Cheapest way to clear algae?

[AP1]

A bog filter won't work on every water feature - it works on an ecosytem, which requires three things: Plants, Water and Fish. If you're missing any one of the three, you have very little chance of establishing an ecosystem that can be balanced with bog filtration.

A bog filter won't work on every water feature - it works on an ecosytem, which requires three things: Plants, Water and Fish. If you're missing any one of the three, you have very little chance of establishing an ecosystem that can be balanced with bog filtration.

As a first-time pond keeper but long-term aquarium keeper, why would an outdoor bog filter need fish? I get the need of fish in an indoor aquarium to kick-start the nitrogen cycle, etc., but there are lots of other sources of ammonia in an outdoor setting beyond fish (frogs/tadpoles, insects, falling leaves, etc.) Not to mention that if the pond were cleared out the OP might be able to actually keep fish.

My guess as to why the OP hasn't/won't do a (bog) filter is that the pond sounds like it could be a long way from electricity and/or they don't care enough to do a day's worth of work on it/periodic upkeep (which is totally fine btw, there's no reason that a filter has to be put in). But I will be curious to hear the reasoning re fish, as it would seem to me that they have everything else.

 

[GBrant]

How does one do that?

 

[GBrant]

We don’t want the upkeep of a pond. We don’t want fish. We don’t want a pond with green slime.

 

[Lisak1]

I will guarantee you that a pond without fish will struggle to stay in balance. I mean if you want a pond full of rotting leaves I guess it would work, but that's not what most garden pond keepers are looking for in a pond.

 

[GBrant]

I don’t know if you’ve looked at my posts from several years back but we bought this house with the pond and a wall fountain that was built in the 1940s. We investigated rehabbing it but it would be prohibitively expensive. There is no electricity at the pond site. We just want clean water and maybe a few plants. That’s it. My question is what is the cheapest, easiest way to get that?

 

[YShahar]

I don’t know if you’ve looked at my posts from several years back but we bought this house with the pond and a wall fountain that was built in the 1940s. We investigated rehabbing it but it would be prohibitively expensive. There is no electricity at the pond site. We just want clean water and maybe a few plants. That’s it. My question is what is the cheapest, easiest way to get that?

It seems to me that you could achieve this by putting in a lot of plants bare-rooted in gravel, and over-sizing your pump to get a high flow rater. But if you don't have electricity, you won't be able to use a pump. You could try just adding a lot of heavy feeding plants, like taro, water irises, etc. and see if that helps. The problem is that if the pond is quite small, without moving water and without fish, you're likely to have a lot of mosquitoes.

 

[Lisak1]

Algaecide is really the answer - not ideal but in this situation it seems appropriate. Toss in some mosquito dunks and you should be good.

 

[AP1]

I don’t know if you’ve looked at my posts from several years back but we bought this house with the pond and a wall fountain that was built in the 1940s. We investigated rehabbing it but it would be prohibitively expensive. There is no electricity at the pond site. We just want clean water and maybe a few plants. That’s it. My question is what is the cheapest, easiest way to get that?

I suppose an almost last resort that might be a bit more environmentally friendly than bleach would be chlorine? Though that would end the possibility of plants (I think) and I have no idea whether chlorine requires water movement.

 

[j.w]

I suppose an almost last resort that might be a bit more environmentally friendly than bleach would be chlorine? Though that would end the possibility of plants (I think) and I have no idea whether chlorine requires water movement.

Bleach is just a weaker form of liquid chlorine. It shares the same active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite.

 

[Ata31]

A bog filter won't work on every water feature - it works on an ecosytem, which requires three things: Plants, Water and Fish. If you're missing any one of the three, you have very little chance of establishing an ecosystem that can be balanced with bog filtration.

I also have a lot of string algae.. There is channel filtration (plants, gravel).... Does the lake get a lot of air??... 2 bubblers + 2 air diffusers...... I think there is a lot of oxygen in the water, and it helps the string algae grow?!

 

[j.w]

@Ata31

 

[GBBUDD]

I also have a lot of string algae.. There is channel filtration (plants, gravel).... Does the lake get a lot of air??... 2 bubblers + 2 air diffusers...... I think there is a lot of oxygen in the water, and it helps the string algae grow?!

Over stocking and over feeding are 1 and 2 then you have lack of filtration mechanical mainly and last but not least not enough plants. Now we see time and again I have 20 or so plants in my bog. When you can see the bog gravel you haven't even begun. Here's what is ment as plants help such up the nutrients 1

 

[GBBUDD]

I also have a lot of string algae.. There is channel filtration (plants, gravel).... Does the lake get a lot of air??... 2 bubblers + 2 air diffusers...... I think there is a lot of oxygen in the water, and it helps the string algae grow?!

String algae loves to grow in shallow fast flowing water. But unfortunately it will also grow in slow moving water as well.
My koi do not eat hair algae per say as a massive wad but they absolutely eat it as peach fuzz on rocks and stumps. I have a little string up in my stream but the waterfalls that use to get string algae growing on them has stopped since I added the bead filter.
I do love the bog and the clarity of the water the plants that grow in the bog . My pitcher plants farm African violets etc. But they do nothing to remove sediment and the nano bead does a great job

 

[Lisak1]

I agree with that - the string algae lives for the sediment. But it also does a great job clearing the pond in early spring so we coexist nicely.

 

[Hound Heaven]

Over stocking and over feeding are 1 and 2 then you have lack of filtration mechanical mainly and last but not least not enough plants. Now we see time and again I have 20 or so plants in my bog. When you can see the bog gravel you haven't even begun. Here's what is ment as plants help such up the nutrients 1View attachment 163981View attachment 163980View attachment 163983

Just gotta say, that last photo....WOW.