Algae

[mellis18]

Which is better for getting rid of algae - a UV light or an ionizer?

 

[sissy]

Alot use uv on here but never heard of any one using an ionizer,plus they are expensive .I don't use either I just use quilt batting in a basket in my filters to pick up the fine algae cells

 

[j.w]

I don't use one either. Never really gets bad here and if I get too much I'll just use that quilt batting in a container w/ holes in it under my waterfall to collect that fine particle floating algae. I've use the kitty litter (100% clay kind) to kill the string algae and that seems to work pretty good.

 

[Waterbug]

UV.
Search for ionizer use in swimming pools to get more info. They have a longer history in that market, where it failed. Only in the past couple of years have companies been trying to sell them into the pond market. The key points to research would be the amount of copper put into the pond and whether you're OK with that and that when sold in the swimming pool market they were marketed as something that would help keep clear water clear and not clear water on their own. The idea was people could reduce the amount of chemicals needed, but chemicals were still needed. That seemed to be its downfall in that market, people came to realize they still needed to test water, add chemicals, basically do everything they had to do before, so why bother with the ionizer. It may have saved 5%. 10% chemical use if someone was extremely good at monitoring water and adding the proper chemicals in the proper amounts, but few people want to go to that much trouble.
In a pond where those chemicals can't be used and there's a much higher organic load an ionizer has no chance at algae control. If you're OK with adding copper to the pond in a high enough amount to control algae it's far cheaper to use the copper based algaecides. These can certainly kill fish and probably not good for fish long term so you do have to know what you're doing. Or if it's OK to replace fish every few years which there are some cases of this, like parks with Koi lakes. There the danger from algae is greater than the danger from an algaecide.

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

i do use a uv light, does it help? i am into the water dye to a vivid blue kind of person. it doesnt affect wild life besides the nasty algae blooms. it prevents light from getting to far down in your water ie, less algae bloom. Get a good water testing kit, liquid not those crappy and inaccurate test strips, and watch your nitrates. no nitrates no algae. if everyone actually did their water changes, every chemical place would be out of business. all they do is deprive the oxygen in the water to kill plant life, to much good bye fishy.

 

[herzausstahl]

I don't use one either. Never really gets bad here and if I get too much I'll just use that quilt batting in a container w/ holes in it under my waterfall to collect that fine particle floating algae. I've use the kitty litter (100% clay kind) to kill the string algae and that seems to work pretty good.

JW, how do you use the kitty litter to kill string algae?

 

[j.w]

I just put it in a netted bag, maybe a quart or two and stick in under the waterfall, tie it to a rock or something so it can't float away. I found the netted bags they sell at Lowes or H-depot for the thistle seeds for birds work well to keep it in. I also use it as soil in my water lily pots. Seems to do the job well. I need to replenish mine this Spring as I think it would wear down eventually although I haven't noticed it dissolving from my pots.

 

[pond42sliders]

I noticed if I use barley flakes it kills the algae, but then the dead stuff just ends up on the bottom creating a different kind of mess. Do sludge remover realy work for something like that? It seems like alot of different chemicals to be putting in the pond....can't really be good for it, I would think.

 

[herzausstahl]

Thanks JW, gonna try it this summer. Do you use a UV at all?

 

[j.w]

You're welcome herz and nope never used a UV. I bought a bale of barley and it's sitting in my shed in a garbage can. Tried it once but never replenished the container for it in the pond again. The old stuff is still in there and prolly not active anymore. I'm surprised it is not all rotted away and dissolved but its not. Not sure if it ever did anything or not for the algae. Never used a sludge remover.

 

[richyd]

I had major issues with algae last summer and I have 2 u/v lights.
Told my local aquatic guy, and he suggested barley straw which was sold in mesh bags for a very cheap price. After roughly 6 weeks all the algae died and floated to the surface, which I then scooped out with ease

 

[sissy]

never liked the barley straws mess and found out the chemical barley straw produces is nothing but good old peroxide so bypass the barley and I buy peroxide for 89 cents at the store for 16 ounces and can even get 32 ounces for 1 dollar .I buy dollar store bags .3 or 4 and they look bigger than they really are .No uv
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[herzausstahl]

So sissy, do you use peroxide? And how much?

 

[sissy]

I spray it on the algae because if you put it in the pond and have other plants it will kill them or turn them yellow .I do soak all my lava rock and filter pads and quilt batting in it also

 

[pond42sliders]

It doesn't hurt the fish, or BB? I'm totally overwhelmed with all the different suggestions and products that are out there. I don't even like researching 'All About keeping Happy and Healthy Goldies' cuz my head doesn't have enough memory to take it all in. But, i'm getting worried about the amount of string I got growing right now. I'm afraid it's hurting my fish, since I can barely even see them due to algae. Then I read it's not good to clean it out with a brush, because disturbing it releases toxic gasses that are very bad for the fishy's. When I do start swirling it around and pulling it out, the fish start coming out and get right up to the brush. But i can't see them very well and have to stop for rear of hurting one. I wish the sun would go away for awhile...I'm trying to grow lillies, but they are growing fast enough to run out the algae......................................... :frown: