Pond Boss Forums PHOTO GALLERY Image Gallery NW WASHINGTON POND problem

I have a pond in NW Washington about 120' x 120' x 14' deep with large trout and now I have this growth and I would like to get it cleaned up for photos this month even if temporary. I already have a aerator and it run 14 hours a day. Claude

Claudeb,

I can not be sure on the the photos, but it looks like you might have some duck weed? The first photo I am not real sure what it is. I see that your from Mount Vernon, my wife is originally from Arlington. I hear its been a little warm.

Thanks Joshua,

Yes I did learn that it is Duckweed. I have ordered some diquat and am thinking about trying to remove it mechanially before treating the pond to avoid fish kill. Has anyone ever used a diaphram pump to remove duckweed and what kind of results did you have?

The plant in the photo is Azolla caroliniana, common name Fairy moss. Its a persistent little opportunist floating fern which can spring up, here today, gone tomorrow. It gobbles up excess nitrates... the stuff that might otherwise stimulate the dread green water single cell algae

One windy blustery day it will all blow over to the one side of the pond, an excellent opportunity to net the bulk of it out, bag it up and enjoy something to mulch around your drought prone plants

If you can learn to live with say, a modest benign 10% pond coverage of azolla, you will have the most spectacular photographic treat with the first frosts when, just as azolla is about to be completely destroyed by freezing temperatures, it turns the most spectacular yellow, red, gold, crimson tones

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l42/adavisus/

Well Andrew you are right, it is Azolla caroliniana and it has taken over my pond. We netter for five hours removing maybe 10 weheelbarrows and its still there.

It will take a week of work everyday to get rid of it. I wonder if 2-4-D, grass carp, Reward or Casoron will work? I never had it before and I wonder if its related to replacing my fountain with an aerator?

Definitely Azolla. My first plan of attack would be Reward (although I don't see it on the label) with enough surfactant to stick it to the plant. Try to get a day when the wind has it blown up a couple of concentrated areas. Use a light spray...almost mist-like to keep the plants from floating around and to keep water from splashing up and washing the herbicide off while spraying. Take your time and try to get as much of the exposed leafs covered as you can. It is alot like trying to control duckweed...you probably won't be able to get it all in one treatment, but as lons as you don't let it get cranking again, the 2nd treatment won't be as bad.

Thanks for all the advice on my 1/4 acre pond in NW Washington Satte last year. I used fine messed fishing nets to scoop it up. It took at least 30 hours of work, scooping it and hauling it by wheelbarrow about 250 feet. We used two high pressure garden hoses and nozzels to move the fern towards our work area. That took quite a while to learn was the best way. I put in a permit for sterile asian grass carp and this April I put in seven 9" fish in the pond in April but the fairy moss has almost choked off the the entire pond. Don't really know what the carp are up to but doubt they are going hungry. I did purchase 2.5 gal diquat but have onlt used .5 gallons with no visible results. We're started to net it out again tomorrow. Amazing no one seems to make a really high quality shallow say 20" x 20" x 6" net with a 12-14 extension pole that can handle the weight of wet fairry most. Business op for someone!

try searching for a heavy duty pool skimmer

I don't know much about the plant but Grass carp seldom have much effect the first year. It's generally year 2 before they make a difference.