This is the second year that I have a pond and I have managed to control
blooms of suspended red algae by adding a proper mech/bio filter. My water
is clear and has been since the snow has disappeared.

My problem now is that I'm getting a plethora of string algae in the sunny
spots of the pond. Is there and easy way to get rid of it (besides pulling
it out by hand) and more importantly an easy way to control and prevent
outbreaks of string algae?

Mike

Hi Mike,
we have some new stuff in the algae primer to address string algae - scroll
down.


ALGAE PRIMER
~ Nutrients for all forms of algae are sun, new water, fish waste, fertilized
run off, rotting plants, blown in dirt.
~ New ponds and spring ponds need time for plants to get established, algae is
quicker at getting going.
~ add plants, of any kind, in the pond. Especially underwater plants.
~ or build a veggie filter* see below (one of the best and prettiest way to
clear a pond)
~ Shade is good - provided by lily pads, floating plants or artificial shade
for part of the day.
~ LOW fish stocking (20 gallons per goldfish, 100 per koi after starting with
1,000 gallons) and *not* overfeeding the fish. Too many fish and too much
feeding is probably responsible for most pea soup water, followed closely by
too much decaying plant matter, sludge and overall gunk in the water
~ clean up dead plant matter and screen for falling leaves in the fall. Clean
out pond once a year.
~ building ponds with bottom drains and skimmers.
~ do not use algaecides, they only make lots of suddenly dead algae and that
will feed the next algae bloom.
~ do not use products to dye to the water...
~ do not worry about algae that grows on things (substrate algae) this is good
for a pond
~ gently remove string algae or look to the end of this article for information
using clay (koi clay or plain clay kitty litter) on string algae.
http://www.sfbakc.org/koienews/clayvsclay.html
or try String Algae Buster which works by " forcing the strands of string algae
to take in excess calcium from the surrounding water. When the algae absorbs
this calcium, the strands break off, floating to the surface. Once they
separate, they will either go into the skimmer, or be easily weeded out by
hand"
~ water movement and occasional water changes of 10%
~ add a sludge consumer, concentrated bacteria.
some rec.ponders use http://www.united-tech.com/m-aq4u-toc.html
~ Check your pH, too high, over 8.8, or too low, under 6.4, and most higher
plant forms can't take up the nutrients.
~ UV lights work on suspended algae (green water) - does cost some $$
~ adding a combination mechanical and biological filter to screen gunk, dead
algae and convert fishy ammonia waste for fish health.
~ read the following webpage for the use of barley straw
http://www.aquabotanic.com/barleyarticle.html
~ patience, more patience, remember to be patient and time ;-)

*Veggie filter ~ running the pond's water through plants
- as easy as floating water hyacinth in top of a stock tank and planting
watercress in your waterfall (my method ;-)
or
read Ingrid's post on plant filters:
"The essence of a plant filter is a water proof container with the water from
the pond
being pumped in one end flowing thru the roots of various plants and flowing
back
into the pond at the other end.
It needs to be long enough that solids settle to the bottom OR have filter
material
that will slow or hold the solids (and get rinsed out periodically).
It needs plants of different kinds to maximize removal of all wastes.
it needs sufficient amount of plants to remove in one day all the wastes
produced by
the fish load in one day. It needs plants with extensive roots and/or plants
that get big so they used up more
nutrients. It needs to be only 8-12" deep so it doesnt go anaerobic."
or go he
http://www.iheartmypond.com/Design/D...rs/default.asp

kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Barley straw seems to be the most effective treatment.

I've just ordered some, so I'll let you know how it goes.


Ken Russell
Remove hat to reply by e-mail


"Mike" wrote in message
...
| This is the second year that I have a pond and I have managed to control
| blooms of suspended red algae by adding a proper mech/bio filter. My
water
| is clear and has been since the snow has disappeared.
|
| My problem now is that I'm getting a plethora of string algae in the sunny
| spots of the pond. Is there and easy way to get rid of it (besides
pulling
| it out by hand) and more importantly an easy way to control and prevent
| outbreaks of string algae?
|
| Mike
|
|


---
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My experience with barley straw is that it is totally ineffective. I know
people rave about it, and my lack of effect may be in part due to living in
a cool climate (Colorado). I placed barely straw in net bags and even threw
some in the pond loose very early this spring. I filled net bags with
barely straw and crammed them in my filter. Altogether I probably put about
20 pounds of straw in my 6000 gallon pond. I currently have the worst
string algae problem ever - string algae is growing right on the net bags of
barley floating in the pond. I have a very low nutrient loading (6 small
Koi and little organic detritus input) - except for the straw! I am an
environmental chemist, and the explanation of the mechanism of straw
decomposition and its effect on algal growth never has sat well with me.
Humic acid production may occur, but this would not inhibit algal growth,
and the idea that trace levels of peroxide are produced is plausible, but
the levels may be so low as to have little effect on algal growth. I know,
tons of pond owners claim this works, and maybe under some circumstances it
could help, but all in all I think its a waste of time, at least in cooler
climates.

John



"Ken Russell" wrote in message
u...
Barley straw seems to be the most effective treatment.

