Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment I have too much of this in my pond. pics

I have too much of this in my pond. I have recently added diffussers two vertex 9 inch to this ten year old pond.

I hear there is a bacteria treatment for this?I dont want to use any herbicide. I have a ton of new LMB that are recent from throwing just a hand full of bass in here last year. The seaweed slows up my paddle boat too.

I'm sure the experts will chime in soon. Just wanted say that is a beautiful place!! Looks like something out of a western...well except the paddle boat and aerators. lol

Great pics!

You can almost see Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones on horse back arguing on top of that hill in the back!

Thanks, its kinda dry right now its nicer when its green.

Try this thread for some information. I think you have the infamous FA. My attempts at controlling on page 3 of the thread.

Anything positive about Filamentous Algae?

The "blob" FA

I'm no expert, but there are some pictures in that thread that I think will look familiar to you.

That looks a lot like Chara \string FA mix to me... I have that very same stuff in my pond this time of year. It rakes out real well and very heavy when wet has a musk smell to it... When it dries out it almost like crunchy hey!

Some pros and cons about Chara/FA and possible treatments.

Pros.
1. Chara is not a invasive form of plant it is native.
2. Small fish love to hide in from bigger fish it give smaller fish a refuge.
3. Has a lot of small micro foods in it for smaller fish to eat.
4. Produces a lot of D.O. during the day.

Cons,

1. Sucks to fish in it sprecailly once it gets to the surface.
2. If you catch a fish in it, it feels like your pulling a log through the weeds.
3. Takes away D.O. at night!
4. It all dies and goes to the bottom of your pond increasing your muck load.
5. Without chemicals its a pain in the neck to get rid of really.

How I treat my Chara,

1. I have 6 Grass Carp that eat on it but they eat everything else too!

2. I have used Curtrine Plus Granules on mine before and spot treat it and this works quite well I might add. Never treat the whole pond mind you at one time as you could have a D.O. crash and kill some of your fish. I usually treat mine around mid to end of May cause this stuff really like to take off in June.

3. If you don't want to do either of those then the good ole rake it the next best thing. Or a wide device attached to a rope so you can sling it out into the water and pull it back. I've done this before and clean it out like rows almost looks like your mowing under water lol. It's not easy work though.

Anyhow nice looking place man hope you find a happy medium with your Chara.....

RC

Rumblon,
that is a gorgeous pond in a gorgeous surroundings. good luck with the FA

Nice frog picture too. I like it!

May be more than one plant species pictured. Can you post clear close up pics ?

Check this site for your plants.

http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/

Wow, with a setting like that I could easily tolerate some of the various pond issues we all struggle with!

Beautiful!

Rumblon,

How deep is the lake? What is the temp? Can you use Tilapia?
What have you tried?

I have found Tilapia does a good job for us in Texas, but you are not in Texas.

Your choices are predators (eaters), chemicals, or mechanical.

e

Currently its approx 12 feet at the deepest but its down now as its late in the year. It approx 4 feet deeper until late june.

NO TALAPIA, This is snow country and it freezes. I really have not had the time or funds to do much. This is 175 acres and Im building everything out of pocket because I dont want a mortgage. I bought the land 13 years ago and had the pond done 10 years ago. So here you need a fish permit from the state to get fish from a hatchery. So I dont really want the state involved and they would want a cement barrier that is unneeded because this is run of and spring fed from underground springs and no creek. It runs off into nothing but a field when its over flowing which if for several months. That said Its also against the law to catch fish in a public waterway and stock your pond. But it is legal to fish a private pond. So because I have been building a shop, small cabin ect I have not had much time to do that much fishing on private ponds. Last year I caught three bass at a private pond and threw them in. This year it appears I have literally thousands of LMB fry. This year I purchased a diffuser system and vertex diffusers which are recently going.

I have started to ask around about a bluegill pond to fish so I can bucket stock some of them. Somehow I also somehow have some channel cats in here as I found a dead one last year.

I am working on the pond now more than ever.

and landscaping.