Nuisance pond algae is something every pond owner has to deal with on a constant basis. Ponds cost a lot of money to set up, so are the required equipment that is vital to a healthy pond. After investing so much time and money into the pond, you get an algae bloom.

Now even your fish are barely visible. And its looking like this problem is here to stay.

Nuisance algae can be classified into three groups. They are attached-erect algae, phytoplankton and filamentous algae.

Their spread through your pond can be attributed to just one word. Nutrients. Nitrates and phosphates are the two biggest culprits.

Walk into any gardening section and take a look at the fertilizer you see there. All of them will have something called an N P K rating stamped on them. N is short form for nitrogen, P short for phosphorus and K short for potassium. These three elements are fundamental to all fertilizers.

Nitrates and phosphates are the two nutrients that we are concerned with. To your aquatic plants and nuisance algae, these nutrients are fertilizers.

Success against nuisance algae only comes if we can keep nitrate and phosphate levels low.

In smaller ponds (and even aquariums), nitrates can be solved with a few water changes.

When dealing with larger ponds in the thousands of gallons range, water changes are a lot more difficult. The first thing you want to do is clean the pond. Siphon out as much dirt, sludge, uneaten food and fish waste from the bottom of the pond. Clean up any dirty filter pads as well as your pumps.

Reduce feeding as well as the amount fed to your fish. Rotting leaves and debris should also be removed as they are a great source of nutrients.

Aquatic plants are a great way to compete with algae for nutrients. You can also use shade to your advantage, floating plants like water lilies prevent sunlight from reaching plant life in the water column or at the bottom. It is generally recommended to have 50 to 70 percent of your pond shaded by floating plants.

UV sterilizers are a very effective method to eradicate phytoplankton. Unfortunately UV sterilizers can be somewhat pricey.

Barley has been used with some success against nuisance algae. First used in Europe for centuries, its has become a common item in the pond hobby.

The barley is submerged completely in the pond and as it rots, it releases chemicals that are harmful towards some types of algae. It is completely safe for your fishes.

Usually sold in three forms, you can buy barley extract, barley straws or barley pellets. They are cheap but not a sure way to defeat nuisance algae.

I do not recommend ever using an algaecide in your ponds. They are essentially copper sulfate which is poisonous and harmful to your pond ecosystem. 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 root cause of nuisance algae is elevated nutrients. Which brings us back to nutrient control, where we started.

Danyelle Mori has been an avid fan of garden ponds for over many years. Her specialties include Koi and garden ponds. For more information on Pond Scum or Pond Algae, do visit her pages.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 2:15 pm and is filed under gardening. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.