Algae prevention/ removal methods

[rjp44]

Well it seems like its that time of year everyone is dealing with algae. Im just starting to get some string algae and the water color is beginning to turn green. I can deal with the string algae, I would just like to deal with the green water before it gets out of hand. Adding chemicals is a last resort IMO. So what methods have you guys used with success? Does circulating/ agitating the water more help? Do UV clarifiers work well?

 

[Jhn]

planted Bog and plants in the pond and lots of them work the best hands down, outcompeting the algae for nutrients. Plants species that grow quickly will uptake the available nutrients in the pond starving out algae.

UV light may work, but it is just solving the end result the green algae, not the source of the problem excess nutrients.

Lastly proper circulation will help 1.5-2x pond volume per hour moving water through the pond can help the filter system remove any detritus and limit decaying plant matter from contributing to the nutrient build up.

 

[Lisak1]

All good advice from @Jhn - treat the algae as a symptom, not a problem. it's giving you clues about your pond, and it's helping keep your pond healthy while you get the issue resolved. That may mean simply giving the plants time to get growing, or it may mean addressing filtration issues. And good for you for avoiding the chemicals - when you kill algae in the pond, all you're doing is adding MORE dead material to the pond which increases the excess nutrients, which leads to more algae... It's like those pond chemical pushers planned it that way!

Algae gets a bad rap in the pond world, unfortunately.

 

[poconojoe]

All great advice. Plants and more plants to compete with the algae. Patience too. And please, no chemicals. Too many horrifying stories of so-called fish friendly algecides.
Hands down, the best way to clear up your water is a bog. This Spring I got rid of my two pressure filters and UV light. They were completely replaced by a bog. Within 6 days of starting up the bog, the water went from pea soup to crystal clear and the plants in the bog haven't even gotten established yet. I can't tell how impressed I am, especially since my water stayed green all last season.

 

[sissy]

lots of aeration ,even my filters have air stones in them .I also have my extra water from my pump coming out in underwater spitters that sit in the bottom of the pond and above water in the waterfall pond spitter .Plus I use koi clay to bind it together and coat it so it falls to the bottom and gets removed by the filters .I also have plants in my stock tank filters and in my waterfall pond

 

[IPA]

A UV filter will clear up the pea soup while you work on getting plants established.