It's the bane of backyard ponds all over the country: sometimes called "green water", "blanket weed", or "pond scum", it's known to scientists as thallophytes and to water gardeners (who have stopped the name calling) as green algae.
Green algae can flourish wherever there is light and fresh water -- in puddles, holes, even in your bathroom. It shouldn't surprise you then that green algae can overwhelm a typical backyard pond. Spores can invade via wind, rain or on the backs of fish and plants you buy. In the worst case scenario, algae can bloom into something called "pea soup," completely hiding everything else, including all your fish and underwater plants.
Green algae can not be totally wiped out from your pond -- nor should it. It's a natural part of the ecological food chain in all backyard ponds, maintaining "balance" and assisting in providing a vital environment for fish and other pond animals. So some algae is necessary. But here's another reason it's not a good idea to try to kill all your green algae -- it's an impossible task.
The reason? Backyard ponds have an unnaturally high ratio of fish and plants per gallon of water. While we may believe our water gardens are a "little bit of nature", they are very unnatural when it comes to biology and chemistry because of this imbalance of flora and fauna. This produces an ideal growing environment for green algae.
So what can a water gardener do to combat the 'green monster'?
1. Don't put in too many fish: their excrement produces algae food like phosphates and nitrates.
2. Introduce lots of aquatic plants. Aquatic plants reduce algae growth by removing excess nutrients from the water. Try to cover 50% of pond surface with floating plants like water lilies and water hyacinths and submerged plants like Cabomba.
3. Snails and tadpoles eat "pond scum" algae. Add a few Japanese trapdoor snails and tadpoles.
If these "natural" solutions don't seem to work, or you don't have enough time before your big backyard party, you can use an algaecide can be your answer. Bio-filters can also work; they're designed to take out harmful ammonia put out by fish, rotting plants and algae, and excess fish food.
To sum up, the optimal way to curtail algae naturally is to minimize the amount of nitrates and phosphates in the pond. You can do that by lowering the number of fish, lowering their food supply, and increasing the number of aquatic plants.
Green algae can flourish wherever there is light and fresh water -- in puddles, holes, even in your bathroom. It shouldn't surprise you then that green algae can overwhelm a typical backyard pond. Spores can invade via wind, rain or on the backs of fish and plants you buy. In the worst case scenario, algae can bloom into something called "pea soup," completely hiding everything else, including all your fish and underwater plants.
Green algae can not be totally wiped out from your pond -- nor should it. It's a natural part of the ecological food chain in all backyard ponds, maintaining "balance" and assisting in providing a vital environment for fish and other pond animals. So some algae is necessary. But here's another reason it's not a good idea to try to kill all your green algae -- it's an impossible task.
The reason? Backyard ponds have an unnaturally high ratio of fish and plants per gallon of water. While we may believe our water gardens are a "little bit of nature", they are very unnatural when it comes to biology and chemistry because of this imbalance of flora and fauna. This produces an ideal growing environment for green algae.
So what can a water gardener do to combat the 'green monster'?
1. Don't put in too many fish: their excrement produces algae food like phosphates and nitrates.
2. Introduce lots of aquatic plants. Aquatic plants reduce algae growth by removing excess nutrients from the water. Try to cover 50% of pond surface with floating plants like water lilies and water hyacinths and submerged plants like Cabomba.
3. Snails and tadpoles eat "pond scum" algae. Add a few Japanese trapdoor snails and tadpoles.
If these "natural" solutions don't seem to work, or you don't have enough time before your big backyard party, you can use an algaecide can be your answer. Bio-filters can also work; they're designed to take out harmful ammonia put out by fish, rotting plants and algae, and excess fish food.
To sum up, the optimal way to curtail algae naturally is to minimize the amount of nitrates and phosphates in the pond. You can do that by lowering the number of fish, lowering their food supply, and increasing the number of aquatic plants.
About the Author:
Looking to find the best deal on water gardens and ponds in St Louis, then visit MPR Supply's website to learn more.
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