~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:

You miss the point of where Norm is coming from, these Koi Pond people
don't put ANY plants in their ponds. They are just now coming to realize
the importance plants play to de-stress the fish, give them something to
hide under or play around. They originally didn't want any thing to
distract from the beauty of their living jewels. Can't blame them
considering the money they spend, but these fish aren't works of art, they
are living animals that deserve more than the sterile surroundings of a man
made pond of straight sides, almost flat bottom, talk about a prison cell.

I like plants, too. And I don't think Norm is suggesting you don't need
them. He really doesn't mentiom plants on that web page.

But that's what Norm is trying to point out in his article, his hunch: it
is the inhibitor/antibodies off of the fuzz algae on the sides of the ponds
that stops the suspended algae. That is "the Component". At least that is
what I got out of his article and his tests.

No, it's not from the fuzz algae. Here's what he said: "When algae dies
and is subjected to aerobic bacterial decomposition by heterotroph
bacteria, a by-product of this process is a substance, released into the
water, that is toxic to the living algae." This is what I'm calling an
algicide.

Algicide in no way comes from dead algae, when algae dies it releases

Not dead algae, rotting algae. It's the other bacteria eating the dead
algae that generates the algicide.

almost all the nutrients it ever consumed. That's why when people use
commercial algaecides it clears the water for a day or 3 and than the
suspended algae comes back just as strong or worst than before.

Right. The good news about this algicide is that it's constantly
generated at just the right amounts. As the algae drops so does the
algicide because there will be less dead algae for the bacteria to feed
on. If the algae picks up the algicide will eventually pick up to match.
Kind of nice. It also explains spring algae blooms that come and go.

1,000 gallons. 13 lilies, 5 marginals, 2 lotus, water hyacinths
& anacharis. 4 adult goldfish and lots of babies. ~ jan

That is quite a bit of plants. Must look nice. When someone asks about
adding plants this is a good reference point. The 60 bunches of
anacharis/1600 gallons that Sue mentioned is also a good reference
point. If someone bought all this for a new pond at their local pond
store they'd probably spend over $400 on plants and still have to wait
for them to mature.

Matt