,, would Barley Straw be a good option for algae control ?
All you can do is try it...... One thing I've learned is that some things work for some people, and don't work for others -- there are too many variables to say what will & what won't work. And trying different things is how we learn.
Basically, I think you'd need to define what you mean by "algae control," and you need to understand why ponds have algae in the first place. Some people don't want any algae at all -- not gonna happen. But algae in a pond isn't a bad thing, unless there's way too much of it, LOL! It's a sign that you have a balanced eco-system [again, unless you have too much]. Too much algae is a sign that you have too many nutrients in your water -- think of it as being over-fertilized -- that, and maybe too much sunshine. So your goal should be to control those situations -- don't overfeed your fish, provide some shade, or plants that provide shade. Adding plants or more plants to the pond can help, as well, as the plants will compete with the algae for those nutrients. Most of us don't use chemicals to control algae, but even something "natural" like barley straw is going to take time to work -- you'd probably be just as well off to add hydrogen peroxide to the water [that's what barley straw breaks down into].
You want the carpet-type algae that grows on the liner -- that's the good stuff! The fishies munch on that -- and it's also tadpole food.... String algae and suspended "pea soup" algae are usually the problem ones. They're frustrating, but not impossible -- sometimes it just takes time and patience.......lots of patience.......lots and lots of patience......
Enjoy your pond and all the pleasures [
] and challenges [
] it brings you!
