I went away for a week and all of my algae disappeared!

[TimsPond]

So, I went out of town for a week. When I can back, I went to check on the pond and all of the string algae and banket algae were gone! I could see the each of the river gravel and all of the rocks on the plant shelves.

So usually, when I am in town, at the end of the day I go sit by the pond and feed the fish and turtles. I guess being out of town, with no one feeding the fish, they all turned on the algae and ate it! I think I will be cutting back on the amount of food I am feeding. I still enjoy sitting by the pond and feeding everyone, but I am definitely going to cut back on the quantity of food for the fish. Less waste to provide nutrients for the algae and keep the fish more hungry and grazing on algae during the day.

 

[GBBUDD]

So, I went out of town for a week. When I can back, I went to check on the pond and all of the string algae and banket algae were gone! I could see the each of the river gravel and all of the rocks on the plant shelves.

So usually, when I am in town, at the end of the day I go sit by the pond and feed the fish and turtles. I guess being out of town, with no one feeding the fish, they all turned on the algae and ate it! I think I will be cutting back on the amount of food I am feeding. I still enjoy sitting by the pond and feeding everyone, but I am definitely going to cut back on the quantity of food for the fish. Less waste to provide nutrients for the algae and keep the fish more hungry and grazing on algae during the day.

often the ponds worst enemy is intervention ie we give them a free meal

 

[TheFishGuy]

I have not fed my fish in over a year now and yet they are fat and happy, and the baby’s just keep coming. I truly love how low maintenance a pond can be.

 

[addy1]

I have not fed my fish in over a year now and yet they are fat and happy, and the baby’s just keep coming. I truly love how low maintenance a pond can be.

I hardly ever feed, but been feeding this year trying to get babies to replace the snake sushi. I may just go and buy another batch of fish, once I know the snakes are gone, ie a few weeks of empty traps.

 

[lori.walker]

I am also guilty of over feeding...but I really enjoy their antics! We have mud pond about an 1/8th of acre (I think). I have the "foam" trifecta; too many fish, too much food, too many leaves. I'm getting better at treating it to get rid of the leaf muck, trying not to feed them every day & I now have a fountain, AND two snapping turtles so it seems to be leveling itself out.
But it's soooo hard not to sit & feed them every night! LoL

 

[GBBUDD]

you won't have to worry about that for long with two snapping turtles. they will take care of overfeeding and feeding of anything.

 

[Mmathis]

Not only the fish eating the algae, but by not feeding, there were fewer waste products in the water. An excess of waste products equals algae. Non-intervention can be a good thing. Congratulations on overcoming one of the ponders worse enemies: impatience!

 

[Tula]

I don't think I over feed my koi, but from what I've read they need to be fed. I didn't feed them for about 5 days after spawning in the hopes they'd eat the eggs !

 

[poconojoe]

It may have been just coincidence. Your pond might have cleared on it's own. There's a point in the Springtime or early Summer where the beneficial bacteria and plants mature, resulting in the disappearance of algae.

Just another possibility.

 

[GBBUDD]

I don't think I over feed my koi, but from what I've read they need to be fed. I didn't feed them for about 5 days after spawning in the hopes they'd eat the eggs !

I have gone 3 weeks between feedings. And this co tinued for over a year. The koi have never looked thin or like they were starving. And the pond looked great as they will graze throughout.

Koi graze that's what they do they are also scavengers for insects or other vegetation. They do have some teeth contrary to beliefs.

 

[lori.walker]

you won't have to worry about that for long with two snapping turtles. they will take care of overfeeding and feeding of anything.

Yeah I'm a little apprehensive about two. One seemed like a good thing, I've read that they keep a pond clean. The fish just swim wide around them.
I have a gazillion goldfish, and more, so as long as they don't decide to eat the koi...
Do you think I should try to remove one? This is the 2nd or 3rd year for one. 1st year for two.