Pond Boss Forums INTRO Common Pond Q&A (archives) Filamentous Algae, aka Pond Scum/Moss - Management

Chip's filamentous algae (FA) superficially apprears to be a species of Spirogyra that commonly is bright grass green and has a slimy slippery feeling. Many Spriogyra species grow well in the late winter to early spring when water is cold to cool. However the FA Cladophora can show up in spring after it began growing in late fall, and after winter and ice out it can become stressed and start floating to the surface.

During early spring when water is cold I think the best way to handle FA is removal, but this is not very practical with massive growths in a 2-5 acre pond. Many ponds and lakes often develop growths of FA in late winter early spring. As water warms and rooted submerged plants begin growing the FA often subsides due to competion for space and nutrients. But in high nutrient situations plenty of nutrients are available even after the rooted plants are growing thus both types of plants thrive. And if a pond has no rooted plants then the FA gets to party hardy all summer long. Then other methods are needed if non-mechanical control is desired.

See my addition at the bottom to Theo's post (lots of links to FA control) above where I mention the use of quick lime for FA control,

As a side note, I'm more interested in how much Chip's yellow perch that were stocked as 8"-10" adults grew for him from last spring to spring of 2008.