I can't recall the type, but there is a type of bale straw to put into
the pond that grows microorganisms that eat the algae. Actually algae
is a sign of a healthy pond, plus it oxygenates the water. You could
partly shade the pond or grow lilies. Other plants can compete with
the algae. We remove algae and excess elodea, adding it to a compost
pile. In any event, make small gradual changes.


On 5 Mar 2005 18:23:03 -0600, Otto Pylot
wrote:

Howdy all,
This is our first winter with a new pond. It is about 1100 gallons
outside in the backyard with about a 4 1/2 foot waterfall that
meanders down a 6 foot stream. 4 Shibukin goldfish and more mosquito
fish than I can count. The water moves fairly well 24/7. The only
thing we treat the pond with is Pond-Zyme Plus about every two weeks.
We are in the SF Bay Area. There is a lot of string algae that is
growing and even though we attempt to take it out, it's a losing
battle. Will the algae go away once the weather warms up and stays warm
or is there something we should treat the pond with that is safe for
our current fish and the koi that we plan on adding this spring?
I'd hate to make my pond chemically dependent if I can help it so what
should I do or is this a natural cycle that will clear itself over
time. The fish and plants all look healthy. Thanks.

I believe your referring to Barley straw.......the so called cure for
algae.

I find that string algae at least in my area dissapears once water
warms up a bit. Gets darn thick in cooler waters, but by May or June
or so its all gone, and does not reappear until about November.

On Sun, 06 Mar 2005 04:09:10 GMT, Phisherman wrote:

===I can't recall the type, but there is a type of bale straw to put into
===the pond that grows microorganisms that eat the algae. Actually algae
===is a sign of a healthy pond, plus it oxygenates the water. You could
===partly shade the pond or grow lilies. Other plants can compete with
===the algae. We remove algae and excess elodea, adding it to a compost
===pile. In any event, make small gradual changes.
===
===
===On 5 Mar 2005 18:23:03 -0600, Otto Pylot
===wrote:
===
===Howdy all,
===This is our first winter with a new pond. It is about 1100 gallons
===outside in the backyard with about a 4 1/2 foot waterfall that
===meanders down a 6 foot stream. 4 Shibukin goldfish and more mosquito
===fish than I can count. The water moves fairly well 24/7. The only
===thing we treat the pond with is Pond-Zyme Plus about every two weeks.
===We are in the SF Bay Area. There is a lot of string algae that is
===growing and even though we attempt to take it out, it's a losing
===battle. Will the algae go away once the weather warms up and stays warm
===or is there something we should treat the pond with that is safe for
===our current fish and the koi that we plan on adding this spring?
===I'd hate to make my pond chemically dependent if I can help it so what
===should I do or is this a natural cycle that will clear itself over
===time. The fish and plants all look healthy. Thanks.


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!

On 5 Mar 2005 18:23:03 -0600, Otto Pylot wrote:

Howdy all,
This is our first winter with a new pond. It is about 1100 gallons
outside in the backyard with about a 4 1/2 foot waterfall that
meanders down a 6 foot stream. 4 Shibukin goldfish and more mosquito
fish than I can count. The water moves fairly well 24/7. The only
thing we treat the pond with is Pond-Zyme Plus about every two weeks.
We are in the SF Bay Area. There is a lot of string algae that is
growing and even though we attempt to take it out, it's a losing
battle. Will the algae go away once the weather warms up and stays warm
or is there something we should treat the pond with that is safe for
our current fish and the koi that we plan on adding this spring?
I'd hate to make my pond chemically dependent if I can help it so what
should I do or is this a natural cycle that will clear itself over
time. The fish and plants all look healthy. Thanks.

String algae is pretty normal in a young pond, especially in the spring
when your other pond plants are barely waking up. Don't go with chemicals,
it kills the good with the bad. What you want is the fine fuzz algae that
will eventually grow on the liner, rocks, pots and anything in the pond. A
good coating of it and the string algae will usually stay at bay.

In the meantime, harvest the worst of it out. A small plastic shrub rake
works great. As someone already mentioned, don't remove it all at once,
afterall, it is filtering the water until the bacteria gets up to speed.

Maybe you could tell us more about your system? Filtration, inside or
outside the pond, bottom drain/skimmer, etc. turnaround time? How many
plants in pond and types? ~ jan


See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

On Sun, 06 Mar 2005 12:13:32 -0800, Otto Pylot
wrote:

The filtration system is inside the pond via a skimmer on the side. The
debris is collected in a skimmer bag before going thru the filter into
the pump. No UV filter just your garden variety mesh filter
(biological?). The pump pulls about 2900/GPH up to the waterfall
filter/bucket. The water moves thru 2 biological filters and then thru
a couple of bags of lava rock and then over the falls and back into the
pond. Currently we have a parrot feather and a water poppy that has
died back considerably. The pond is about 4 feet at its deepest and was
dug out by hand, lined with an underlayment and then formed with a 45
mil rubber liner. In addition to the string algae, which I might add is
very difficult to remove once its attached to a rock, we have another
type of algae where the water movement slows down a bit. I think that
may be what you refer to as "fuzz algae". It does look a little fuzzy.
Like I said, this is our first full year with the pond (it was
installed last July) so the cycle of changes is all new to us. Thanks.

