String algae problem

[Norm]

This year my water is still crystal clear due to my skippy filter but I'm having a terrible time with the cotton type of string algae. I keep pulling it out but it just keeps spreading and growing faster as the days get longer. Now it is starting to attach to my hardy lilies as well which has me in a tizzy.

I'm in Northern California in the south bay and the water temp was 58° F(14.4 C). What is feeding this stuff and is there anything I can do to kill it without hurting my water lilies?

Norm

 

[oldmarine]

Since I installed a UV Clearifier inline from my filter and to the water fall, all of the string algee is all gone.

Of course, I think having twenty five hungry live bearing / trap door snails in my pond has helped also.

Before installing the UV Clearifier, my pond water was extremely murky (sp). My pond is two feet deep and I couldn't see the bottom. Now the water is crystal clear.

 

[DoDad]

A UV Clearifier will do nothing for string algae.
Barley straw or extracts are slow at killing it.
You can upgrade your filtration system to help remove nutrients.
Remove it by hand or a toilet brush taped to a pole.
Use one pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 1000 gallons every other day till the string algae is gone.

 

[Norm]

Hmmmm I have a linoleum floor brush. Guess I'll give it a try.

 

[koiguy1969]

ther big problem with barley extract is ...people wait till the algea is a problem to do anything about it. if you start the treatment when you open the pond or at least early in the season, before it starts the extract will do its job. that and a good bio filter will handle the task.it can reaaly help with string algea. i only run my u.v untill the water clears if it starts turning green.

 

[DoDad]

My pond is really over crowded. The first few years I had no problems with string algae.
But my 24 fish were less than 16" Now they are 24"+ and I'm having big problems with it.
Untill I get my 13000+ gallon pond up and running I guess I'll have to live with it.
I use Baquacil oxidizer to keep it under control.

 

[koiguy1969]

i have 2 dozen 12" koi 3 picosymus 2 shubunkins 1 comet and 8 goldies 6 fathead minnows, 4 tanchos in a 540 gal basement pond, theyve been there since late sept. they'll be out in my 1100 gallon backyard pond in a few weeks, hopefully minus about 12 fish, if my freind gets his pond started.

 

[DrDave]

String algae always comes with the spring and by summer is gone, no matter what you do. I remove the excess by hand until nature removes it. Koi love it and will eat and play in it.

 

[Tracey fo]

i used a barley concentrate for my string algae problem, the uv will not work on string algae, i used a small garden rake to strain it out also. i scrubbed the sides down and in about a week it was better, 2 weeks it was gone, i had a box filter on my pump that i had to clean out almost daily in the first week. hope this helps.

 

[oldmarine]

DoDad is right about the string algee. The UV clearifier is doing it's job keeping the algee blume down, and the water clear. I believe that the Shubunkin's and snails graising on the string algee is keeping it in check. Seems to be a good balance overall.

 

[Norm]

Currently I'm using a 3/8" dowel chucked up in a cordless drill to extract mine. It wraps up on the dowel and then I just slide it off the end.

 

[oldmarine]

Sounds like a lot of extra work.

 

[Norm]

My "pond" is not that big maybe 300 gal. The dowel lets me get into tight places without raking.

 

[oldmarine]

Hi Norm,

My pond is a 365 gallon molding pond that I put in the ground last fall. Not much bigger than yours. The combination of fish, snails, aquatic plants, and the UV clearifier with a exceptable filtration system, I haven't had to remove any string algee. I have observed the fish graizing on it, and the Japanese live bearing snails (about the size of a chestnut) graizing though the spring algee.

Hopefully your string algee problem will get less of a problem.