I get this in my pond when there has not been enough rain to create flow through and wash some of the nutrients out of the pond.
If it turns out to be bluegreen algae, that can be bad stuff you want to avoid. If it starts looking like spilled bluegreen paint as it dies and stinks, keep yourself and pets away.
Thanks Snrub. I've done more looking and unfortunately believe this is blue green. I did a jar test in the refrigerator and got the to floating green. Its not bad yet but need to get it handled. Any thoughts or suggestions would be great. Again thanks Dave
Others would be better to give advice on controlling it. I have used Cutrine and dye to help control FA, but neither of those address the main problem which is excess nutrients.
In fact, I did not have problems with the bluegreen algae till I started controlling the FA. Which makes a very good point. If you kill off one thing, something else in nature is going to find a way to utilize those nutrients. Hopefully something not worse than whatever was that was killed off.
I believe the more a person manages a pond to fit his wants, the more critical management becomes to prevent unwanted side effects from the management.
I had a case of blue green last year for a while. Didn't want to poison pond so I put 50#s of tilapia in and about 3 week it was gone. Don't think they ate it but think they ate enough of the bottom junk to change the nutrient level enough for it to die out or it just ran its course. Had to try something and got lucky
Edit: btw if you put it in a coke bottle with water and cap it for a while then uncap it and smell the opening .... if it's blue green it will smell bad . Think DD1 suggested that
Snrub you are correct the pond management is tough... I continue to watch and learn. I will watch this an see if it develops but I dont want it to get to far. We had about 3.25 inches so I got a good flush so I hope this is just pollen or something else. Probably wishful thinking but you never know. So far I have not added anything to it. I have done some home water testing but don't have a total alkalinity. The Ph is good but I figure the alkalinity is low and like most ponds it seems I will need lime but will test and find out. I am running aeration that I hope will help long term and even a little shorter term. I have been pulling some catfish out. They had gotten quite large so I am working to get some of the larger fish (cats) out. I do hand feed but only about 4 cups and it is gone in no time but the blue gill then followed by the cats. Pat, thanks. I put some in a quart jar and stuck it in the refrigerator overnight, I have not opened it yet but will tonight. I do currently have dying grass and yard weeds about 1 foot into the water that had just started growing before the last rain that brought me back to full pool. It was a very dry fall and winter. It looks like a wet spring as I am full.
