New Pond String Algae Need plants?

[willc]

My pond was finished in May. I assume it’s new pond syndrome because string algae is out of control. It’s 1,000 gallons with a 270 gallon bog filter. I can pull out a 5 gallon bucket per week easy. The water itself is fairly clear. It does get full Sun and most of the summer is 100-115 degrees f. I have 4 young koi and an insane amount of mosquito fish. Need those buggers out. I’m assuming I have a lot of nutrients in the water that I have to work through. I have tried a few plants in the bog but they have not made it. What plants can I try that are heat friendly, full Sun ok, bog plant ok, sucks up lots of nutrients. I was feeding 16 pellets daily (4 for each koi) but stopped a month ago.

Plants that died
Hosta
Impatiens
Calla lily
Bacopa
Water hyacinth (last a few weeks then die, assuming the heat is too much) roots seem intact so not sure it’s koi


Plants that have lived
Water lily
Canna lily
Dwarf sweet flag
Taro (first leaf died so maybe struggling)

 

[mrsclem]

Was the 1000 gallons calculated with empty pond? With the rocks and planters, it could severely decrease the volume. More plants in the bog! If you can find some way to shade the pond and bog it would help.

 

[willc]

Was the 1000 gallons calculated with empty pond? With the rocks and planters, it could severely decrease the volume. More plants in the bog! If you can find some way to shade the pond and bog it would help.

Yes empty volume. The hope of my post was help finding more plants that will survive, as the ones I had died. I want to add a lot more but don’t want to waste my time hunting there aren’t great options locally

 

[Mgessert]

That is darned hot! I second what mrsclem said, you will probably need to add some partial shade. Maybe patio umbrellas or a sun sail? I’m in Florida but I don’t think my pond plants would survive that kind of heat.

 

[Lisak1]

Hosta and impatiens are shade plants. Water hyacinths need fertilizer - either from the water or supplementary - and even then they don't always thrive. Callas don't want wet feet - you want cannas. The bacopa have suffered from too much sun/heat as well.

I would focus on reeds, rushes, irises, etc. They tend to be far more hardy and can handle the hot sun far better than the ones you mentioned.

Let me also now add - you have four too many koi in your 1000 gallon (maybe) pond.

 

[JRS]

I see from your other post you are in California, so that is a dry heat 115? What species was your Bacopa? B. monnieri grows wild in Florida, thought it would have done good. Does take some time to establish when transplanted, especially if out of the water, tends to dry out/wither until it adjusts. Any native plants to your area that might like wet feet?

 

[Lisak1]

Also meant to add - thank Mother Nature for that string algae. It's keeping your pond in balance until you get the plant situation sorted out.

 

[GBBUDD]

I have 4 young koi and an insane amount of mosquito fish

That unfortunately is not a pond for koi imo ...

Your pond is clearly not cycled. i would suggest finding some logs that are in a native pond one that looks clean and free of pollution. Grab a few rocks covered in pond muck. you need the microbes and bacteria.

 

[Meh]

I live in the mojave dessert, have similar issues. Baccopa survives and spreads very slowly but you have to keep the string algae away from it. Pennywort has survived but not thrived. Same with parrots feather and watercress. I am currently tryi ng to aclimate iris lemongrass and society garlic. Has survived so far, been a month since planting. Mexican petunia has been highly recomended to me, but i dont like the look so never tried it.
Algae should mostly dissapear late spring early summer(for me, anyway) after your pond cycles.

 

[Meh]

Sorry, double post

 

[GBBUDD]

I'll quote sam kenison " we have deserts we just don't live there!. Beautiful place but a hard place to live . All bets are off in those conditions. I can only imagine the evaporation rate there.

 

[Meh]

Evaporation rate not so bad surprisingly, maybe 2 or 3 inches a week? Thats in summer, when windy and hot. Much less in winter and spring. That being said, I dont like the desert, and am hoping to move out in a few years

 

[GBBUDD]

@Lisak1 i guess talking about the mating ball we unearthed in jersey with a 140 snakes is out Garders enviro got involved took them out of the work zone made a special temp home for them and returned with less than 30

 

[willc]

I live in the mojave dessert, have similar issues. Baccopa survives and spreads very slowly but you have to keep the string algae away from it. Pennywort has survived but not thrived. Same with parrots feather and watercress. I am currently tryi ng to aclimate iris lemongrass and society garlic. Has survived so far, been a month since planting. Mexican petunia has been highly recomended to me, but i dont like the look so never tried it.
Algae should mostly dissapear late spring early summer(for me, anyway) after your pond cycles.

Thanks! It’s kinda frustrating

Hosta and impatiens are shade plants. Water hyacinths need fertilizer - either from the water or supplementary - and even then they don't always thrive. Callas don't want wet feet - you want cannas. The bacopa have suffered from too much sun/heat as well.

I would focus on reeds, rushes, irises, etc. They tend to be far more hardy and can handle the hot sun far better than the ones you mentioned.

Let me also now add - you have four too many koi in your 1000 gallon (maybe) pond.

that’s frustrating to hear. I built the pond with the intention of sticking a couple shubunkin in. The pond supply store in my area sold shubunkin and koi, and recommended I go koi instead of shubunkin. Even said I had room for more than 4 based off my filtration 60 gallon intake bay with 270 gallon big filter and 1,000 main pond. Of course empty volume. So we got 4 koi and they are still small. As for the mosquito fish, I started with 10 or so and many they just exploded in population. I can’t be the only person in zone 9 to have built a pond in zone 9 with fish with summer heat, so are you saying my pond is a no go?

 

[willc]

Sorry about the double post the forum doesn’t like my mobile browser me thinks