String Algae

[jeffrey]

hi to all

i have a pond - managed to keep water clear using a filter - but started to notice algae growing with side walls and also on water lily leaves and pots

i did some research on the internet - and added an aerator and also other plants

i also started to use anti string algae products - but stopped using this as was worried was harming water lily plants

any advice on what can i do to get rid of this algae

Jeff

 

[MitchM]

Can you tell us about your pond?
Size, fish population, feeding regime, filter setup, any plants?

You most likely have an accumulation of detritus/uneaten food that is not being removed and is now starting to break down and release phosphate into the water where the algae is now taking it up.

.

 

[Lisak1]

And remember - algae isn't the enemy. It's nature's way of keeping things in balance. In the case of a manmade pond, it's a clue that something may need addressing. I think of algae like a fever when you are sick - too many people want to treat the fever without finding out what's causing it. It's a symptom - not a disease.

 

[moby]

Do you have large amounts of string algae, enough that you could twirl a rough stick amongst and pull it out in clumps? That amount is very different from the slightly different filamentous algae that will grow attached to lily stems and other objects which is short and fine and is an excellent good source for overwintering fish.
Whilst I'm not really certain if the two are the same thing, I personally don't think so, and I find the fine stuff is definitely more useful than harmful so I don't try to remove it. Occasionally I get the proper string algae in my waterfall but no where else. It's easy to remove by hoand or a stick. Adding chemicals may get rid of it, but it has to go somewhere, you then have the issue of dealing with dead algae or its byproducts and not all fish/plants are tolerant of chemicals, it depends on what you have.

 

[jeffrey]

good morning

thanks for your immediate replies - i'll gather the required information and let you know - will add some pics as well

thanks once again for your assistance

Jeff

 

[Mmathis]

And remember - algae isn't the enemy. It's nature's way of keeping things in balance. In the case of a manmade pond, it's a clue that something may need addressing. I think of algae like a fever when you are sick - too many people want to treat the fever without finding out what's causing it. It's a symptom - not a disease.

I'm going to remember that!

 

[mgmine]

Do a search for sodium percarbonate on this web site

 

[jeffrey]

Can you tell us about your pond?
Size, fish population, feeding regime, filter setup, any plants?

You most likely have an accumulation of detritus/uneaten food that is not being removed and is now starting to break down and release phosphate into the water where the algae is now taking it up.

.

good morning

the size of the pond is 277cm x 230cm - depth is 50cm
fish population is about 70-100 goldfish
feeding - once daily
filter setup - have an oase 20000 pressure filter
plants - various (see pic)

let me know if you need further details - thanks once again for your assistance

 

[jeffrey]

Do you have large amounts of string algae, enough that you could twirl a rough stick amongst and pull it out in clumps? That amount is very different from the slightly different filamentous algae that will grow attached to lily stems and other objects which is short and fine and is an excellent good source for overwintering fish.
Whilst I'm not really certain if the two are the same thing, I personally don't think so, and I find the fine stuff is definitely more useful than harmful so I don't try to remove it. Occasionally I get the proper string algae in my waterfall but no where else. It's easy to remove by hoand or a stick. Adding chemicals may get rid of it, but it has to go somewhere, you then have the issue of dealing with dead algae or its byproducts and not all fish/plants are tolerant of chemicals, it depends on what you have.

good morning

dont have large amounts of string algae - but is visible with every item in pond such as rock and plants

Do you have large amounts of string algae, enough that you could twirl a rough stick amongst and pull it out in clumps? That amount is very different from the slightly different filamentous algae that will grow attached to lily stems and other objects which is short and fine and is an excellent good source for overwintering fish.
Whilst I'm not really certain if the two are the same thing, I personally don't think so, and I find the fine stuff is definitely more useful than harmful so I don't try to remove it. Occasionally I get the proper string algae in my waterfall but no where else. It's easy to remove by hoand or a stick. Adding chemicals may get rid of it, but it has to go somewhere, you then have the issue of dealing with dead algae or its byproducts and not all fish/plants are tolerant of chemicals, it depends on what you have.

good morning

dont seem to have large amounts - but visible with every plant,rock ,pot etc - -will this effect water lilies ? - worried that algae will block lilies / plant growth etc - also doesnt look nice in pond - i posted a 2 pics of pond and algae

thanks once again

Jeff

 

[MitchM]

Your pond looks like a fairly calm pond and could be getting a buildup of detritus in some nooks and crannies.
Not all detritus is making it to the filter, so as the detritus breaks down it makes nutrients available for the algae.
(The pond volume is about 850 us gallons, plus the waterfall feature.)
A population of 70 - 100 fish is on the high side for a pond that size, so you will need to improve the filtration any way you can.
I think your pond could benefit from a vacuuming of the bottom and an increase in water circulation.
A reduction in the fish population will also help.
The algae doesn't look all that bad now, but you don't want it to get out of hand.

How long has the pond been running in it's present state?

.

 

[sissy]

It must be fine algae or just cloudy water .It may be caused by a lack of aeration .I really don't care for those pressure filters .You have to back flush the a lot and when you open them they smell like a sewer most times .I had one on my smaller 1000 gallon pond and had to back flush it 5 or more times a week and it still smelled bad when I opened it up .Also what size is your pump

 

[moby]

As I suspected, it's not string algae/blanket weed, it's the fine stuff that grows on pond items and will be a good source for your fish during the winter as I assume you have stopped feeding the fish some time ago?
I have a one year old pressure filter and I'm very pleased with it. It replaced a box filter that was more trouble than it was worth. It's cleaned once a week during summer and is keeping my fully stocked mixed fish pond crystal clear, cleaning takes 15 mins and is a clean operation as opposed to washing pads thick with gloopy fish crud!
I admit to having a fuzz of this type of algae on some surfaces of my pond, I personally don't mind it as I see the fish eating it and I don't think it impedes water lily growth as it only grows on the stalks.

 

[budgenator]

It looks more like an annoyance than a problem to me, put some limestone of crushed oyster shell if your kH is low and maybe some gypsum (plaster) or some calcium chloride if your gH is low and that'll help leach out some excess phosphorous, do some 10% water changes in addition to the general cleaning other recommended.
You have a really nice pond, small changes and patience should do it.

 

[jeffrey]

thanks for all the suggestions - i'll try to lower fish population

thanks once again

Jeff

 

[sissy]

I always keep bags of crushed oyster shells in my pond and think a lot of others do also