I have 3.3 acre pond in Northern Virginia. I have a vertex aeration systym, 20 grass carp and am now going to try some barley straw. I just got 30 25 lb bales to put in my pond. Should I put them around the aerators? In bales? I have read that you should make tubes out of tree netting (where can I get that)? I would also love to add Tilapia as Filamentous Algae is my #1 issue but you can't buy them in Virginia (I don't think). Any ideas ... thanks in advance

Glad to see that you are proactive enough to have an aeration system.

I have used the barley straw in the past and in my experimentation, it needed to be broken out of the bails, placed loosely in mesh bags like laundry bags and staked along the pond's edge.

The straw does not do anything until it begins to rot. During that rotting process, an enzyme is produced and that enzyme is what takes care of the algae.

If you were to place the straw over the boils of the aeration system, there would not be enough air contact to allow the enzyme to begin to be produced.

In my testing, it took about 2-3 months before it started to work and the customer ended up not liking the look of the straw around the edge with algae growing on it. So I had to end my test prior to receiving any good or bad results.

Let me know by the end of the season how your straw experiment turns out.

Greg Grimes with Aquatic Envirnomental Services should be able to get your tilapia for you. His number is 770-735-3523 and email: lakeservices@mindspring.com.

Good luck!

Cary,
Thanks for the reply. as far as your statement:
"If you were to place the straw over the boils of the aeration system, there would not be enough air contact to allow the enzyme to begin to be produced". I( have a Vertex aerator with two heads that pump millions of little air bubbles : wouldn't that be enough air contact.

It would be too much water contact. In my test I found that the enzyme was produced in the areas where the straw was good and moist but not water logged.