Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants algae in an ornamental pond

I have a 1/3 acre pond that is only about 2 feet deep that was built as an ornamental pond. I have a big algae problem. I am interested in having some plants, and some goldfish, but my priority is to get rid of the algae. I have no problems using chemicals, but I don't know what to use. Please help. I know you guys normally don't advise for this type of pond, but my brother who is a real pond guy sent me to you and he said you would help since he spend a lot of money with Mike Otto and Bob Lusk.

Thanks.

TWO THINGS THAT WORK IN GARDEN PONDS ,BARLEY STRAW, ANY BIG PET STORE WILL HAVE IT OR CAN ORDER IT. THE OTHER IS GREENEX, LOOK UP GREENEX. COM, THE GARDEN SHOP HAS IT AND POND SUPPLIES. I USE GREENEX IN MY THREE ACRE POND IT DOES WORK. ONE TREATMENT LAST ALL SUMMER.

TROLL

Do you know what is the active chemical in Greenex?
Robert B

Robert B

Greenex (bacilus subtillis) is generally recognized as safe (GRAS)non-pathogenic, naturally occuring beneficial bacteria.

Ingredients, bacterial cultures, gypsum, carbon.



TROLL

Well, if you can't find effective alternatives here for 'green water' it would be a bit of a surprise. Something about your ponds configuration does not sound quite right, if it is always green... lacking in aquatic plant species, perhaps... maybe critters or herbicides have destroyed the balance, or something a bit too fertile has been going in...

Chemical 'fixes' won't change the circumstances other than to function as a 'short term' fix... or even be a bad long term fix, lol. Over these parts, there are a plenty of ponds which are still long term dead with 'quick fixes' ddt. etc....

there are quite a few types of algae, blanketweed is a well known form which is distinctively a filament type, it forms endless lengths

There are other single celled algaes, which can form a 'scum' at the surface too... either way, its the result of fertile water and the algaes ability to grow fast... Its the perfectly normal reaction of a simple plant in healthy water conditions.

String algae...spirogyra... its often called blanketweed... when it builds up it is a serious problem to a pond.
Eventually conditions can cause it all to die at the same time, and you have a severe pollution problem then, too much going off at the same time.

You can step up plants that take up the surplus fertility and starve it out, you can hand clear it when it is thick enough to be convenient....
As far as I can tell, no one has any success suppressing blanketweed with uv filters... the stuff simply isn't obliging enough to amble up a pipe for nuking.... free floating algaes maybe, alas to break down to pollutants which you pump back in a pond hohum

In a pond without fish, you are likely to have much less volatile conditions for algae. There aren't the fish pumping fertile 'output' ..... plants get to grow much better, you wont need pumps or filters which will turn algae into pollution... a natural balance of beetles and dragonfly predators will destroy mosquitoes far more efficiently than fish on a permanent pond, so you will find a 'fishless' pond a far more pleasant and diverse water garden... expect clear waters, amphibians and dragonfly galore, and crystal clear water when there is a well balanced range of aquatic plants taking a grip on water quality.

Another factor with algae is the ponds configuration, algae thrives in shallow ponds, they can cope with water warming and cooling rapidly, where many plants would struggle, making a pond shallow is really condemning yourself to a permanent green soup bowl.... ponds with an average depth of 30" deep will be stable temperature wise and aquatic plants will thrive better...

Many algae 'chemical remedies' are based on copper sulphate... and can be quite pricey.
If you locate copper sulphate, a 0.3ppm dose will kill a lot of it, without distressing fish too much (2ppm is lethal to insects and fish) By selectively targeting small areas of blanketweed, you could use copper sulphate to suppress it, one area at a time. That's useful where blanketweed is seriously smothering delicate plants... You can find copper sulphate at farm supplies, $7 for a pint quantity will last years.... One down side is the consequences of a big 'algae kill' is a lot of dead green stuff all going off at the same time creating a reaction which consumes oxygen in the water, threatening existing fish...

Some so called 'algae' treatments are misleading, to be avoided...if its based on simazine... (ethylamino)-s-triazine, its a vicious and persistent herbicide poison, with unknown and unresearched impact upon young fish and many species of plant...

Simazine is absorbed by all, it moves to affect the process of growth causing cells to starve and die, in a process which may take 10 weeks to show in many species, though on algae its effect is within 3-14 days...

So if the marvel of algae dying in a few days excites you, don't be too surprised if the label on the pack does not tell you odd things continue to happen weeks later

Now while the success of simazine will impress you, you may be tempted to use it often.... a normal human reaction.

