Blanket weed?

[Podge]

Hi All I have just found this forum and i'm hoping that someone could advise me. My wife and myself decided three years ago to make a small fish pond for our garden. Everything went well and the pond has become a hobby for both of us and we really enjoy it. The pond is 5ft x 3ft x 2ft deep so as you see only a small pond but just what we wanted. We bought a Blagdon pump and made a small water fall and of course added plants. The pond looks good and until recently has looked very good with the water clear which allows us to watch the fish we have introduced to the pond. The problem I have now is what I think is blanket weed, this first appeared about six weeks ago and I treated it with cloverleaf blanket answer on three occasions but it still returns this treatment had good reviews that is why I used it. I have followed the instructions to the letter and I am wondering if it may not be blanket weed at all. I can only describe it as a green slime attached to the sides of the pond and the plants. Hope you can help thank you Podge.

 

[MitchM]

Welcome!
Do you have a mechanical filter of some sort on your pond?

 

[Podge]

The only filter I have is in the pump. I was told when buying the pump that this was all I needed. The pump also as a UV bulb in it I also run the water to the waterfall past a UV bulb. Podge

 

[MitchM]

Could you post a link or model number for which pump you have?

 

[Podge]

The pump is a Blagdon in pond all in one 3000. I have been cleaning the filters every four months again as I was told to do and I have replaced the filters twice since I have had it. hope this helps thanks

 

[MitchM]

Thanks.
Those filter/pump combinations are fine for removing suspended detritus, but not great for water circulation. Over time detritus will build up in areas where there is little or no water circulation and as that detritus breaks down, the nutrients released will feed nuisance algae growth. Your pond would benefit from either vacuuming the bottom or increasing water circulation so all detritus can be captured by your Blagdon filter. You'll need to clean the filter more frequently and manually remove the blanket weed as it grows.

 

[Podge]

Thanks very much for the advice, this is new venture for us so any advice is much appreciated. I am really pleased to have found this forum and I think I could learn a lot from it thanks again Podge.

 

[MitchM]

You're welcome!

 

[MoonShadows]

Hi Podge...Mitch gave you some good advice. Stick around. This is a great forum with plenty of knowledgeable folks who are friendly and always willing to help. Before you know it, you'll be helping newbies, too! If you have them, post a couple of pics of your pond. We always love to see what others are doing.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome! You said the algae is a green slime on the pond walls..... That sounds like "blanket algae," (at least that's what I call it because it "blankets" the walls), which is the good kind of algae that is good for the pond. Now, if it's "string algae," that stuff will be hanging off, as well, but it has a stringy, hair-like growth habit. It's bad about growing on plants. It's (as well as suspended, "pea soup" algae) caused by excess nutrients in the water -- usually either from a heavy fish load or over feeding. How many fish do you have and how big are they, and what kind are they? How often do you feed them?

We don't advocate the use of chemicals to remove algae. Instead, it's best to solve the issue that's causing it. Adding more plants, reducing fish loads, improving filtration, decreasing amt of food, providing shade, adding air......are good ways to slow down this growth. If you kill the algae, the dead cells will decompose, adding more nutrients to the water -- viscious cycle.

Best wishes for success! If you have pics of your pond, we'd love to see them.

 

[addy1]

Welome! Glad you joined. Good advice up there^^

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome welcome welcome!