New strain of algae?

[Dave 54]

Weve been outdoors now for 5 years of our 27 years of koi keeping and as of yet string algae has never struck down our pond, yes we have algae on the sides and bottom of the pond but that all and that is cropped short byour koi throughout the year part of which during the summer we are in full sun .
The only thing we seem to do different from everyone else is carry on as normal throughout the winter months with regular water changes we make sure our filtration is cleaned prior to winter in late autumn however we have a huge three bay vortex style set of filters and a bio filter made from a rather large chmical barrel.
We never allow the water to freeze and only start feeding our koi again very slowly with a handful of wheatgerm and garlic to start with working up to the three times daily summer mix of foods .
The filters are clean once in late spring , once in mid to late summer and last in late fall/Autumn
Our pond covers are see through policarbonate roofing
Question how many members with just mechanical filtration get string algae and how many get the same with bog filters or is it just our total different approach that is stopping us getting this form of algae?
Algaecide we have never had to use big Lou so there must be something in what we do.
Or perhaps its our UV-C which is a double bulbed 36 watt afair that the bulb is changed once every two years made by Aquapond ???

Dave

 

[dieselplower]

Yes lots of string algae this year.

 

[milocat2012]

As far i i know from the experience that liquid algaecide only works for floating algae: green soup water. I don't think it does anything for string stuff. Powder kind works good for string, but require to turn pump off, and draining the pond is not an option at this point, plus you're right you have to never to overdose this stuff, i don't like using this type of chemicals, did have some problems with the fish in the past when used liquid algaecide. still would have to find some kind of solution. Hoping that it warms up soon, so the fish would start eating this stuff and it would solve it. So far water temp. reached 48 F today, but our weather here in NJ all march was crazy: the temperature swings were going off the chart: from 65 F one day it was dropping to 20 F next.

 

[Big Lou]

I believe you have been misled. Algaecide is easy to use and is very effective on all types of algae. Please google TetraPond Algae Control. I am currently unable to cut and paste. Will be glad to help you any way I can.

Special note. When shopping for pond chemicals be weary of stores where the pond chemicals are exposed to high heat and direct sunlight.

 

[milocat2012]

ok, thanks i'll check it out. i may try it and even if it helps to kill the remaining algae in the pond i'm still left with the problem as how clean up my already clogged up filter media? that is a dilemma i'm trying to solve to possibly avoiding buying and replacing all new media, witch would end up costing me around $300 plus i'd have to wait probably over a week while it would be shipped to me from the manufacturer from CA. And i can't even try to use any chemicals now till i restore my filter, as i can't even put my pump on without it. I know that any algaecide products recumbent increased aeration witch hard to do with only aerator going and no circulation.

 

[Waterbug]

It does depend on the algaecide, which is just a general term for any chemical that kills algae. I assume the directions vary for different products. All will say pond/fish safe but that means fish aren't killed in the first few hours. Long term effects aren't tested.

Too much and fish can be killed. Too little and it may not effect different kinds of algae. So that's the dance. Killing established string algae takes a lot...maybe close to what would kill fish. A much lower dose can be used when there is no, or very little algae, to stop or slow new growth.

The copper based products stay in the water. Copper messes up the cell wall and once the cell decomposes the copper is released to attack another cell. If you do a proper dose today and then do another dose next year you may be over dosing depending on water changes, and how much dying algae was removed. So to know what you're doing you really have to test the current water for copper. You also should keep in mind that if you have algae currently decomposing some of the copper wouldn't be in the water, so the test could be off.

The products sold in the mass market go to great length to sell the idea that these are safe because the fine print covers their butts. Many sellers also go to great lengths to hide what chemical they're using. But most are required by law to publish a MSDS and that will disclose what's really going on many times.

 

[JohnHuff]

I don't agree with using algaecide.

Why is algae there? It only blooms if there is nutrients in the water. No nutrients, no algae. So what's in the water that's feeding the algae? Remove that and you've taken care of 1/2 your problem.

My worse times with algae has been when my pump has been down. Usually at the end of Winter. Usually what I do is vacuum and manually remove as much algae as I can, do a water change and start my pumps.

My pump has 4 prefilters that suck up the algae and once I get rid of it, it usually doesn't come back again.

 

[Dave 54]

I find it rather strange that the issue of why we dont suffer from this form of algae keeps slipping they two people I would expect could come up with a very good answer as to why ?
Charles, Waterbug perhaps you'd like to comment ???.
Compaired to our 22 years indoors outdoors Val and I are still after 5 years relitive newbies to ponds so just what is it that we are doing differently to everyone else that negates this form of algae from our setup ?
Is it the Waterchanges throughout the winter months that doing it ?
Never once have we seen it, so if what ever it is works for us I would have thought if we could know the reason then we could all three help others negate it in their own ponds "without the use of Algaecide each spring".
As John points out its more than probably down to nutrients in the ponds water.
Ok so there is no way I can remove all of those , no pond is without nutrients no matter how clean we keep the system, I have a clarifier that runs 24/7 throughout could it be that.?
But then in spring surely as soon as we start feeding we'd get this bloom within a few weeks ?
We cover the pond with policarbonate but it still allows light through it surely this would cause a green house effect for algae to grow like that ?
The moss in the overflow outlet did very well this winter so why no string algae?
I know that we have a massive filtration system and bio filter could it be down to the size of our filters but somehow I cant see that because I have algae on the top of the quilt batting in number 3 filter.
Is it because we thoroughly clean the filters prior to winter I dont think so ?