Alas, the poison is persistent and way more complex when doses are repeated, expect unknown things to happen, like lilies dwarf, parrots feather and water hyacinth suddenly sicken, developing fish die.

Panic then, as you imagine some disease is causing distress to your fish and you start doing wacky salt treatments and other voodoo dances in desperation, as well as buying more over priced and poorly specified chemicals with a pretty picture of happy fish on the pack from greedy lying thieving executives in chemical conglomerates

Sounds bad? it is. Some smart ass executive has thought of a way to make 10,000 doses out of a bucket of poison so they can brag they flogged $50,000 of poison to a bunch of mugs at the next board meeting...

The moral of the story is, if the components of the chemical are not clearly specified for you to research accurately, its probably a scam to sell some disreputable chemical companies poison at a monster of a mark up, callously intended to rip you off

I shouldn't freak about considering using chemicals, until the algae seriously chokes stuff, or presents an imminent threat to fish by reducing surface area to such an extent the fish can't get oxygen. As with any plant, there is a time of day, around dawn, where plants have seriously depleted oxygen in a pool...

Blanketweed does have some upside, It can and does clarify water quality, while you wait for other plants to build up in numbers, restricted to small areas, it does provide shade for fish, and they do like pumping spawn into it, so it can be quite useful for fish breeding purposes

A long term fix for blanketweed is plants....
I'd suggest you crank up the aquatic plants, in batches. Say three varieties at a time. That would be a convenient quantity to phase in as parcels by mail order. When the pond, whatever size, or configuration is planted about 60% area with aquatic plants, they will take control of water quality

.... Heres a short list of the better 'algae busters'

fast foliage plants- they grow fast but need restraining soon.......
lizards tail
azolla
water hyacinth
parrots feather - copes with fish grazing
typhas (reeds, the small varieties, not the nasty latifolia) - copes with fish grazing
salvinia

slow foliage types, easier to control in the long run.......
aquatic iris ... slow but steady growers, easy to control - copes with fish grazing
sedges - copes with fish grazing
cyperus - copes with fish grazing
scirpus - copes with fish grazing
pickerel - copes with fish grazing
sweet flag - copes with fish grazing
any small to medium water lilies < copes with fish grazing

The reason I'd categorize plants into two categories for algae busting is that the 'slow' varieties are best in the long run, having more attractive features and being well behaved and easy to control, while you wait for varieties like that to take control, a combination of the 'fast foliage' types can be used to get control.... these are extremely invasive plants but do have the redeeming feature that they are fairly easy to control at a later date

One of the problems for new ponders is that 'green water' is a sudden event and there is often the desperate attempt to go for the 'quick fix' to hide embarrassment at all that work to make a pond, going to waste to end up with a green soup bowl.... which often results in ineffective solutions like emptying, silly pumps and junk, chemicals... The plain fact is green water is healthy water.... and your fish are accelerating the process.

Cranking up the plants steadily will with time crush the algae, big time, long term, for less than the price of pumps and junk... Here I have ponds which have no fish, no mechanical nonsense, just aquatic plants ....they are crystal clear most of the year until something stirs it up.

Regards, andy

OlderBro: be aware that some of the referenced plants and many plant species available for sale on various websites are prohibited by TP&W.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/regulate/exotics.htm
Even some of the listed non-prohibited species account for many pond owner complaints in Texas due to our state's lengthy growing season and comparatively mild winters. Generally speaking, tactics that work in one part of the country (or in backyard ornamental ponds) may not work equally well elsewhere or in larger waterbodies. Differing climates, water qualities and pond designs play a huge role in an effective overall management plan.
In respect to your 1/3rd-acre pond, I'd agree that you need to focus on nutrient management (reduction & prevention).
Non-invasive aquatic macrophytes (plants) are certainly an option for accomplishing this objective. But, be careful about the specie(s) that you select. Don't adopt any species that may quickly become a problem in and of themselves.
There are also several microbial agents that are marketed on the concept of impacting nutrient-availability, with the objective of reducing available "fuel" for algae growth. However, these microbial products vary widely in their make-up and cost-effectiveness.
I'd be happy to email some information to you regarding microbial agents, if desired. Call or email me if you're interested. KD

Yo, bigbro...tell baby bro Timmy hello.
Still have algae? I favor the bacteria, especially since your pond has lots of rocks for substrate, and flowing water.
If you need help, call.