Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Could use some advice on a small algae bloom

Hello everyone, I am very new to ponds, but I have a 1/2 acre pond on a property I bought recently. To make a long story short, the pond was incredibly clear and beautiful from the previous owner, but I have come to learn he used copper sulfate to clean it and I'd rather not use something like that. I did not proactively do anything to the pond this year which was a mistake because the hot Ohio weather the last few days sprouted a small algae bloom on the surface, it is very small compared to the total body of water, my estimate is less than 5% of the surface had this. I only noticed it because the wind blew it all to one corner of the pond.

I have been tryin to educate myself as much as I can on the different types of algae and how harmful they are and what to do to fix them. I believe this is a planktonic algae, and read they can be hazardous. The problem is there are SO MANY pond products out there I don't know what to do. I do not have any kind of aeration, but am looking to add a system maybe next year. Is there a band-aid I can put on this so my fish stay healthy and we can still swim in it until I can put more proper means to keep my pond healthy?

Thank you in advance.

Are you sure that's algae?

It looks a lot like tree pollen.

I thought that was a possibility too. I hope I am just being an idiot and it's just pollen.

For what it's worth, I went out and checked it this morning and it is all spread out again. Looks like a very thin film in only a few parts of the pond.

Different days and weather conditions move things around. Dust and pollen settle on the surface and as you have observed, some days it gets pushed to one side of the pond or the other depending on the direction and speed of the wind. Aeration helps but is not a magic bullet. Depending on your depth an aerating fountain may work well. I use both. You could touch base with Jones Fish on Route 18 and they will be able to help you decide what it is. I am in Medina county as well and just when I think I have my pond figured out, something else shows up.......that's why my advice is very limited .

No way to be 100% certain from a photo.

A few drops of water inspected under a microscope will quickly tell you what you're dealing with.

Thanks Zigman. I am so glad that this is just pollen instead of something more sinister. I have dreams of turning this thing into the ultimate swimming/fishing hole but it'll take some time. I have heard of Jones but haven't made the trip up there yet for anything. Another place someone told me was great was Fenders Fish out in Amish country so maybe I'll check them out sometime too.

I really appreciate the input!

No problem, and again can't confirm it is pollen. It looks a lot like what I get in the summer but is greener. I'd have a professional look at your pics for peace of mind.....

My pond does not get much of a breeze across it on a regular basis, but I do have 3 diffusers in the 1/4 acre pond. Over the past 2 years I have had similar occurrences. It starts as an oily looking film, no appreciable rainbow effect, but a thin film just the same. This film may be pollens that will feed some sort of small organism or the organisms themselves (algae, diatoms, protozoans, and/or bacterial scums). If I do not get a few hours of wind action or a nice rain, it progresses to a darker green/brown surface film which can eventually turn into a nasty scum.

Here's a threads of mine that show what my pond can do. Hopefully yours does not get this bad...

https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=40299&Number=523419#Post523419

Here are what happens without the wind action or rain. In order of progression...









The key factors, I believe, for the obnoxious outbreaks at my pond are the lack of wind and rain along with its small size. Here is a good filed guide for this sort of stuff...

https://www.townofchapelhill.org/home/showdocument?id=28866

Ok, thanks. I did send a pic of it in to thepondguy.com to see what they say about it. I'll check out Jones fish too.

@Quarter Acre

Yikes, hopefully that's not the case for me. I'm going to keep doing research on this issue.

If that is phytoplankton and that is the extent of your bloom, you have a healthy body of water.
I always recommend to pond owners, bi monthly water testing. API makes a reliable pond test kit and Chemetrics sells a fairly accurate DO kit. The cost is about 100 USD per year and the benefits are knowledge and peace of mind.