Proper way to use barley straw to clear water

[rjp44]

Whats the proper way to use barley straw to help clear a pond? Last year i went with UV lights and mechanical filters, but this year I want to go a more natural route and go added plants and barley straw to help with the early season blooms soon to come. Does barley straw help with string algae?

 

[GBBUDD]

Your getting closer anyways but you still haven't said the word Bog yet. Build a boig be patient and you won't need uv or barley or mechanical filters.

 

[poconojoe]

Your getting closer anyways but you still haven't said the word Bog yet. Build a boig be patient and you won't need uv or barley or mechanical filters.

Agree!

 

[Lisak1]

Barley straw is one of those things that work in theory - by releasing some kind of compound that supposedly inhibits the algae. So let's say that works... it works because the barley straw is rotting in your pond. I'm not sure how that will actually improve things!

You can buy barley straw extract in a bottle, if you want to try it and see if it helps. Or I suppose you could make your own extract - put the bale in a tub of water and let it rot, then add that water to your pond.

More plants is the real answer - get that pond in balance and you'll have no desire to throw rotten straw in there! That algae is telling you something - you just need to listen to what it's saying.

 

[poconojoe]

When I was a newbie I tried bails of barley straw. I hung them in a stream of water figuring the rushing water would help the process.
Then I tried the liquid barley extract.
I don't think either of them did much to fight algae.
Later I learned that the best thing to do was to add lots and lots of plants.

 

[addy1]

Later I learned that the best thing to do was to add lots and lots of plants.

and more plants

 

[brokensword]

a filter really won't clear up algae, it's too small to get caught. Unless you mean string algae and then, unless it's floating loose, your filter still won't trap it. Bog is the word; learn the song, sing the lyrics, worry-free is the refrain!