String Algae

by | Feb 16, 2016 | Pond Blog

String Algae, Waterfall, Pondless Waterfall

String Algae The Monster of the Pond and Pondless Waterfalls

Algae ‘Mother Natures’ most aggressive plant has been the scourge of ponds and water features since the very first one. Often brought on by the warming temperatures of spring and encouraged by decaying plant matter, Algae can get out of control in a flash. To simplify Algae (because there is said to be tens of thousands of species of living algae) we will break it down to two types, String Algae (stringy long, hairy) and and Pea Soup (green water) Algae. Today we are going to focus on String Algae, the causes and treatments to control Algae.

What you need to know first is that Algae is not necessarily a bad thing. In a pond a biofilm that contains many different beneficial bacterias and a little bit of Algae is very healthy for your pond. Algae will be more prevalent when there is an imbalance of water chemistry and or excess nutrients. ‘Mother Nature’ is trying to clean the water for us and make the water healthier for life.

Causes –  Pond (Pondless Waterfall Skip to Treatments)

Water, Air and Sunlight equal String Algae, done, end of story? Not really that simple.

  1. Excess nutrients in a pond is the main factor. Fish waste, dying and decaying plant matter, leaf debris from trees, excessive feeding, uneaten fish food, and dying / decaying Algae.
  2. Water Chemistry can be a big factor combined with #1. Phosphates of varying types are found in well water and city water. Phosphates are essential for Algae growth. High PH (a whole other topic) also will contribute to the accumulation and rapid growth of String Algae. DO NOT MESS WITH YOUR PH. YOU WILL MOST LIKELY KILL YOUR FISH!
  3. Improper Bio-filtration, the conversion of Ammonia / waste > Nitrites > Nitrates (plant food)
  4. Improper Mechanical filtration, the capturing of leaf debris and other organic mater.
  5. Improper Circulatory system, the proper water movement.

Treatments –

  1. Add more plant material to remove nitrates from the water.
  2. Improve Bio-filtration, Mechanical filtration and circulatory system.
  3. Add Beneficial Bacteria regularly. This often an overlooked part of the plan. We Recommend Aquascape Beneficial Bacteria for Ponds which contains a concentrated mix of nitrobacteria that greatly aid in the breakdown of excess nutrients.
  4. Aquascape Ecoblast is a great spot treatment and will raise organic matter to the surface. Very easy to use and safe.
  5. Aquascape Liquid Algaecide has been working extremely well and is safe.
  6. Aquascape IonGen Ionizer greatly reduces String Algae in a Pond and Pondless Waterfall.
  7. Aquascape Automatic Dosing System in my opinion one of the best treatments / solutions available. The Automatic Dosing System Automatically introduces the right amount of Beneficial Bacteria, Phosphate binders and fish stress reducers on a daily basis. Very safe way to treat a pond.

Year round enjoyment of your Pond or Pondless Waterfall starts now with a spring cleaning and a plan to control Algae or other issues that may arise.

For information about any of the causes, treatments or products please click here or give us a call at 707-887-0140.

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