Algae

[jenn.]

So I am still wondering if the algae in my pond is dying of if I have some new kind I haven't had before. I am used to the bright green bloom algae and string but that is all gone.

The algae is brown and floats up from the bottom as the day heats up. (other algae formed on the surface or sides). I have watched it do it and it is not all clumped together, it is like tiny fragments that just free float. Any one know if it is dead and just purging or have you seen this?

 

[PHYLAL]

Sorry, I cannot help you, however, I had a similar experience this spring. In the morning there would be this large mass of brownish algae on the bottom of the pond. When the sun began shining on the pond it would slowly rise to the surface and by the afternoon it was floating completely. The next morning it was on the bottom again. I did not mind too much as the fish loved using it to hide in, as they were not many floating plants in the pond. When it became too large, I dipped much (not all) of it out. By the end of spring, early summer, it was all gone. I do not know what it was, but it looked like a type of string algae, except for the color.

 

[jenn.]

Well it doesn't start out as a blob on the bottom, it is the algae that is a thin layer all over the bottom. When it comes up it spreads as a film across the surface and is like a sludge.

Here is my pond in the morning

Here it is by afternoon

 

[jenn.]

Oops here it is in the afternoon

 

[DrCase]

When it floats up in the afternoon ..Just take a net and get it out ,you will be ahead of it in no time..

 

[jenn.]

When it floats up in the afternoon ..Just take a net and get it out ,you will be ahead of it in no time..

I have to do that every single night though! And now my water is getting cloudy in the bottom. Is it the turtles just stirring things up or are they a problem?

 

[DrCase]

Do you have a shop vac you could suck the bottom out with ?

 

[jenn.]

nope, can use a regular shop vac in the pond?

 

[PHYLAL]

nope, can use a regular shop vac in the pond?

If the shop vac is a “wet/dry” model, yes you can. They have a stop/float assembly inside that prevents water from reaching the motor. It can be a bit tedious emptying the canister (some are quite small), but it will get the job done. Remember to first remove the dust filter inside the canister.

That is not to same algae that I had problems with this spring. I do not know what that is. I would try the shop vac.

Hopefully someone else can tell you what that is, and how to remove it.

 

[leeannecastro]

I had this about a week ago after it had been in the 90's for a week straight. I netted most of mine in one shot and repositioned my pump. My water runs through a bog and through a mesh barrier before going into the pump area. It acts like a skimmer and it all disappeared in a few days. I also stopped feeding my fish for 3 days and they ate a lot of it.
I don't know what it is called either. If it is too fine for a net to catch, you can try rigging something with old pantyhose, that worked for me.

 

[stroppy]

i think its stuff from the algea dying ..i had it round the edges of my pond i now have a small pump there ...it pushes all the muck towards the pump and that sucks it all up ...i also had a fine net and spent days getting it out ... i think the anwser is to keep things moving so nothing can settle ... dont know if this will help :banghead3:

 

[DrDave]

You got it, circulation, and filtration.

 

[oldmarine]

From what I can see in your posted pictures, you don't have a skimmer. If you do, I would think that the skimmer would take care of, and collect the floating algee.

 

[DrCase]

jenn is the skimmer
are you making any head way with it jenn ?

 

[frankrizzo]

Wow, I actually came on here this morning to post this exact same question. Yesterday, I noticed the exact same algae. After my pond turned completely green (couldn't see 1inch below water), I went and purchased a uv clarifier. Now my water is completely clear, unfortunately I can now see all this new algae clear as day. It really came out of no where. Tuesday, everything looked great. Wednesday morning, entire pond floor covered with some floating around by mid day.

I did turn off my waterfalls overnight, leaving my small pump (with uv clarifier attached) running. But I have let this run by itself for past 2 weeks with no issues like this. I did notice that the water flow being returned to my pond after the uv clarifier is not very high, so possible stagnant water issue and pump not strong enough (350gph for a 100gallon pond though).

So now my question is like Jenn, how do I get rid of this crap?

I have a bunch of anacharis oxygenators on order and going to pick up some more fish, so maybe that will help?