On Thu, 05 Aug 2004 17:59:10 GMT, MattR wrote:

1) I quote from Norm Meck: "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." (http://www.koiclubsandiego.org/GRENH2O.html). That
would be an algicide. I'm not misquoting and, based on his tests, I
don't think it's a myth.

Okay, thanks for the refresher, I guess it was I who mis-remembered, as I
thought (from reading his article quite awhile ago) it was the string algae
while alive, that it possibly gave off a hormone or inhibitor.

My master gardener training doesn't allow me to call it an icide.

2) Nothing else explains why my pond is now clear. I did the usual
plants shade potash potasium advice for two years that pours from this
newsgroup and it did nothing. I put in a big stock tank and three weeks
later my pond cleared up.

Yeah, but, just putting in a bigger filter makes a big difference, I don't
know that 3 weeks of algae rot would give off enough by-product to do the
trick.

3) Barley decomposes into something other than the nutrients it grew on
so why can't algae?

4) I'm just trying to help someone by describing my experience, so back off.

Like I said, I wasn't trying to attack you, and I'm sorry if you felt so.
Geeze, why are people so touchy anymore, that we can't have a civil
conversation? I was even hoping to defuse anything by mentioning I wasn't
questioning your credibility.

Please tell me, what did I say or how did I say it, that rose the hair on
your neck, so I can correct it in the future? I'm here to learn and/or
teach when applicable, not make enemies. ~ jan


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~