I have been a ponder for many years and had no major problems with my small
/med pond before , but now i have moved to a lovely acreage and have put a
large pond (to me is large)4 ft deep and 9 feet wide and some shallow
areas.It is only 3 weeks old ,ever since the hole has been dug it has been
nothing but rainning here bad ,now the sun has burst thru and hotter then
ever,in 3 days I now have huge long string algea ,way out of contol.I use a
sunterra bio filter model 300107 with an 11 watt uv bulb/3 sponge filters
thats it,I have neaver used anything else ever but now that i have a larger
pond maybe the filter can't keep up or is it too much rain?

Algae can't compete with solid vascular plants. I wonder if your new
pond has a very light load of plants? Have you a veggie filter to go
with your new pond? Their plant load is helpful.

Jim

Pulling the string algae serves you twice: It removes the algae and
it removes the nutrients. Nice yield!

On Jun 21, 7:12 am, Phyllis and Jim wrote:
Pulling the string algae serves you twice: It removes the algae and
it removes the nutrients. Nice yield!

Ok, if I don't have enough string algae to pull it out, but my water
is completly green, can't even see the fish! What is my best option.
Two weeks ago, I treated it with products, cost me 60$ and it's all
back this week. I can't keep forking out 60$ every two weeks. There
must be a better solution. I have no room to add a plant filter. My
pond is 15 by 21, 2 feet at it's deepest with a waterfall and bioball
filter.
Help please!
Martine in Ottawa

wrote:

On Jun 21, 7:12 am, Phyllis and Jim wrote:
Pulling the string algae serves you twice: It removes the algae and
it removes the nutrients. Nice yield!

Ok, if I don't have enough string algae to pull it out, but my water
is completly green, can't even see the fish! What is my best option.
Two weeks ago, I treated it with products, cost me 60$ and it's all
back this week. I can't keep forking out 60$ every two weeks. There
must be a better solution. I have no room to add a plant filter. My
pond is 15 by 21, 2 feet at it's deepest with a waterfall and bioball
filter.
Help please!
Martine in Ottawa


Try to avoid the chemical response. All that happens is you pour crap in,
kills the algae which, of course, you don't remove and that triggers even
more algae.

Algae thrives on sunlight. Try growing more water lilies to cover the pond.
Put plants in the water that will compete with the algae. Plant shade around
the pond. Suspended algae can also be treated with a UV filter, it works but
is an expensive alternative.

To be honest, if I had room for a 15' x 21' pond, I'd find room for a plant
filter. It doesn't need to be that big - just something to compete with the
algae.


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.

" wrote:

On Jun 21, 7:12 am, Phyllis and Jim wrote:
Pulling the string algae serves you twice: It removes the algae and
it removes the nutrients. Nice yield!

Ok, if I don't have enough string algae to pull it out, but my water
is completly green, can't even see the fish! What is my best option.
Two weeks ago, I treated it with products, cost me 60$ and it's all
back this week. I can't keep forking out 60$ every two weeks. There
must be a better solution. I have no room to add a plant filter. My
pond is 15 by 21, 2 feet at it's deepest with a waterfall and bioball
filter.

For the 'mobile' algae a UV filter works wonders.

Then at least you can see the string algae. If I lived where the
water stayed at 65degrees or better I'd have some giant Plecostomus
working on mine. Instead I have a couple dozen trapdoor snails doing
their best.

As much as it pains me to do it- in the spring I need to use some
Algaefix until my plants get back in business and the tree shades my
pond a bit.

Jim

On Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:06:06 EDT, wrote:

Ok, if I don't have enough string algae to pull it out, but my water
is completly green, can't even see the fish! What is my best option.
Two weeks ago, I treated it with products, cost me 60$ and it's all
back this week. I can't keep forking out 60$ every two weeks. There
must be a better solution. I have no room to add a plant filter. My
pond is 15 by 21, 2 feet at it's deepest with a waterfall and bioball
filter.

If it killed the algae it will just rot and release nutrients back into
the pond and the algae will grow again.

How old is the pond? If it's a new one it takes time to settle down
with all of the nutrients in the fresh water. Don't change the water,
it will only add more nutrients and keep it going.

Do you have many fish and plants? If you have fish you need to change
some water, maybe 10% per week. If you don't remove some water the
hardness keeps going up as you top up to replace that lost due to
evaporation.