Hiya Otto,

Would that be an Aquascape system (or similar) you are describing? Do you
have rocks in the pond? 4 feet deep and no bottom drain, hmmm, we may have
to talk. ;o) ~ jan


See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

I have significant string algae from about now up until the time the
water lily leaves and other aquatic plants develop enough to shade the
pond. In the past, I've just hauled it out by hand. Today I was
talking to someone at a garden center who said she just learned of a
product recently available that you can sprinkle on the pond surface to
eliminate/reduce string algae. Apparently it does not harm other
plants, fish, etc. She could not recall the name of the product. Does
anyone know to what she might have been referring?
Thanks,
Gary

it is called Algae Fix - I buy mine at http://tinyurl.com/3m3gv
and if you have anything over 100 gals, I personally would recommend buying
the 64 ozs.
--
Claudia
__________________________________
"Age is...wisdom, if one has lived
one's life properly." --Miriam Makeba, singer
"Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have significant string algae from about now up until the time the
water lily leaves and other aquatic plants develop enough to shade the
pond. In the past, I've just hauled it out by hand. Today I was
talking to someone at a garden center who said she just learned of a
product recently available that you can sprinkle on the pond surface to
eliminate/reduce string algae. Apparently it does not harm other
plants, fish, etc. She could not recall the name of the product. Does
anyone know to what she might have been referring?
Thanks,
Gary

ClaudCar wrote:
it is called Algae Fix - I buy mine at http://tinyurl.com/3m3gv
and if you have anything over 100 gals, I personally would recommend buying
the 64 ozs.

I believe AlgaeFix is Simazine. I'm not a ponder but I know it well
from aquaria. Simazine is strong herbicide and can do unexpected things
to plants as well as algae. Aquarists are generally advised to avoid it
because of its toxicity and unpredictability.

Simazine is EPA regulated because it's toxic to humans and can end up in
the groundwater. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/c-soc/simazine.html

I'm new to ponding, but there's got to be a better solution than that.
Is this one of the algaes that barley straw helps with?

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

Gary, Last year some folks found Koi Clay or just ground up pure clay kitty
litter got rid of their SA. The only problem is you must remove it, if SA
breaks down in pond you'll just get more, or worst suspended (pea soup)
algae. IMO, it is better to let SA run it's course and rake out the worst.
~ jan

On 7 Mar 2005 18:13:05 -0800, "Gary" wrote:

I have significant string algae from about now up until the time the
water lily leaves and other aquatic plants develop enough to shade the
pond. In the past, I've just hauled it out by hand. Today I was
talking to someone at a garden center who said she just learned of a
product recently available that you can sprinkle on the pond surface to
eliminate/reduce string algae. Apparently it does not harm other
plants, fish, etc. She could not recall the name of the product. Does
anyone know to what she might have been referring?
Thanks,
Gary

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

Hi Jan,
I believe the pond "kit" for want of a better term is an EasyPro. At
least that's the booklet that the landscaper left. The pump is a
Tsurami but I'm not sure which one. We did have him exchange the pump
recently because the original one was too powerful (4.8amps) and our
electricity bill went thru the roof. Certainly a lot more than he said
it would. The replacement pump is 2.9amps and is more in line, cost
wise, with what he indicated. There isn't that much of a difference in
the waterfall but the water once in the pond seems to move a little
slower towards the skimmer. He specializes in outdoor ponds and never
mentioned a bottom drain so I'm hoping we didn't make the wrong
decision as far as design goes. The pond consists of about 3 tons of
rocks total. Most of the rocks are outside but the bottom and sides are
lined with big rocks and little rocks and some pebbly stuff. Really
does look nice. We are certainly open to any suggestions as we are
still in the upward swing of the learning curve. My wife just corrected
me about the depth. It's actually about 2.5 feet deep. In California,
anything over 3 feet deep is considered a pool and you need all of the
appropriate permits, etc.

Glad to hear pond is only 2.5 feet deep, without a pond drain you would
have serious water exchange with only a skimmer.

Regarding rocks in the pond, well I'm in the don't-rock-the-(inside)pond
group. If you go to koiphen.com there is quite a large number of posts on
this subject. Titled: To rock or not to rock! Let's get it on!

After reading that, if you change your mind, my suggestion would be enjoy
the pond as is, and when it starts to get seriously mucky, remove the rocks
and don't put them back. Then consider a retro fit bottom drain that will
hook into your skimmer box. So you never have to drain and de-muck the
pond again. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

no Algae Fix is not Simazine. Active ingredient is polyoxyethylene
(dimethyliminio) ethylene (dimethyliminio) ethylene dichloride. Something
along the line of Round-Up. It is for use in ponds with LIVE plants and
fish.

Simazine is an organic white solid, used as a pre-emergence herbicide used
for control of broad-leaved and grassy weeds on a variety of deep-rooted
crops such as artichokes, asparagus, berry crops, broad beans, citrus, etc.,
and on non-crop areas such as farm ponds and fish hatcheries.
http://tinyurl.com/53he4

--
Claudia
__________________________________
"Age is...wisdom, if one has lived
one's life properly." --Miriam Makeba, singer
"Elaine T" wrote in message
. com...
ClaudCar wrote:
it is called Algae Fix - I buy mine at http://tinyurl.com/3m3gv
and if you have anything over 100 gals, I personally would recommend
buying
the 64 ozs.

I believe AlgaeFix is Simazine. I'm not a ponder but I know it well
from aquaria. Simazine is strong herbicide and can do unexpected things
to plants as well as algae. Aquarists are generally advised to avoid it
because of its toxicity and unpredictability.

Simazine is EPA regulated because it's toxic to humans and can end up in
the groundwater. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/c-soc/simazine.html

I'm new to ponding, but there's got to be a better solution than that.
Is this one of the algaes that barley straw helps with?

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

ROCKS on bottom is not good. I would take them out.



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

Thanks everyone for your advice and information. Never an easy
solution, is there ! But at least we have choices, right! I
think I will return to the garden center where I learned about this in
a month or so and see what kind of luck they have with this product
before trying it myself. Since my algae season is usually quite short,
I may elect to bite the bullet and just get the big stuff out as I have
in the past.
Thanks again for your great responses,
Gary