Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations algae question??

has anyone on this site ever used pond clear bacteria pucks or super concentrate along with natures blue pond dye to help cure algae problems? also,if used correctly could this harm the fish population at all?my pond is currenly stocked with native bluegill,flathead minnows,redears,and channel cats.Thanks for any input on these products?

Yes I've used similar products. Any dye that reduces light penetration is bound to substantially reduce growth especially below three feet as plants and algae need light along with nutrients to grow.

I have used a different bacteria product to compete for nutrients with rooted plants and phytoplankton in my flow through trout pond, but still not sure if it worked. I had filmentous algae disappear after application in several weeks, but I'm not sure it wasn't due to an increase in Chara that outcompeted the filimentous algae for nutrients. Or it could have been a combination of the microbes and the Chara as the Chara provides lots of area for the bacteria to grow in. I no longer use bacteria as I can't justify the cost if I'm not sure it works.

If I use a dye to reduce plants I would only go with "Aquashade" as it's the only one registered by the EPA for algae reduction. All the others are knock offs. Aquashade is higher quality than the others too. I know of one fish farm that will only use Aquashade for that reason.

Keep in mind if you are using a dye and your fish are not fed by you, you are reducing the available food in the food chain by reducing rooted plants and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is needed in the food chain to produce food for zooplankton, which larve fish need to survive. Rooted plants are needed for protection of larvae fish to some extent and are benefical for the balance of the pond as long as the rooted plants don't get out of hand. If you have no plants, or to few rooted plants, your forage fish can be decimated by predators and your

BTW it's fatheads not "flatheads." Flatheads are a form of catfish.

cecil thanks for the good advice.what does epa stand for?

EPA -- Environmental Protection Agency