Newbe Algae Question

[Lockness]

Hello all and please excuse my newbie approach to this quandary

So I’ve attached some pics of my problem below. Let me now try and fill out the picture by stating some facts about my ponds:

•Geo location: western slope of Andean foothills at 5250’ in elevation.

•Pond size: there are two smaller “filtration” ponds and one larger. The smaller two are both about 60 square feet of surface and no more than 6’ deep. The larger pond is about 6-7000 square feet surface and 15’ detonate it’s center.

•Temps: average temps in all three ponds are 65(deeper night )~75(shallows day)

•Timelime: stream and ponds constructed almost exactly one year ago.

•Water source: during rainy season about 60%+ comes from rain drain from non lived or agriculture land/forest. After dry season is ending(now), it’s almost 80% run odd from about 10 houses as I’m in back of very poor hamlet. I also have been using quite a bit of fertilizer(organic) on my newly terraced land around pond(3 acres)

•Aquaculture: none as of yet

•Aquatic plants: a few water hyacinths

I hope I’ve approached this better than most newbies, but I do ask you take into consideration that I have taken a bit of time to paint a decent picture to add with attached photos. Please comment if you an be of assistance.

My first water works. Ask any questions that might help you help me!

Thanks in advance,

Lockness

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome! What a lovely setting!

I think you've identified your own problem actually. You have run-off going into the pond, both from surrounding agricultural fields and your own fertilized landscape. That's feeding the algae growth. To add to that issue, you have no other plant growth in the pond, so nature is providing the plants for you in the form of algae.

How to fix the problem?

1. Stop the run off from entering the pond - which might be impossible considering the terrain. Ideally you would have bermed the perimeter of the pond to stop the water from entering. If you can still do that, even in some areas, you might gain some ground.

2. Add plants to the pond - lots and lots and lots of plants to provide some competition for all that algae.

and/or

3. Accept the algae as part of nature's plan for keeping this body of water healthy. Being that this is a pond on the large side, you may find over time that it takes care of balancing itself, although the constant supply of run-off may prevent the transformation from being a complete one.

 

[brokensword]

Lisa's painted the correct picture for you and I concur; you're adding to the problem with all the fertilizer, most probably. As she notes, other plants, and lots of them IN the water column, will out-compete the algae. Too, if you have a flow through, you may always have some issue with clarity as long as you have any decaying debris on the bottom or being introduced by the runoff into your water.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome, and I also agree with the previous advice.

Edit to add: aren’t the Andes in S. America? Also, I would LOVE to see pics of the surrounding area — I bet it’s gorgeous countryside!

 

[Stephen Noble]

Wow, 'Nessie' you have a something many of us would love to have! Very cool. I agree with everything said above. A couple of things you might consider:
1. Making one of the upper ponds a massive bog filter.
2. Cleaning out as much of the algae as possible and then adding aeration. Aeration will help to increase the level of dissolved oxygen that allows existing aerobic bacteria to perform better. The higher dissolved oxygen helps bacteria and microbes to compete with the algae.
Do you have electric power near the ponds?

 

[j.w]

@Lockness

 

[Lockness]

Hello all and please excuse my newbie approach to this quandary

So I’ve attached some pics of my problem below. Let me now try and fill out the picture by stating some facts about my ponds:

•Geo location: western slope of Andean foothills at 5250’ in elevation.

•Pond size: there are two smaller “filtration” ponds and one larger. The smaller two are both about 60 square feet of surface and no more than 6’ deep. The larger pond is about 6-7000 square feet surface and 15’ detonate it’s center.

•Temps: average temps in all three ponds are 65(deeper night )~75(shallows day)

•Timelime: stream and ponds constructed almost exactly one year ago.

•Water source: during rainy season about 60%+ comes from rain drain from non lived or agriculture land/forest. After dry season is ending(now), it’s almost 80% run odd from about 10 houses as I’m in back of very poor hamlet. I also have been using quite a bit of fertilizer(organic) on my newly terraced land around pond(3 acres)

•Aquaculture: none as of yet

•Aquatic plants: a few water hyacinths

I hope I’ve approached this better than most newbies, but I do ask you take into consideration that I have taken a bit of time to paint a decent picture to add with attached photos. Please comment if you an be of assistance.

My first water works. Ask any questions that might help you help me!

