Hi

i am trying to find a product called OClear. You pour it in your pond and it
miraculously clears the water so it is crystal. The fish can then eat the
biproduct on the bottom. We bought some of this from a Gardening show a few
years back and cannot find it any more

Any help appreciated

Paul

Have you tried the 'rec.ponds' NG?

"Avis Merrihead" wrote in message
...
Hi

i am trying to find a product called OClear. You pour it in your pond and
it
miraculously clears the water so it is crystal. The fish can then eat the
biproduct on the bottom. We bought some of this from a Gardening show a
few
years back and cannot find it any more

Any help appreciated

Paul

In message , David W.E. Roberts
writes
Have you tried the 'rec.ponds' NG?
"Avis Merrihead" wrote in message
...

i am trying to find a product called OClear. You pour it in your pond and
it
miraculously clears the water so it is crystal. The fish can then eat the
biproduct on the bottom. We bought some of this from a Gardening show a
few
years back and cannot find it any more

Any help appreciated

Paul A. Brown posted a very similar question to alt.garden.pond.chat 3
days ago but has yet to receive any replies.

I'm sure a local aquatic retailer could sell you something that would do
the job but wouldn't an active filter do a better more long-term job?

--
dave @ stejonda

"dave wrote in message

i am trying to find a product called OClear. You pour it in your pond
and
it
miraculously clears the water so it is crystal. The fish can then eat
the
biproduct on the bottom. We bought some of this from a Gardening show
a
few
years back and cannot find it any more

Any help appreciated

Paul A. Brown posted a very similar question to alt.garden.pond.chat 3
days ago but has yet to receive any replies.

I'm sure a local aquatic retailer could sell you something that would do
the job but wouldn't an active filter do a better more long-term job?


Actually clear water is not necessarily clean water so I would endorse the
permanent use of a biological filter. This may not give you crystal clear
water in the brightest sunlight but it should be clean water with little
toxic chemicals present.

Have you noticed how the colours of the fish actually improve in green
water? It's only people that prefer clear water in ponds. ( actually Herons
like it too) :-)

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars, there's bugger all down here.

Hi All,

Appreciate all the tips ;-)

I do have an active filter but this just tips the scales. I have tried my
local shop who gave me 'something' similar which was rubbish in comparison.
I really want to find this OClear

Thanks

Paul (A Brown)
"Sue & Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"dave wrote in message

i am trying to find a product called OClear. You pour it in your pond
and
it
miraculously clears the water so it is crystal. The fish can then eat
the
biproduct on the bottom. We bought some of this from a Gardening
show
a
few
years back and cannot find it any more

Any help appreciated

Paul A. Brown posted a very similar question to alt.garden.pond.chat 3
days ago but has yet to receive any replies.

I'm sure a local aquatic retailer could sell you something that would do
the job but wouldn't an active filter do a better more long-term job?


Actually clear water is not necessarily clean water so I would endorse the
permanent use of a biological filter. This may not give you crystal clear
water in the brightest sunlight but it should be clean water with little
toxic chemicals present.

Have you noticed how the colours of the fish actually improve in green
water? It's only people that prefer clear water in ponds. ( actually
Herons
like it too) :-)

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars, there's bugger all down here.

You don't say what the alternative was that you tried.

I have use AlgoRem (I think made by the people at Tetra) and that has done
wonders for my pond. Clear for 8 weeks now.

"Avis Merrihead" wrote in message
...
Hi

i am trying to find a product called OClear. You pour it in your pond and
it
miraculously clears the water so it is crystal. The fish can then eat the
biproduct on the bottom. We bought some of this from a Gardening show a
few
years back and cannot find it any more

Any help appreciated

Paul

In article , Avis Merrihead
writes
Hi

i am trying to find a product called OClear.

Why use chemicals?
Make the conditions right in your pond and the water should eventually
clear itself.

--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason,
put jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see deadspam.com

In message , Jane Ransom
writes

Why use chemicals?
Make the conditions right in your pond and the water should eventually
clear itself.

I've always believed that approach to work too - by the time the
oxygenators and the surface coverers have grown, the blanket weed/alga
usually gives up. Sadly this year it hasn't worked with one of our two
ponds and I'm not sure of the reason....... other than to say that all
the tadpoles in that pond died so I suspect a fairly catastophic
happening. Fortunately the dragon fly larvae have survived - the first
ones have taken wing over the last couple of days and our sticklebacks
have had babies so we must be doing something right.

Meanwhile I keep pulling out the green slime and hoping things will be
better next year.

