I wrote a week or so ago about my floating algae problem. Did as you all
instructed: water change, cleaned bio-filter, added bacteria. STILL, the
whole top of the pond has this floating algae. The warmer it gets, the more
that floats. Please help. What can I do now??? Cathy P.S. would potash
help?

"Szpond" wrote in message
...
I wrote a week or so ago about my floating algae problem.
Did as you all
instructed: water change, cleaned bio-filter, added
bacteria. STILL, the
whole top of the pond has this floating algae. The warmer
it gets, the more
that floats. Please help. What can I do now??? Cathy
P.S. would potash
help?

Sorry I missed the earlier thread, so if I'm
repeating something, please ignore me!

Have you tried some kind of shade? I get
a lot of sunshine around here (Southcentral
TX), but don't have problems with algae
because the ponds get partly shaded from about
noon on. My husband and I erected temporary
shade pavillions out of trellis material and tacked
shade cloth (Home Depot, Lowes) where it would
do the most good.

Admittedly the water plants, snails and a gadzillion
baby minnows in the inground pond, and a
filter/fountain in the above-ground pond help with
the algae. However, even before babies arrived,
snails were added and plants matured, the water in
my ponds was never that bad, so I'm convinced
shade is the key.

Gail
San Antonio TX Zone 8

I've seen this algae before. From what I could tell it required high iron
and something else. Not sure what because I didn't get to test the water
before the minerals depleted and it disappeared. My guess is phosphate. You
can get a phosphate test kit at a pet store for $15.00. Most pond buffering
additives are mostly phosphate. If you've been adding chemicals to
adjust/stabilize your PH that's probably it. Also dont use any fertilizer
for land plants (i.e. mircle grow sticks) in your water or in plants that
have submerged dirt, they are algae's best friend.

Sam

"Szpond" wrote in message
...
I wrote a week or so ago about my floating algae problem. Did as you all
instructed: water change, cleaned bio-filter, added bacteria. STILL, the
whole top of the pond has this floating algae. The warmer it gets, the
more
that floats. Please help. What can I do now??? Cathy P.S. would potash
help?

Mine is the same way. Till the plants get going then it goes away. I do
use potash for my plants. Just give it time and lots of plants.


http://community.webtv.net/rebeljoe/POND

Does it look like this? Go to the Mystery Algae "book"
http://community.webshots.com/user/dragnp

If so, it stops in about 6 weeks or so. The first time I got it was in
April: great big clumps would break off the liner, rise to the top during
the day, and sink back at night when the water cooled. This time (also in
April), it broke loose, but didn't really clump (until it got to the skimmer
box). My liner actually got all blotchy where it would break free . . . then
it slowed down, and just stopped. I had to clean my pre-filters 2X a day
during the height of the "bloom". Around here, the professionals say they
don't know "what" it is, but have seen it and "assumed" that it was part of
the algae's natural regeneration process (?????)

Lee

"Szpond" wrote in message
...
I wrote a week or so ago about my floating algae problem. Did as you all
instructed: water change, cleaned bio-filter, added bacteria. STILL, the
whole top of the pond has this floating algae. The warmer it gets, the
more
that floats. Please help. What can I do now??? Cathy P.S. would potash
help?

Does it look like this? Go to the Mystery Algae "book

Lee,
That is exactly what it looks like. Same as you had, the warmer it gets, the
more that rises to the top. When it is cool (at night), it all drops to the
bottom. Has been a little over 2 weeks now, darn 4 more weeks of it.
Terrible. Don't even know how the fish can breathe when it is all rising to
the surface. Did you do anything, or let it ride it's course? Thanks, Cathy

I have a large airstone hook-up I keep running all the time (too many
fish/too little water!). Extra air is essential, especially at night when
the plants (algae, too!) start to *consume* oxygen, instead of producing it.
Also, warm water holds less O2 than cooler water does. So, in answer to
your question, I maintained additional O2 with the airstone (besides, the
fish like to swim through the bubbles!), skimmed the "islands" off when I
could, and ensured that the "prefilters" in my skimmer box were cleaned 2X a
day until it went away. My "prefilters" consist of bags of net mesh in one,
and nylon window screen in the other. They clean easily with a water hose,
and really catch a lot of the mess before it gets to the primary filters (I
guess you can call it a "pre-mechanical filter!) If you don't have such a
set up, clean your filters more often: the algae really gunks things up.

Where are you located?

Lee

"Szpond" wrote in message
...
Does it look like this? Go to the Mystery Algae "book

Lee,
That is exactly what it looks like. Same as you had, the warmer it gets,
the
more that rises to the top. When it is cool (at night), it all drops to
the
bottom. Has been a little over 2 weeks now, darn 4 more weeks of it.
Terrible. Don't even know how the fish can breathe when it is all rising
to
the surface. Did you do anything, or let it ride it's course? Thanks,
Cathy