Is there a safe way to remove/prevent algae in an outdoor turtle pond?

Question

I was wondering if there is a safe way to remove/prevent algae in my turtle pond. I know it doesn't seem to bother them at all, but I can't stand the look of the green water. It looks terrible, and I can't see my turtles except when they come to the surface. I enjoy watching them and really miss the clear water! They are currently not in direct sunlight all the time because they have a roof over their pond on a back porch. I have always been afraid to try the algae pond blocks that dissolve in the water that they sell for koi ponds, because I have no idea if they are safe for my turtles, and no store person anywhere has ever been able to tell me if it would be safe or not. Plus my large yellow belly would I am sure go after it and eat it...she would always do this to the little turtle shaped calcium blocks when she was younger. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

Lowe's or home depot have a product that's called Laguna.
It is a UV Sterilizer/clarifier . I live in SUNNY/HOT mosquito heaven .Florida. Any decent pet store should also have this really neat product! It works with a uv lite bulb + quartz sleeve.; and is a self contained unit that you hook up to your filter/pump. i think i paid about 40.00 bucks for mine last year and i have no mosquito larva ..no algae ..no pond slime!!! they have a web site too. www.hagen.com It wasn't hard for this blonde country girl Pollock to hook up. MY water is crystal clear with 4 turtles and tons of fish and many kinds of aquatic plants. i will also recommend redearedsliders in the yahoo groups for more turtle/pond info

Answer 2

Pond Algae Remover

Answer 3

Although I have not kept turtles outdoors (all my turtles have been "indoor" pets), we do have a koi pond (3,000 gallons) and have tried many things to get rid of algae there (the chemicals, snails, algae eaters such as plecostamus, etc.). By far, the best water quality we have ever had has come from installing a veggie filter. This is an area about 1/4 to 1/3 the size of your pond, that you stock completely with plants, and circulate your pond water through, prior to pumping it back into your pond. The roots of the plants in the veggie filter (usually heavy feeders like yellow water iris) filter out much of the ammonia that otherwise would nourish algae. Our water has been crystal clear since installing one, and I see no reason why it would not work for turtles, too - go here for more info on building one: http://www.bonniesplants.com/how_to/veggiefilter.html

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 4

I'm assuming you are talking about cellular algae as opposed to string algae that can simply be removed by hand. For cellular algae there are liquid products that you can add to the water that bind with the algae and cause it to sink to the bottom of the pond where it is picked up and cleared out by the filtration system. I have used these products with fish in my pond with no ill effects - it is supposed to be safe for aquatic life. They seem pretty effective. Go to a store that sells pond supplies and explore this option.

Answer 5

Try Aquaclean from Bionetix UK, AQUACLEAN, algae remover and blanket weed remover, removes the algae and blanket weed, then the bacteria balances your pond, to create a better environment for your fish, this will also be fine for your turtle too...

Answer 6

Remove your turtle from the pond, add some chlorine to get rid of the algae, plant floating plants such as water lilies to prevent further algae growth, and give your turtle a hug from me.

Answer 7

Another possibility is to "shock" the pond with a heavy dose of chlorine, just as you would a swimming pool. After the treatment you should drain the pool and make sure the chlorine has been removed before refilling it and returning the turtles to the water. You can use a test kit to see how much residual chlorine, if any, remains in the pond.

I know you like clear water so you can see your turtles, but the turtles might prefer the green water so you (and potential predators) cannot see them.

Obviously, you need to remove the turtles before you do this.

Answer 8

try plants. plants add appealing looks and kill algae especially elodea which secretes a natural chemical that kills algae and won't harm your turtles.