Algae on sides

[Paulf615]

My pond has lots of stringy algae hanging on to the sides on my pond. The water is clear with no green though. I was wondering if anyone knows how to keep the algae from growing on the sides because i already have a uv filter which keeps the water from turning green.

 

[talal101]

did you think of putting a pleco in there?

 

[Paulf615]

Well I have about 6 goldfish and 2 small koi all of which are about two inches. Im afraid if i put one of those little guys in the pond (the ones they sell at local pet store are about an inch or less) he will either get crushed by a rock or get bullied by the fish. Ps I haven't put my fish back in my pond yet they are still in the big tank where they spent the winter.

 

[Paulf615]

I set up some irrigators and im planning on putting back the fish in a few days. Im thinking the fish will eat the algae off the sides. Right??

Also I was thinking about putting snails in if that would help.

 

[dieselplower]

As long as there is food for the algae it will grow right back. Test your water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphates. You might need to do a water change. Personally I don't mind some algae on the sides but I dont like a lot of it. It's actually good at filtering the water.

 

[Tula]

I had tons of string algae this spring. The fish ate some and I puled some....it just takes a while. A UV light isn't effective for string algae.

 

[Paulf615]

I just did a water change but the pond is in the sun like half the day. I do want another fish or creature in the pond to add excitement well its cleaning the sides. Last year the sides where always dirty with a little algae so i don't plan on it going away.

 

[Waterbug]

String algae can keep the water from going green. Produces a chemical that actually makes the water toxic to the green water algae, although this isn't completely proven, I believe it to be true. You can turn off your UV and see what happens. You can always turn it back on if the water starts going green. Can save some $$$ for electric and having to change the bulb every year.

There are fish like a Pelco that will eat a lot of algae. Kind of depends on the algae kind and how fast it grows and the size and number of pelcos. Goldfish and Koi will eat algae but generally not enough to make any difference.

String algae can be killed with chemicals. They aren't good for fish and too much of the chemical will kill fish but many people do choose to use them.

To me the easiest way is to just control growth by pulling it out, like cutting the lawn every week. You get all the benefits of string algae. Having a pond design that makes removing algae easier is key imo. Plants in the pond can make algae removal really difficult so I keep plants in pond beds around the pond so they don't have standing water and no algae.

 

[Dave 54]

We have algae on the sides and bottom of the pond and the effect is more than pleasing it makes things look that more naturaal and the koi keep it cropped close like a lawn .

Dave

 

[Lardeelion]

I would not recommend a pleco unless you have a proper indoor setup. I'm new to ponds but plecos can be a nightmare in aquariums. They grow very big and make a ton of waste, and unless you have a setup that can handle them indoors in the winter, you'll have quite a mess.

 

[Sunshine]

I had it on my sides and waterfalls last summer. My pond is in full sun all day. I pulled it off the waterfalls, but left it on the sides. You could get a new toilet brush to clean it off the sides. Just keep twirling it around the sides.

 

[Paulf615]

Regardless of the positives that come from string algae I find it an eye sore when you look at the pond. I just don't want to make it something i have to maintain and keep cleaning off.

Chemicals would work but aren't the cheapest thing and again can be harmful to the living things in the pond.

I know plecos are an option but living in new England weather gets cold and i just keep my fish in a 75 gallon tank in an insulated box in the shed. The water gets cold but i just prevent it from freezing because the koi and goldfish can live in cold water but for the plecos they can't. Then again if getting a pleco is worth it and they are cool to see in the pond i could spend more time making sure the water stays warm in the winter.

Im wondering if snails would help because they seem the easiest to maintain. Would they help? And I know a 600 gallon pond is a bit small for two koi and about 7 goldfish (all are about two inches including the koi) would adding a pleco be too much?

 

[crsublette]

Without string algae, we would get lazy from drinking too many mexican cervezas and fat from eating awesome homemade salsa with chips while admiring the water. Sorry fella, string algae is an unfortunate evil that we have to constantly battle with, much like trying to stop grass spurs or crab grass in our lawn.


To simply put it, when the string algae gets too long, then use a toilet bowl brush to slurp it up like ya do with good home cooked spaghetti or you will have to do a chemical regiment amongst other things as talked about in the two below threads:

Algal Blooms (https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/algal-blooms.12270/)

Solving the algae mystery (https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/solving-the-algae-mystery.13888/)


Snails would likely get eaten quick by the fish. Snails don't last long in my pond.

Plecos are fine except they will die quick if water gets too cold.

Look into possibly obtaining an algae eating shark for your pond. Chinese Hi Fin Shark. Very cold hardy. (http://fullserviceaquatics.com/aquarium/shark-pond-easier-than-you-may-think/)

If you do not feed your fish too much, then they will eat some of it.


UVs only kill what floats in the water thus kills what is able to flow through the UV device. There are string algae species, along with the most invasive, that actually reproduce through shedding off bacteria or spores, which act like seeds. The "seeds" can also be released while trying to pull the string algae out of the pond. These "seeds" will be floating in the water and some of them will be killed by the UV device. UV devices also oxidizes various micronutrients to a very low degree, dependent on UV strength, which means it makes the mincronutrients insoluble to plants and algae, except the impact on micronutrients is not noticeable as long as the UV device is mainly operating so to kill floating algae and spores.


Don't stress too much over it. It is all part of the wonderful natural process in our pond's ecosystem and string algae is just the part of nature that sucks.

 

[Paulf615]

Crsublette

I know its something i have to deal with and I wouldn't mind dealing with it at all but this is my third year with this pond and i wanted to add maybe something else and why not get something that will take a little work off my hands. Im kind of new to this but the The Chinese Hi Fin Banded Shark sounds really cool but i need to know more about it. I did some research and i found they could grow up to three feet and they would be in schools. So i have a few questions hopefully you can answer because of your experience.

1st. Is my 500 gallon pond already too crowded with fish? (List of fish said in last reply) I will be willing to get rid of the koi when they get too big like 6-7 inches if necessary.

2nd. Will adding two Chinese Hi Fin Banded Shark make the pond way too crowded?

3rd. How many gallons does your pond need to have to house the sharks? And how many would max out my pond? (I can always get rid of them if they get too big)

4th whats the price range on them and can they be found in a store and need to be bought online?

I hope you can answer these questions i just need to know whats too much.

 

[crsublette]

Yep, since your pond is already crowded quite well for a beginner, then I would say any additional fish will be too much.

Here is an online store for you if the local pet store can not order them for you. Live Aquaria - Chinese Hi Fin Banded Shark.

Koi can reach up to 2 feet and, depending on genetics and water quality, even rarely up to around 29~32 inches; koi growing an inch each month is quite common. Also, goldfish are common to grow up to 8~10 inches and even bigger than this up to 14 inches, even more rare to be bigger.

Then, you have to take into consideration if they spawn.

Personally, I believe a pond below 1,000 gallons should not have koi.


Whenever the fish get too big, then it is time to sell them or give them away.


Stock density is not an easy question to answer since this depends entirely on your filtration and how you manage the water chemistry and other variables. This stuff you will learn as you do your homework learning about this hobby.

For a beginner, yep, I think you have already hit your maximum stock density and your two koi can quickly push you much further above it.