Dave

 

[crsublette]

I have no idea. Honestly, including myself, everyone will always be beginners when it comes to particular problems or subjects in this hobby.

It might not only be about the pond's nutrients nor chemistry. It might also be about the location and the area's weather. There are species of algae that also transport with wind or due to nearby water sources or due to other critters in the area. So, I imagine there are many variables why one person's pond will not experience the same things as other individual's pond.

Even though the similarities between everyone's pond are quite large, that is where most problems and solutions reside, there are still those minute differences that can make a definite impact on a pond's reaction and this can mean a unique solution might be required.

I think it is not so simple to pin down and I can understand how not getting a straight, simple answer can be quite aggravating.

 

[Dave 54]

I have no idea. Honestly, including myself, everyone will always be beginners when it comes to particular problems or subjects in this hobby.

It might not only be about the pond's nutrients nor chemistry. It might also be about the location and the area's weather. There are species of algae that also transport with wind or due to nearby water sources or due to other critters in the area. So, I imagine there are many variables why one person's pond will not experience the same things as other individual's pond.

Even though the similarities between everyone's pond are quite large, that is where most problems and solutions reside, there are still those minute differences that can make a definite impact on a pond's reaction and this can mean a unique solution might be required.

I think it is not so simple to pin down and I can understand how not getting a straight, simple answer can be quite aggravating.

Charlles aggravating is the wrong word to use but if we could pin down the reasons why it could be of great help to others,
Points to ponder :-
1) we are two miles from the Sea
2) judging from corrosion there is a high salt content in our rain water infact plankton has actually been found in one of our section members pond but he's only a mile away fromthe see.
4) Being in the South West we get more than our fair share of rain
5) String algae takes over buckets of water left outside.
6) We are in constant sunlight from early spring onwards with minimal shade
7) We net our pond with 6mm hexagonal netting
8) We have a strict feeding regiem in place and dont over feed
9) Maintenance is done each and every week throughout the year

I hope this helps you pin the answer down

Dave

 

[addy1]

I don't get string algae in the big pond, ever, I think it is due to my bog using up all spare nutrients in the water. The small / warm slow flow ponds do get some string, I leave it for the critters to live in it.

 

[Priscilla]

I saw your pictures and its quite a mess for sure. Can't you just soak the bio media in a big bucket of pond water and pick out the bio media? Looks like it will take an hour or two, but its cheaper than buying new stuff.

I really hope you can sort this out.

 

[milocat2012]

Hi Priscilla,Thanks for the suggestion. possible it could've worked, but probably would've taken more then couple of hours because the filter is big and has a lot of media in it and the problem with Ultima filter media that is very tiny pellets and whenever you need to clean them manually it's pain! But i found the solution and cleaned it over the weekend. I think i should post it and maybe someone with similar problem would find it helpful. I took couple of media pellets with me and went to Home Depot to look for some kind a screen with bigger holes for algae to go thru, but not big enough for media to escape, so the only one i found that would do the job was the hinged gutter guards. The only problem was that they sold as skinny strips and i needed to make a bigger box and put the screen on the bottom. But i bought a few of them and my husband managed to build a box and connected the strips with cable ties on the bottom. He also made a lid for the box with the same type of screen. It took a couple of hours to build it, but now i can use it anytime if ever needed manually clean the Ultima media or any other one from my other waterfall filter boxes. So we put the media in parts in that box, secured the lid with clamps and just power washed the media. it worked well. cleaned up everything. made a mess on my driveway with algae but better then being new media which would've cost me close to $300. it also could be done with regular garden hose without a power wash machine, and then you don't even need a lid, but hose would've taken a lot longer to get it all cleaned up. With power wash we did it in less then an hour. I'm posting the pictures of the box we made, so maybe someone would find it helpful if they have similar problem. i only had to take out the filter a little more them half a media, as when i started to go dipper the bottom media wasn't clumped up anymore, so i left it inside and the backwash function was working fine by then without clammed up media, so i just backwashed the rest of the media. The clean media i just left out the filter for another week or 2 till the algae problem will get better. and left the ultima on Recirculate mode rather then on filter. I don't want to deal with clogged up media again, mean while i let other 3 pre filter baskets and my waterfall filters catch all those strings of algae. It would be much easier to clean them then deal again with clogged huge filter. The algae strings are getting much smaller, now i'm waiting for the weather to stabilize so fish would start eating: it was a few warm days so fish starred to swim and i saw them eating the algae, they actually consumed good part of it, but it got cold again on sunday and temperature dropped to 22 F at night so the water temperature back down to about 43 F and fish is back to hibernating stage. this weather in march has been so crazy. one of the coldest march i remember in years. It's just aggravating the big swings of temperature. Bad for fish.

 

[Priscilla]

Awesome idea! So happy you worked it out.

Good luck with your bio filter kicking in. Sounds like you have some pricy Hawaiian fish to look after .

I had problems with my bio filter at first too, too many fish and not enough time running the filter to build up new bacteria. Mr. Heron took care of that in a hurry for me though. He took 11 fish one day. So that was that, hubby said no more fish until it was heron proof. My bio filter had plenty of time to catch up. We are good now but I've decided to add a trickle/shower filter just as a back up and because I'd like to add more fish to the pond.

 

[addy1]

Good luck on heron proofing, the only thing that worked good for me in the gill net I hung high over the pond, mr heron has stayed away since.