Thanks in advance,

Locknesst

 

[Lockness]

Thanks all, for taking the time to comment/help. I had two other friends in the are with hyacinth in their ponds coincidently! So I loaded up the LC 3 times and dropped some 100 plants in the three ponds, accordingly. I went overboard to try and maybe get in front of this thing. We are just coming out of the summer/sunny season, that’s a big reason for this as well. Algae loves the sun …I’m learning.

I’m only here intermittently throughout the year, or this would never have gotten this far. My caretaker of my property should have seen this but didn’t. It was the first summer, so lesson learned.

As for too much fertilizer/plant food, we’ll yeah, we’re def part to blame. After the major earth works phase, we’ve been trying like crazy to get all these plants up and going. Tough spot as yes this was a great location for pond works due to high clay percentage, but horrible for soil quality. Trying to establish all these plants and mixed grass lawns. Lots of fertilizer. Will pull back a bit.

So this is what I’ve done And will do:
•added 100+ water hyacinth
•transplanting 50+ vetiver, only a fraction of what Ive been propagating for 3 years
•adding canna and lillies
•redirecting the nasty waste inflow from houses above me
•added fresh water inflow only
•flush out upper pond and streams during big rains, then adding back into flow column when prepared
•adding fish in a couple rainy months when things look better
•will try and be prepared for next dry/sunny season with aeration in upper pond

*just a side note, I designed these for redirection if necessary. Also, these upper two ponds were always meant to be for filtration of sorts.

As I don’t live here yet, I rely on the eyes and attention of others Sadly nobody will luv and care as much as I would.

Added a couple updated pics. One with new hyacinths in ponds and in my LC. Than one with me chillin in my hammock on my newly being constructed dock!

Ciao for now …ans so happy I found ya’ll!

Ness~T

 

[addy1]

Neat looking aerial view of your pond!

 

[Lockness]

Welcome! What a lovely setting!

I think you've identified your own problem actually. You have run-off going into the pond, both from surrounding agricultural fields and your own fertilized landscape. That's feeding the algae growth. To add to that issue, you have no other plant growth in the pond, so nature is providing the plants for you in the form of algae.

How to fix the problem?

1. Stop the run off from entering the pond - which might be impossible considering the terrain. Ideally you would have bermed the perimeter of the pond to stop the water from entering. If you can still do that, even in some areas, you might gain some ground.

2. Add plants to the pond - lots and lots and lots of plants to provide some competition for all that algae.

and/or

3. Accept the algae as part of nature's plan for keeping this body of water healthy. Being that this is a pond on the large side, you may find over time that it takes care of balancing itself, although the constant supply of run-off may prevent the transformation from being a complete one.

Wow, 'Nessie' you have a something many of us would love to have! Very cool. I agree with everything said above. A couple of things you might consider:
1. Making one of the upper ponds a massive bog filter.
2. Cleaning out as much of the algae as possible and then adding aeration. Aeration will help to increase the level of dissolved oxygen that allows existing aerobic bacteria to perform better. The higher dissolved oxygen helps bacteria and microbes to compete with the algae.
Do you have electric power near the ponds?

Hello Lisak1, thanks for taking the time to reply!
Been nonstop since before I even left for my last phase visit, and haven’t slowed down till now. Just rapped up my relocated to Miami from NYC, so now I have quicker access to my project in EC.
Wont have electricity and/or anyone there on a daily basis for another 8-12 months. Then I plan to have electric both to top and bottom of the pond. Plan to do done aeration and circulation as well.
The best I could do while not actively at the property for this spell of time, was to stop the inflow from below the community, and add a fresh water source. That combined with rigging up lots of “vetiver rafts” at least that’s what I’m calling them Whereas I’ve staked massive clumps of fresh pulled vetiver in the mid shallows. In theory, this would harness the live root filtration that this plant has to offer. It’s a long shot, but considering I have such a healthy supply, it seemed worth a try. I like exploring plant solutions whenever possible. We’ll see how they function ‍
Now at no point do I believe this will solve the problem, but it was quick and I luv the idea! I rigged about 20 in the main pond and about 10 in each of the other two. I also went ape~shit on the water hyacinth, again free and readily available from friends ponds.
Perhaps with these additions as well as going into rainy season(aka more fresh water), we should see some improvement. If we do, I’ll probably then add fish. That will be exciting.
Looking for species available there that will work for me. I think talked to a lady selling “seed” fish at roughly $50 for 1000 …but my memory on this is very vague.

Thanks all for replying and I’ll keep posting as things come along