Plants are really the answer and you have to balance the plant growth
with the feed going to the fish so that you get a balance. Google for
nitrogen cycle if you want a more in depth explanation. Is you pump in
the deepest part of the pond so that it can remove more waste? You also
need to keep the filter clean so that what it takes out doesn't degrade
and make more nutrients to feed even more algae.

Another alternative is a UV light. They clump the algae that cause
green water together and your filter can then remove it. Again you need
the correct size bulb for your pond and the flow through the filter and
you need to replace the bulb once a year and keep it's quartz sleeve
clean so that light can get into the water. This is probably the
easiest method but if you need the UV your pond isn't in balance. Some
people are aware of that though and run their ponds like that so need
the UV to keep the water clear. Koi keepers with no plants for
instance.

--
Regards - Rodney Pont
The from address exists but is mostly dumped,
please send any emails to the address below
e-mail rpont (at) gmail (dot) com

"Rodney Pont" wrote:

Plants are really the answer and you have to balance the plant growth
with the feed going to the fish so that you get a balance.

I used to have a lot of algae in my earth "farm pond" (I'm NOT a farmer;
they work too hard!), but then the stocked bass fingerlings hit breeding
age.... now, the excess nutrients have fins on them and the water is fairly
clear. Only problem is keeping the fish population down, generally by the
worm and six-pack method.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

On 6/25/2010 2:14 PM, Joe wrote:



wrote:

On Jun 21, 7:12 am, Phyllis and wrote:
Pulling the string algae serves you twice: It removes the algae and
it removes the nutrients. Nice yield!

Ok, if I don't have enough string algae to pull it out, but my water
is completly green, can't even see the fish! What is my best option.
Two weeks ago, I treated it with products, cost me 60$ and it's all
back this week. I can't keep forking out 60$ every two weeks. There
must be a better solution. I have no room to add a plant filter. My
pond is 15 by 21, 2 feet at it's deepest with a waterfall and bioball
filter.
Help please!
Martine in Ottawa


Try to avoid the chemical response. All that happens is you pour crap in,
kills the algae which, of course, you don't remove and that triggers even
more algae.

Algae thrives on sunlight. Try growing more water lilies to cover the pond.
Put plants in the water that will compete with the algae. Plant shade around
the pond. Suspended algae can also be treated with a UV filter, it works but
is an expensive alternative.

To be honest, if I had room for a 15' x 21' pond, I'd find room for a plant
filter. It doesn't need to be that big - just something to compete with the
algae.


There is an approach in Europe that I have looked at- Natural swimming
pools. They take about 1/3rd the pool, build a wall across it that tops
about 4" below the water level. They plant that third w/ veggies and
circulate water through it and over the top of the wall. They have
PUBLIC swimming pools that use NO clorine or chems. A veggie filter IN
the pool. Sounds like your pond might be an ideal candidate for this
approach. Can be DIY, just stack a row or two of concrete blocks.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-h...g-pools-460908

Chip

On 26 juin, 00:30, Chip wrote:
On 6/25/2010 2:14 PM, Joe wrote:





wrote:

On Jun 21, 7:12 am, Phyllis and wrot
e:
Pulling the string algae serves you twice: It removes the algae an
d
it removes the nutrients. Nice yield!

Ok, if I don't have enough string algae to pull it out, but my water
is completly green, can't even see the fish! What is my best option.
Two weeks ago, I treated it with products, cost me 60$ and it's all
back this week. I can't keep forking out 60$ every two weeks. There
must be a better solution. I have no room to add a plant filter. My
pond is 15 by 21, 2 feet at it's deepest with a waterfall and bioball
filter.
Help please!
Martine in Ottawa

Try to avoid the chemical response. All that happens is you pour crap i
n,
kills the algae which, of course, you don't remove and that triggers ev
en
more algae.

Algae thrives on sunlight. Try growing more water lilies to cover the p
ond.
Put plants in the water that will compete with the algae. Plant shade a
round
the pond. Suspended algae can also be treated with a UV filter, it work
s but
is an expensive alternative.

To be honest, if I had room for a 15' x 21' pond, I'd find room for a p
lant
filter. It doesn't need to be that big - just something to compete with
the
algae.