Jill
--

http://www.bellsbarn.demon.co.uk
(Gardens, geraniums and photographs)

The message
from Jill Bell contains these words:

In message , Jane Ransom
writes

Why use chemicals?
Make the conditions right in your pond and the water should eventually
clear itself.

I've always believed that approach to work too - by the time the
oxygenators and the surface coverers have grown, the blanket weed/alga
usually gives up. Sadly this year it hasn't worked with one of our two
ponds and I'm not sure of the reason....... other than to say that all
the tadpoles in that pond died so I suspect a fairly catastophic
happening. Fortunately the dragon fly larvae have survived - the first
ones have taken wing over the last couple of days and our sticklebacks
have had babies so we must be doing something right.

Meanwhile I keep pulling out the green slime and hoping things will be
better next year.

Jill
--
We have two ponds completely free of blanket weed and a big newer pond
which has been getting a certain amount of blanket weed which I too have
been pulling out.

What intrigues me is that all the blanket weed is round the oxygenating
plants anf the roots of the marginals and the area without any plants in
is crystal clear. As well as being more difficult to pull out because
great mounds of plant come with it, it tempts you to think that the
oxygenators are causing or at least attracting the blanket weed.

I know this is not supposed to be the case but it still leave me
wondering why the blanket weed forms where it does.

Janet G

In article , Jill Bell
writes

I've always believed that approach to work too - by the time the
oxygenators and the surface coverers have grown, the blanket weed/alga
usually gives up. Sadly this year it hasn't worked with one of our two
ponds and I'm not sure of the reason.......

You sure you didn't let a bit of fertilizer get in?

--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason,
put jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see deadspam.com

In article , Jane Ransom
writes
In article , Jill Bell
writes

I've always believed that approach to work too - by the time the
oxygenators and the surface coverers have grown, the blanket weed/alga
usually gives up. Sadly this year it hasn't worked with one of our two
ponds and I'm not sure of the reason.......

You sure you didn't let a bit of fertilizer get in?

I have never had blanket weed until last year, and its driving me mad!!

I bought some magic cure at Hampton Court Flower Show and it did not
work!!!

Ann
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instep Walking Holidays & White Knight Services
Tel/Fax +44 (0)1903 766475, or www.instephols.co.uk
UK Walking specialists - "You do the walk we do the work"

In article , Instep Walking Holidays
writes

I have never had blanket weed until last year, and its driving me mad!!

I bought some magic cure at Hampton Court Flower Show and it did not
work!!!

This is a faq which I started a couple of years ago because we always
get blanket weed topics cropping up at this time of year.
It's a bit long, though (

-------------------------

Algae, which includes blanket weed, thrives on nutrients, sunlight and
carbon dioxide in pond water. This is why blanket weed topics always
crop up on urg at the start of summer. Sunlight levels increase, pond
water starts to turn green and blanket weed grows.

For starters -

Are you sure that nutrients (compost, growmore, miracle grow, dead
vegetation, plain old soil etc) are not being washed off your garden
and into the pond when it rains?

Are you sure you are not overfeeding your fish and that the extra food
is rotting to provide blanket weed food?

Is your pond a new one? Don't keep filling it up with 'new' water to
try to clear it because if you do, you will just set yourself back to
square one every time as most tap water contains levels of Nitrate from
farmland runoff thus increasing your problem.
Take heart from the fact that it can take three or four years for
the water in a new wildlife type pond to stabilise into a well
balanced state.

Does the pond have a liner or is it a manmade 'natural' one ie a big
hole in clay ground? Nutrients may be more of a problem in a natural
pond than in a lined one - but don't quote me on that.

Blanket weed isn't killed by your pond filter.
Blanket weed will happily clog up your filter.
In fact, if your filter is a biological one, it will actually convert
toxic Ammonia waste from your fish into less toxic Nitrates again
increasing your weed problem.


To make the blanket weed disappear, find a way of reducing the
sunlight and nutrient levels in your pond and increasing the oxygen
level.

Our local pond expert says:
"Don't work against mother nature, try to work with her".

The most natural way to remove blanket weed, as it starts to grow in
early summer, is to encourage lots of tadpoles. Among other things,
they feed on blanket weed.
However if you keep fish in your pond the tadpoles will be a welcome
food for them.


Here are some suggestions
=========================


Reducing sunlight
-----------------

Reducing the sunlight entering the pond is usually achieved by making
sure the surface is half covered with leaves of lilies or other
surface hugging plants such as frog bit and aponogeton.

Some urglers have even tried:
- Azolla (fairy moss) - fast growing and can be scooped off the
surface without harming the pond creatures.
- Covering the pond with a big sheet - can be placed over the pond
when sunlight at its brightest.


