the surface or those high in the water column. Peroxygen will work on the other algal species such as green FA, but you have to use little higher dosages depending on the type of algae and how massive the growth is. Peroxygen works best on early growth stages of algae, before it gets big and a nuisance.