Can someone please yell me what is the best solution to keep a fish pond clear of algae, and blanket weed.?

Question

I have tried most things but they don't seem to work.

Answer 1

This is always the problem since ponds need to be in full sun. I have found with all my ponds, water lettuce Hythis and cattails work best. I don't like to over plant ground plants not only because the Koi and goldfish uproot them and make the ponds muddy, the floating lettuces and Hythis are great to shading the pond, cooling the water and feeding the fish all along eating the nitrates keeping the algae low. Forget snails they will quickly take over.

Barley etc doesn't work either. Phosporus pads in the filter help but not with a full sun pond. it is a natural occurance. Ecotint or ecofix works in late fall and is harmless for the fish.

Try the floating plant but remember to remove them in the fall since they will not grow in a tank and they will not survive the winter.

If i can help further, feel free to email me

Answer 2

How large is your pond? Any algae needs nutrients to grow, so if it's a small one, take out any dead leaves or parts of plants that may have died off as soon as you notice them. Also, do a partial water change (around 25%) to get rid of any excess nitrates and phosphates in the water - these could be from the dead leaves, fish food or poop if you keep fish in the pond, or from using plant fertilizers for any pond plants if you use them - and replace the water with fresh. Nitrates and phosphates are a plant (and algae!) fertilizer.

Shading the lower portions of the pond where algae grows will also help. Use floating plants, or those with floating leaves to help keep the light out of the pond.

Just remember that as the algae dies, it will release more nutrients into the pond, so you'll need to keep up with the partial water changes for a while.

Some of the algae, if it's not being eaten by fish or snails (if you have these), you may have to removed by hand. And while UV and barley straw won't do anything for the attached algae you've already got, they will help prevent new algae.

Chemicals and tints should only be a last resort. These can affect other organisms (plant and animal) living in the pond, and if there's more die-off, you'll only add to the nutrient load.

See the links below for more info on controlling algae in ponds and using barley straw:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/pdalgcontrol.htm
http://montgomery.extension.psu.edu/NResources/pond/straw-fs.pdf

Answer 3

DID YOU SAY YELL? I won't, I have a sore throat. Well, I've always taken the natural approach and cleaned it out by hand. Just rip it out, and then scrape off the the weed and algae from the side with a clean palette knife or similarly edged tool. I also found that having running water, eg a fountain helps a great deal too, stops gunge forming. Algae and blanket weed need to photosynthesise to grow - is it possible to add a little dappled shade to make it less prolific? Obviously you don't want anything that will shed it's leaves into the water so I'll leave you to ponder that one.

Fresh water snails are helpful too - get big ones though or your fish will chow them down!

I would never ever put chemicals in my pond. Ponds are hard work! You knew that... :)

Answer 4

Lots and lots of plants, including submerged plants, will keep your water clear. The problem is that it takes time to establish enough plant life in your pond to really make a difference.

My pond is 10,000 gallons and is clear as can be. I had bad periods of really green water off and on for the first year and a half, but now I have enough established plants and I don't struggle with green water.

As a quicker solution, many people use Veggie filters. They say that veggie filters work better than UV. You can find tons of information on building your own veggie filter by searching the web, but I've added a few links below to get you started.

Many people use a chemical called Potassium permanganate to control algae and organic compounds in the pond. I have used it and it works very well. You can buy it on Ebay, but it is a dangerous chemical if not used properly. You can read about how to use it by doing a search here...www.koivet.com.

Overall, patience and lots of plants will be the best defense against algae. It is a problem in the spring for most everone because it takes a while for the plants to grow. That's why so many people use Water Hyacinth to clear the pond in the spring. They suck up tons of algae, shade the pond and reproduce like mad. They also aid as spawing material for fish in the spring.

Best of luck with you pond. It's so frustrating when you can't see your fish.

Answer 5

If you have a liner in your pond then algae is inevitable and you shouldn't waste too much time and money trying to eradicate it. Blanket Weed, however, is a different story. You'll never completely get rid of it - all you can do is add treatments to control it.

The best ones I sell (based on customer feedback) are:
- Evolution Aqua Blanket Weed Inhibitor
- Interpet Pond Balance
- Cloverleaf Blanket Answer

Nothings guaranteed but it's important to treat your pond even when there's not much weed there. .... A lot more people seem to be suffering with this problem in winter as well.

Answer 6

Shade, good filter system and pump, with UV light the bigger the better will work for normal algae
for blanket weed pond balance from interpet works best although you need to add it regularly

Answer 7

Hi,
I find there is nothing better than plenty of shade, as direct sunlight will make things worse. Also constant running water, so the temperatures stay down, coz the warmer the temp, the more algea and stuff, so a good pump and filter system are a must. Also algea eating fish work great.
Good luck
Kristel

Answer 8

Apparently some fish eat algae, and the weeds. avoid chemicals. My brother had a big sucker looking fish that used clear his huge fish tank, saved him cleaning it..

Cant remember the fish! but it gives you a start! Algae eating fish!! lol

Answer 9

You can try chemicals and snails etc. but the most simple way is just to put lots of plants in your pond, especially lots of oxygenating weed and lillys.

Answer 10

Get hold of a bundle of barley straw. Put this into an old nylon stocking, or tights, put some stones with it to weight it down. It may take a week of two to start working. It must be barley straw.