Pond Algae : A Guide On Removing Nuisance Pond Algae From Your Pond
Nuisance pond algae is something every pond owner has to deal with on a constant basis. Pond, aren’t cheap by any means, so does the necessary equipment that comes along with the hobby. After spending much money and time on the pond, along comes an algae bloom to mess things up.
Now you can’t even see your fish anymore. And it doesn’t seem like this problem is going to go away anytime soon.
There are three main classifications that we can group these nuisance algae into. They are attached-erect algae, phytoplankton and filamentous algae.
And there is only one reason these algae are taking over pond at the moment. Nutrients. Nitrates and phosphates are the two biggest culprits.
The next time you find yourself in the gardening section of a departmental store, take a look at the fertilizers they sell. You’ll notice three letters, N P K on all of them. N is nitrogen while P is phosphorus and K is potassium. All commercial fertilizers are made up of these elements.
Nitrates and phosphates are the two nutrients that we are concerned with. To your aquatic plants and nuisance algae, these nutrients are fertilizers.
Therefore, it is important that we keep the presence of both nitrates and phosphates down to a minimum.
Similar to the way aquarium hobbyists keep down their nitrates, water changes can also be employed to export nitrates out of small ponds.
When dealing with larger ponds in the thousands of gallons range, water changes are a lot more difficult. The first thing you should to do is clean up your pond as much as possible. Siphon out as much dirt, sludge, uneaten food and fish waste from the bottom of the pond. Clean up all your pumps as well as dirty filter pads.
Reduce feeding as well as the amount fed to your fish. Another undesirable source of nutrients is rotting debris and leaves so remove as much as you can.
Aquatic plants compete with algae for nutrients so introduce some to your pond. floating plants like water lilies are good choices as they prevent sunlight from fueling any plant-life beneath them. The general rule of thumb is with regard to shade is 50 to 70 percent via use of floating plants.
With regards to microscopic algae, UV sterilizers have proved an effective tool towards keeping their numbers low. UV sterilizers aren’t cheap and can cost quite a bit when buying one for larger ponds.
Another method towards algae treatment employs the use of barley. First used in Europe for centuries, its has become a common item in the pond hobby.
After submerging the barley into the pond, it will eventually release natural chemicals that are harmful towards most nuisance algae. These chemicals are safe and will not affect your fish.
They come in three forms, barley extract (liquid), barley straws (bundles) and barley pellets. Not a most effective method at algae removal, they are cheap and there worth a try.
An Algaecide should never be used despite their common use in the hobby. They are a poison (copper sulfate) and will definitely harm your ponds ecological system. It has even been frowned upon by the European Union.
If you’re looking for a long term solution to algae problems, they are not for you. Mainly because they do not address the root cause of the algae in the first place. The cause of the problem is nutrients. Which takes us back to nutrient control, the beginning.
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