I've just ordered some, so I'll let you know how it goes.


Ken Russell
Remove hat to reply by e-mail


"Mike" wrote in message
...
| This is the second year that I have a pond and I have managed to control
| blooms of suspended red algae by adding a proper mech/bio filter. My
water
| is clear and has been since the snow has disappeared.
|
| My problem now is that I'm getting a plethora of string algae in the
sunny
| spots of the pond. Is there and easy way to get rid of it (besides
pulling
| it out by hand) and more importantly an easy way to control and prevent
| outbreaks of string algae?
|
| Mike
|
|


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.712 / Virus Database: 468 - Release Date: 27/06/2004

John,

What do you think of String Algae Buster claims?

String Algae Buster which works by " forcing the strands of string algae to
take in excess calcium from the surrounding water. When the algae absorbs this
calcium, the strands break off, floating to the surface. Once they separate,
they will either go into the skimmer, or be easily weeded out by hand"

Folks are also experimenting with plain kitty litter on string algae and Lee is
trying this stuff:

The specs and MSDA are he
A
HREF="http://www.biosafesystems.com/labels/GC-SpecMSDS.pdf"http://www.bio
safesystems.com/labels/GC-SpecMSDS.pdf/A

And photos showing how it works are he
A
HREF="http://www.biosafesystems.com/stringalgae.html"http://www.biosafesy
stems.com/stringalgae.html/A

This stuff works via oxygenation versus the copper that's normally used.
Therefore, it's safe for fish, snails (darn it!) amphibians, etc. You're not
supposed to sprinkle the granules on leaves of plants you want, but once
they're dissolved in water, they're supposed to be safe for water plants.
What I DON'T know is whether or not it will affect the short stuff on the
sides of the liner . . . I guess I'll find out, huh?

I could not get the pages to open or download on two of our computers so not
sure about the links.



kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

The Algae buster claim sounds suspicious - even if it worked as claimed, at
least in my case I'd be worse off as the last thing I want is more of the
stuff floating around. At least when its attached its manageable. I can't
figure this kitty litter thing out unless it works by clouding up the water
to the point of reducing photosynthesis. Peroxide or ozone should work
(some companies may call these oxygenators, although this is really a
misnomer - they are oxidizers (like chlorine and bromine). I plan on trying
an ozone generator next year - the problem though is to have enough ozone to
kill the algae, while not so much as to kill vascular plants or harm fish.
This is tricky. I don't think there is any fast fix for string algae. The
combination of reduced solar inputs (via shading and plant cover) and very
low nutrient levels (via low fish loading and high aquatic plant density) is
probably the best "treatment". Contrary to what I have seen often written
here, it is usually phosphorus which triggers algal blooms, not nitrogen, so
anything which would keep phosphorus to a minimum should help. Good luck!

John

"Ka30P" wrote in message
...
John,

What do you think of String Algae Buster claims?

String Algae Buster which works by " forcing the strands of string algae
to
take in excess calcium from the surrounding water. When the algae absorbs
this
calcium, the strands break off, floating to the surface. Once they
separate,
they will either go into the skimmer, or be easily weeded out by hand"

Folks are also experimenting with plain kitty litter on string algae and
Lee is
trying this stuff:

The specs and MSDA are he
A
HREF="http://www.biosafesystems.com/labels/GC-SpecMSDS.pdf"http://www.bio
safesystems.com/labels/GC-SpecMSDS.pdf/A

And photos showing how it works are he
A
HREF="http://www.biosafesystems.com/stringalgae.html"http://www.biosafesy
stems.com/stringalgae.html/A

This stuff works via oxygenation versus the copper that's normally used.
Therefore, it's safe for fish, snails (darn it!) amphibians, etc. You're
not
supposed to sprinkle the granules on leaves of plants you want, but once
they're dissolved in water, they're supposed to be safe for water plants.
What I DON'T know is whether or not it will affect the short stuff on the
sides of the liner . . . I guess I'll find out, huh?

I could not get the pages to open or download on two of our computers so
not
sure about the links.



kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Thanks for your comments, John!


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Two words: barley straw

It works

Paul

I got sent some 'Nishikoi Goodbye Blanket Weed' with my magazine
subscription http://www.nishikoi.com/nishikoi-uk/docs/goodbye.html so I
tried it.

It really did do what it said it would. It killed the blanket weed and
ate the remains. For the first time ever the pond is totally clear of
blanket weed.

--
Regards - Rodney Pont
The from address exists but is mostly dumped,
please send any emails to the address below
e-mail ngpsm4 (at) infohitsystems (dot) ltd (dot) uk

[original post is likely clipped to save bandwidth]
On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 18:17:57 -0700, "Paul in Redland"
wrote:


Two words: barley straw

It works


String Algae is certainly interesting - barley straw DOES NOT WORK here.

gerry

--

Personal home page - http://gogood.com

gerry misspelled in my email address to confuse robots

One word: Plecostomas


"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...

Two words: barley straw

It works

Paul

[original post is likely clipped to save bandwidth]
On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 03:07:24 GMT, "John A. Kostelac"
wrote:

One word: Plecostomas


There isn't one word, they won't survive in much of the US.

gerry

--

Personal home page - http://gogood.com

gerry misspelled in my email address to confuse robots

Hi folks, new to the group. Glad to find you!