Reducing Nutrients
------------------

Reducing the nutrients is achieved by continually removing the blanket
weed. That is, as the blanket weed grows it absorbs nutrients
therefore the more you remove from the pond the more nutrients are
removed.

To catch your blanket weed, you can use a tuning fork shaped
stick and twirl the blanket weed round it. You can use a plain
straight stick if you want and use the same circular action as a
candy floss catcher.

Just be careful that no little pond creatures are caught in the
weed as you remove it. In fact, leave it at the side of the pond for
a couple of days so any that are caught can crawl back into the pond.

It has also been suggested that growing water cress has the same
effect. It grows quickly therefore absorbs nutrients so that the
more you remove, the more nutrients are removed. The same can be
said for any aquatic plant, but water cress seems to be the fastest
grower therefore the fastest nutrient absorber.
***Warning***.do not eat any watercress grown in a pond because it
could give you Liver Flukes.***


Increasing Oxygen
-----------------

Well, obviously, you chuck in some oxygenating water plants.
It is amazing to watch the streams of tiny bubbles rising from
these plants when the sun shines on them!


Some things other people have tried
===================================

Barley Straw
------------

Barley straw works very well it just takes a little time. It *has*
to be barley straw and not any other kind. I have used this method
for years successfully.
[OldMolly]

I also use barley straw. Research papers that I have read suggest that
the barley straw works best when it is placed in front of moving water
and hence giving the naturally released chemical, that I believe
prevents the weed growing rather than killing it off, an opportunity
of dispersing throughout the pond.
[AndyP]

The reason that the Barley Straw works is AFIAK it absorbs the excess
nitrogen in the pond that the algae feed on. Yes it must be organic,
or bought from an aquatic shop, as the chemicals sprayed on to it by
farmers will kill the wildlife in the pond. Growing it yourself is
one good answer, if you have the space.
[Mike]


Chemical Solutions
------------------

From what I remember of a chemical solution to our small pond years
and years ago, a chemical solution to your size of pond is going
to be expensive.
[Jane Ransom]

I cannot vouch for CLAROSAN as I have never heard of it. But with
respect to harming lilies & other plants most of the other chemical
remedies do. I would check what the manufacturer has to say about it
before use.
Chemical treatments can stunt growth/or even kill plants altogether,
but usually just prevent lilies flowering for 2-3 seasons and if you
think that is OK just remember when you stop treating the water, the
blanket weed WILL come back.
Remove the nitrates/light in your pond or get a couple of million
tadpoles ;-) Tadpoles are the best bet. They will chomp away & keep
it away until the plants have time to grow.
[Andy]

If you use chemicals to get rid of blanket weed, you must make sure
to get rid of the dead weed from the bottom of the pond, or it will
clog your pump and possibly affect the water even worse than the
weed did.
[June Hughes]

I once tried some that said it didn't harm plants, but at the
recommended dose, it most definitely did, and quite badly. And after
a few months the weed came back. Cant remember the make though.
[TumbleWeed]

Funny you should mention that, this year, despite it being sunny,
we have had little trouble with Blanket Weed which normally blocks
filters, pumps etc. Three things may have affected this:
The first is that we have let our Watercress grow rampant before
removing it (and the nutrients it fed on) to the compost heap.
The second is the use of "Pond Tonic Salt" at the recommended dose
(originally introduced because of a parasitic bloom which was affecting
our fish) and
The third is that we have not changed the water in our pond as much
as normal just increased the flow rate of our filters a touch to keep
the water sweet (it's a 3,000gal Koi pond so a lot of waste matter).
[Bob Hobden]

Yes there are chemical products which remove blanket weed but,
having killed off the b'weed, the weed decomposes and eats up what
oxygen is in the water. So, the usual recommendation is to remove as
much of the weed by hand, before one treats the water. Yes, this can
be a big job. I have seen boats being used to trawl the stuff up.
However, you asked what the products might be. One was called 'Algofin
Plus'. No doubt you can buy it in larger more economic quantities but,
250ml to treat 5,000 litres used to cost £5. - No cheap option !!!
Another product was called 'Algizin P'.
I found that patience (nature is a great healer) and adding no more
tap water seems to pay off.
Don't worry about the magnitude of the problem. Just think how
satisfying it will be when you succeed. ;-))
[ned]


But always bear in mind
=======================

The root causes of blanket weed a

- nutrients
- sunlight
- carbon dioxide

in the pond water.
Get rid of them and your blanket weed D I E S ))

--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason,
put jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see deadspam.com