Question about algae problem

[Evyllchyld]

My mother has had a pond for about 5 years now and we've come across a major algae problem (looks like a hair algae from my experience with FW and SW fish tanks). Last year she drained the entire pond (about 700-800 gallons) and took a high pressure hose to each and every rock to clean it out which took about 8 hours. I offered to do it this year for mother's day for her because its absolutely horrible, it's so bad that you can't even see the rocks that line the entire pond. I know plenty of other people with ponds and none of them have an algae problem like this, if at all. I started cleaning it yesterday and am going to finish it today but my question is if there is a way to "bomb" the pond. It would just be the water in the pond, no plants or fish. Is there a chemical that could be used that would kill all the algae off?

 

[MassKoi]

If there are no fish or plants then you could you bleach. Remember that no matter what you use, be sure to rinse it out completetly.

 

[Evyllchyld]

I suggested bleach also, but she's worried that it won't be rinsed good enough and the plants will die once they go back in.

 

[koiguy1969]

there is plenty of algecides out there..if you want to use them... while the pond is empty .maybe fill the detergent reservoir on the power washer with algecide and spray everything down and let it sit a while, make sure you drain the pond completely, exspecially if youve ever had chemicals in the power washer. when you have it thoroughly cleaned refill the pond and immediately treat it with barley straw extract..barley straw works very well if you start it out when you open the pond and follow the directions. i use it and have yet to see any thing more than a few strands of string alge early season. make sure you dechlorinate and add beneficial bacteria and enzymes.

 

[Evyllchyld]

We always dechlorinate and add beneficial bacteria/enzymes. Thanks for the barley straw extract suggestion, I'll definitely look into it.

 

[koiguy1969]

the problem with mass kills of alge is if you dont get all the dead alge out it feeds the next cycle of alge. you can get tetraponds barley & peat extract at any meijers. a small bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide will help too.

 

[Evyllchyld]

Yep, that's why this is going to take me 2, or possibly 3 days to do because I want to make sure it's gone so that she can start of fresh. Also so she can try a preventative treatment rather then having to treat it when the problem is already there.

 

[lovinglife]

She might need a bigger filter.