Being fairly new to ponds, ok... REALLY new to ponds we recently bought our
home in TN that has a pond that is about 80-90 ft in diameter and I will
guess at 15-20 ft deep at the middle. no pumps or filters of any kind, fed
by run off from the rest of our property.

We have spent the last few days down there cleaning around the dam and
scooping out the string algae as we can reach it.

This afternoon we spoke with some local folks with ponds like ours and they
tell us that the best thing we can do is put in a couple of Israeli Carp.
Evidently they eat the stuff and within a couple of months we can expect to
have a nice clean pond.

Now mind you, our pond is a wild thing. It harbors three turtles, several
thousand frogs, had a couple of snakes try to make their homes (we evicted
them-so to speak) there and all sorts of wildlife come and go down there.

I don't know if this solution is acceptable to most of you as I am a first
time poster here.... but it was a thought :¬D

Kate

"gerry" wrote in message
...
| [original post is likely clipped to save bandwidth]
| On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 03:07:24 GMT, "John A. Kostelac"
| wrote:
|
| One word: Plecostomas
|
|
| There isn't one word, they won't survive in much of the US.
|
| gerry
|
| --
|
| Personal home page - http://gogood.com
|
| gerry misspelled in my email address to confuse robots

Has anyone tried some of the native sucker fish. I found a place that
sells redhorse suckers. I hope to stock some when the pond ages enough
to allow it. In the wild Ive seen them in schools of 4 or 5. They look
like they could eatup some algae


On Fri, 02 Jul 2004 00:40:52 GMT, "SVTKate"
wrote:

Hi folks, new to the group. Glad to find you!

Being fairly new to ponds, ok... REALLY new to ponds we recently bought our
home in TN that has a pond that is about 80-90 ft in diameter and I will
guess at 15-20 ft deep at the middle. no pumps or filters of any kind, fed
by run off from the rest of our property.

We have spent the last few days down there cleaning around the dam and
scooping out the string algae as we can reach it.

This afternoon we spoke with some local folks with ponds like ours and they
tell us that the best thing we can do is put in a couple of Israeli Carp.
Evidently they eat the stuff and within a couple of months we can expect to
have a nice clean pond.

Now mind you, our pond is a wild thing. It harbors three turtles, several
thousand frogs, had a couple of snakes try to make their homes (we evicted
them-so to speak) there and all sorts of wildlife come and go down there.

I don't know if this solution is acceptable to most of you as I am a first
time poster here.... but it was a thought :¬D

Kate

"gerry" wrote in message
.. .
| [original post is likely clipped to save bandwidth]
| On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 03:07:24 GMT, "John A. Kostelac"
| wrote:
|
| One word: Plecostomas
|
|
| There isn't one word, they won't survive in much of the US.
|
| gerry
|
| --
|
| Personal home page - http://gogood.com
|
| gerry misspelled in my email address to confuse robots

Pondiver,

You have tooo many fish in your ponds with no
filtration or at least you didn't mention any
filtration. You also didn't relate the size of your
fish. The big ones always die off first when the
conditions cause stress, especially when the stress is
low values of oxygen.

pH 8 is fine for Goldfish. And hard water is fine,
mine is usually around 300ppm. My ponds are usually
about ph 8.3 . You didn't mention your water quality
measurements, but any ammonia and/or nitrites are bad
especially when the temps climb.

I started out with 100 gallon pond and temps would get
up to 85 plus degrees when out the outside air temps
got to 108 and I never lost a fish. I had a simple
bucket filter though, which worked great running with
an old Sears Craftsman 350 gph pump, but I had only 6
fish in the pond. If you have no filtration you should
have only one fish per 20 or 25 gallons. Just remember
any thing that you put in the pond like the pot for a
lily takes away water volume by displacement.

OK all that being said, if oxygen is your problem, do
not, I repeat, DO NOT add salt to you pond for any
reason. Salinity, even is low concentrations takes
away the waters ability to hold oxygen and combine that
with high temp water you have death situation. A drop
on only .5mg of oxygen per liter and cause death of
your largest fish if the water is already low on
oxygen. Also, you didn't say where you lived, at least
where I read, so you also have to remember that
altitude also reduces the higher your elevation.

So to remedy this situation is first get an airline and
airstone in the pond pumping air into the pond. Next
reduce you stocking levels to 1 fish per 20 or 25
gallons. You tend should think about a simple filter
to put on your pond. Water movement is always good.
When I had my first 100 gallon pond and water temps
almost went into the 90's the fish don't do a lot of
moving around, they just sat around on the bottom under
the shade of the lilies pads floating above.

HTH

Tom L.L.
-----------------------------------------------
Pond Diver wrote:
Noticed my lillies are turning yellow and dying. Some pads aren't even
getting large, just turning brown around the edges

No other critters other than goldfish. I HAD around 25 or so. I had 19 in
the 250 gal and 6 in the smaller 90 gal



Are the plants OK?

Are any other critters dieing?

BV.