Hey y’all I’m really struggling with string algae for the third year in a row. It’s so bad that it clogs my bottom drain in a day. My pond is roughly 3000 gallons, and it uses a bottom drain to a Cetus sieve then to a Bakki shower filled with authentic BHM media. The pond has six koi total. (Two 20” koi, and four 10-12” koi) i have not even started feeding this year, and the string algae is getting bad. Any help would be appreciated!
String algae help
- Thread starter Pond_dabler
- Start date
Any plants ? your taking out solids with the seive you have bio working with the shower. But what about that which has already broken down and is in the water. Plants are better at this than man made filters, at the hobby level anyways.
Sometimes it takes two or three years for nature to find the ballance just right. I was two before I was happy where the pond was.
Pictures tell more of the true story then anything.
Do you have your edges built up so no run off can get in the pond ?
Sometimes it takes two or three years for nature to find the ballance just right. I was two before I was happy where the pond was.
Pictures tell more of the true story then anything.
Do you have your edges built up so no run off can get in the pond ?
Last edited:
Posted some pictures from last year. The pond is in full sun i know that’s an issue, but my last pond was too, and did not have these issues. I am lacking on plants. I want to do floating plants, but my koi just rip them to shreds, and Iv heard about koi getting stuck in the floating plant protectors. As you can see i have wood around the pond so it is impossible for runoff to be getting in.
Attachments
I was thinking about doing that. I already have two different loops. One pump is for the bottom drain and the other is for the skimmer. I could just put the output of the skimmer into the bog, but i can’t really do that right now. In the mean time is there something i can use to kill the string algae and keep it back until i build the bog?
My bakki shower spray bar has clogged only after one day.
I have issues with spray bars they always do clog with any holes under 3/8" what i found to work in my aquarium days was a double drip . one was the pvc pipe and it had 3/8" holes these do not clog then i had those drip onto a tray of holes with way more holes than i needed. and it needs to be in the dark. when the tray starts to clog slide it out insert tray number 2 let it dry and it's almost, almost self cleaning
It clogs the sieve too. It’s crazy how fast it happens. Honestly not sure what to do anymore.
I have not started feeding this year… yes the bottom drain has an aerator on it.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2019
- Messages
- 1,479
- Reaction score
- 1,176
- Location
- Winchester, VA
- Hardiness Zone
- 6b
- Country
To protect floating plants from the fish, I use a couple of pool noodles to make a circle. It can be as large as you want with any number of noodles.
I used some plastic mesh fencing to make a sort of basket that attached to the pool noodles with zip ties. It keeps the fish off the plants and is safe for the fish.
I used some plastic mesh fencing to make a sort of basket that attached to the pool noodles with zip ties. It keeps the fish off the plants and is safe for the fish.
wrap the noodles in fabric/ underlayment making for a pouch , put some clay or even soil in it and plant in that the roots will primarily stay in the pouch but those that poke through the koi will trim them back they seem to love roots
Your algae, while annoying, is just a symptom - you may be overstocked with six big koi and not enough biofiltration. You are correct that sunlight does not cause the string algae - it's the excess nutrients in the pond. Find a way to get more plants in the pond - floaters or a bog are both good ideas. Do you have (or could you create) a shelf in your pond? There are ways to protect plants from the fish on a shelf- either keep them in a pot (with no bottom) or plant them in a pocket made of rocks. OR you could devise a hanging shelf idea to put pots on, where they are in the water, but the fish can't get at them.
Just some thoughts!
Just some thoughts!
The issue with plants in the pond is that i keep the pond netted because i get heron everyday. So that limits me to the plants i can keep. I followed the momotaro chart on their website for the amount of bio media i needed. But i didn’t just start the filters the other day so they won’t be seeded for a couple weeks, but still i struggled last year with the same setup.
Last edited:
Nets don't limit plants. Just raise the net higher.
@j.w can you show your net set up? I know it's not a raised pond, but the same concept applies.
Here's another idea - herons won't land where they don't have an easy in and out flight path. Block the path or make them feel hedged in and you'll eliminate the issue. We have dozens of herons that fly overhead daily, but because we have a fenced in backyard with no easy way for them to get out quickly they avoid us.
@j.w can you show your net set up? I know it's not a raised pond, but the same concept applies.
Here's another idea - herons won't land where they don't have an easy in and out flight path. Block the path or make them feel hedged in and you'll eliminate the issue. We have dozens of herons that fly overhead daily, but because we have a fenced in backyard with no easy way for them to get out quickly they avoid us.