There is an approach in Europe that I have looked at- Natural swimming
pools. They take about 1/3rd the pool, build a wall across it that top
s
about 4" below the water level. They plant that third w/ veggies and
circulate water through it and over the top of the wall. They have
PUBLIC swimming pools that use NO clorine or chems. A veggie filter IN
the pool. Sounds like your pond might be an ideal candidate for this
approach. Can be DIY, just stack a row or two of concrete blocks.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-h...-swimming-pool...

Chip

Oh, after seeing those ponds, I want to remodel the entire backyard!
We should have seen this before we put in our pond last summer.
Definitely would have gone for that! But for now, hubby says no way,
too much work and too expensive. So instead we have decided to look
for a UV filter to help control the algae in our pond. We have been
looking on the Internet for types and prices. Does anyone know of JEBO
36 WATT UV STERILIZER POND AQUARIUM W/POWERHEAD ? It is anygood? Does
anyone have a specific UV filter to recommend? Our pond is
approximatly 3500 gallons.
Recommandations?
Martine from Ottawa

On 6/27/2010 2:06 PM, wrote:

To be honest, if I had room for a 15' x 21' pond, I'd find room for a p
lant filter. It doesn't need to be that big - just something to compete with
the algae.

There is an approach in Europe that I have looked at- Natural swimming
pools. They take about 1/3rd the pool, build a wall across it that top
s
about 4" below the water level. They plant that third w/ veggies and
circulate water through it and over the top of the wall. They have
PUBLIC swimming pools that use NO clorine or chems. A veggie filter IN
the pool. Sounds like your pond might be an ideal candidate for this
approach. Can be DIY, just stack a row or two of concrete blocks.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-h...-swimming-pool...

Chip

Oh, after seeing those ponds, I want to remodel the entire backyard!
We should have seen this before we put in our pond last summer.
Definitely would have gone for that! But for now, hubby says no way,
too much work and too expensive. So instead we have decided to look
for a UV filter to help control the algae in our pond.

Really! I wouldn't want to argue with hubby, BUT.... Your pond is 2'
deep max, Two rows of simply stacking any style landscape blocks,
across the pond would cost less than a UV filter (which has to be
replaced periodically). Gives you a veggie filter that looks pretty,
would be much MORE effective for all types of algae control, and can be
done in an hour or so without changing anything in the pond. What's not
to like?

If you are the least bit Green, it helps the environment.

Chip

On Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:06:06 EDT, "
wrote:

Ok, if I don't have enough string algae to pull it out, but my water
is completly green, can't even see the fish! What is my best option.
Two weeks ago, I treated it with products, cost me 60$ and it's all
back this week. I can't keep forking out 60$ every two weeks. There
must be a better solution. I have no room to add a plant filter. My
pond is 15 by 21, 2 feet at it's deepest with a waterfall and bioball
filter.
Help please!
Martine in Ottawa

Pond chemical$ bad... because you have to keep adding... and eventually
even they don't work. A pond has to hit a natural balance.

I'm going to assume we're not talking about a koi-only pond, I think most
of those folks have gone to koi-only forum now days. Thus my advice is
based on koi/goldfish ponds w/plants (veggie filters included).

Age of pond plays a big deal. If you put more time & money into plants
instead of fish, you can often skip the first season of green water. A UV
can also rid one of green water, but watch your water quality. Algae really
is a ponder's friend, it is the canary indicator that something isn't
balanced. In spring often that is higher plants haven't woke up, thus you
need to treat for nitrates. Assuming you have a good clean water source,
water changes help. Koi pond people rid themselves of nitrates by using a
flow thru system, a little in and a little out on a continuous basis, just
like mother nature. Or trickle towers/filter showers have proven to rid one
of nitrates. Even PP treatments, but that's hard-core know-how.

String algae. 2nd year menace for most, rake out what floats to the top or
settles on the bottom and leave the rest alone. Pretend you have a big
magic rock kit...and the only color you got was green. ;-)

3rd season things really settle down usually, if the ponder hasn't messed
things up using chemicals or draining the pond & scrubbing the liner.
Plants high in #, fish low in #s. Filtration as much as you can afford.
Bigger is definitely better, as it means less maintenance for you.

This year we've had LOTS of rain and cool temps for us. I got dred locks
string algae in my upper pond. Many experienced ponders were like, rake it
out... I used my method of raking off the surface and/or bottom. My pond is
15 years old, I knew it would easily kick this if I was patient. 2 weeks
later, all gone.

I'm so fond of Algae that I named my cat Algee. ;-) ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us