Stringy green algae developing in pond

[MK3]

Like the title says, I'm starting to see stringy green algae form around the bases of a few plants. It's mostly on my scarlet-stemmed sagitaria. What causes this* and what's the best way to get rid of it or prevent it?

*To possibly answer my own question, I added a lily pad fertilizer tab to my lily. It looks amazing now - there are so many lily pads. The other plants in my pond are also looking better, even though I pressed the fertilizer tab deep into my lily's pot. So maybe this is causing the algae bloom? I hope not, because I'm really happy with how my lily is reacting to the fertilizer.

 

[mrtrumpet]

If it's a water plant based fertilizer it's likely not the cause of an algae bloom. Something like Miracle Gro, however, is a different story. Don't ever use that in your pond. The one sure cure for my string algae has always been Green Clean, or the generic (much cheaper) sodium percarbonate. You might try a little of that in the water, or near your plant to see if it works. Normally it's used on rocks, but it might help near the plant.

 

[Lisak1]

I use SP anywhere I see string algae developing. It does like to collect near plants and isn't very pretty to look at. I avoid getting it directly on the plants, but just a sprinkle will take care of the algae.

 

[CometKeith]

Hi MK3. Your algae is feeding off of the extra fertilizer from your plants. Eventually your pond should balance out and the algae will disappear. Beneficial bacteria will compete for the same food the algae likes. As the bb gets the upper hand the algae will die off. In a lot of ways algae is good because it uses up extra nutrients in your pond. It's a symptom of a problem not a cause.

 

[MK3]

If it's a water plant based fertilizer it's likely not the cause of an algae bloom. Something like Miracle Gro, however, is a different story. Don't ever use that in your pond. The one sure cure for my string algae has always been Green Clean, or the generic (much cheaper) sodium percarbonate. You might try a little of that in the water, or near your plant to see if it works. Normally it's used on rocks, but it might help near the plant.

We're using pondtabbs.

 

[MK3]

I use SP anywhere I see string algae developing. It does like to collect near plants and isn't very pretty to look at. I avoid getting it directly on the plants, but just a sprinkle will take care of the algae.

alright....what exactly is SP?

 

[CeeJayH]

Sodium percarbonate