Originally Posted By: Joey Quarry
If that is, filamentous algae (FA), you can do as MW suggests and use a myriad of chemicals to treat it every time it happens or reduce the nutrient load in your water that FA uses for growth.

I am experimenting this year with a floating garden, literally a floating aquaponic island. The key is, to construct it entirely from inert PET plastics. Aquaponics works without soil and the plants extract the nutrients from the water.

I have begun a hydroponic garden indoors and as soon as my water warms to 60-65 degrees, I'll transplant the hydroponic seedlings onto the aquaponic island.

The non-woven PET allows the plant roots to grow through to the water and filter out the nutrients for plant growth. The island creates shade while the roots and plastic create shelter for smaller aquatic organisms, thus creating an advantageous ecosystem within a man made created environment and reducing the nutrient load of the water.


Like this:


It's on my 'pond stuff wish list', but the retail aquaponic islands are dang pricey. Not saying they aren't worth it, since finding the ideal combination of traits for a floating island is a challenge. But the Mrs. says I can only 'waste so much money per year on that pond'. :-)

"Politics": derived from 'poly' meaning many, and 'tics' meaning 'blood sucking parasites'.