gerry wrote in message . ..
This is just a post reporting results I had from tips in another thread. I
made it a new thread to highlight it. Take no credit other than my success
story, the concept was posted by others.

I've been fighting string Algae for three years. Barely straw works early
in the year but fails when the trees leaf out and there is too little
sunlight (UV) to make peroxide from straw decay products.

This was a particular problem in my planted stream. harvesting the string
algae would rip up delicate plants such as 4 leaf clover. I have a
waterfall, three stream regions, each with a 10" or mini water fall to
accommodate grading.

I bought Wallmart's "Special Kitty" unscented kitty liter - ingredients
are "ground clay". 25# cost $2.

Added about 2 tablespoons to the top pool that feeds the waterfall. 24
hours later, virtually all the string algae on the falls and smothering my
4 leaf clover in the topmost stream segment was gone! The string algae in
the 2nd stream segment was reduced significantly, but the algae in the
third segment and pond entrance seemed untouched.

2nd day I added 2 table spoons (guess) more, half at in the upper pool,
half at outlet from the second stream segment to the third segment.

3 day - stream almost completely cleared! In the third stream segment I
still had s good clump that was protected by parrots feather. Also had a
good blanked of algae at in the pond near the stream entrance.

I added about 1 tablespoon sprinkled over each remaining area.

4th day - only some very sickly string/blanket algae to be found anyplace!

Thanks for the tips folks!!!

gerry

That's very interesting. I'm not sure how the coagulant features of
clay (probably the aluminum) would get rid of string algae. Normally
coagulants cause free floating (pea soup) algae to coagulate (or come
together) and then be big enough to filter out (or it sinks). Most
fish products to get rid of cloudy water is aluminum sulfate. I wonder
if the kitty liter contains a mineral that the string algae does not
like, such as magnesium. I would expect the iron to drop out of
solution pretty quickly. magnesium is a little harder.

Did you sprinkle the clay on top of the string algae or did you just
add it to the water?