STRING ALGAE

[Mmathis]

My pond is about a year and a half old now [gee, time flies!]. Last summer the ONLY problem I had with string algae was that it collected at the point where the water enters the pond from the SKIPPY -- waterfall fashion. No biggie, as it was easy to clean up with a toilet bowl brush.

This year started out, actually with a little LESS string algae, but over the past month or so it seems to be taking over the entire pond! It's not isolated to the "waterfall" area. I've been pulling it out from around all the shoreline plants & rock edging. And for the past week, as I've been "netting" the stuff from the bottom, the algae is coming up in sheets and is covering just about every underwater plant! As I net the plants out, I'm having to pull gobs of stringy mess off them.

Of course, it's November, and my water temps are gradually dropping [58º yesterday]. I wasn't expecting to have this problem so late in the year. Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong?

 

[dieselplower]

It does seem to be most active in cooler water. Your ammonia or nitrates are probably high. Or at least they would be if the algae wasn't growing strong. This isn't something a UV can clear up like it can with pea soup.

 

[Mmathis]

Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate are all 0.

 

[Sunshine]

I've had this problem all summer. I don't know if the winter will kill it or not. I remember seeing it on my falls through last winter. Still green under the ice. Some tough stuff. It killed most of my plants in my bog this summer. I just couldn't keep up with it. My readings were the same as yours, all 0. I just blamed it on the cooler spring and summer we had.

 

[addy1]

zero string in my shubbie tank or big pond, maybe the fish eat it up as it grows. I have never had string in either of those ponds. I do get it in the small slow flowing preforms (they get fed unfiltered water)
No string in the bog either, I do get some type of slimy algae before the plants get growing, then that goes away too.

 

[shakaho]

My fish eat it too. Maybe you haven't reduced your feeding enough as the weather has cooled. Overfed fish will likely eat less algae.

 

[dieselplower]

Keep in mind ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are probably all 0 because the string algae is consuming everything.

 

[HTH]

This summer I had duckweed, bare root water lilies, and even morning glories driving my nitrates down in 2000 gallons of connected containers. Now that it is cold the only thing that will grow is the string algae.

At this time of year I would rather have the string algae then the nitrates.

It loves to grow in the top hat I have on my up flow barrel filter, think of it as a pre filter. It is amazing how good a mass of string algae is at filtering out dirt.

 

[sissy]

The less you feed the more they will eat everything in the pond .I feed 2 or 3 times a week in the summer months and then come fall only once a week if they are lucky .

 

[Sunshine]

I fed wheat based food when the water temp reached 70. Than when the water temp reached 50, I quit feeding all together. So, they haven't had any food for a month. I still have it hanging from my waterfall and on the sides of the pond.

 

[Tula]

I noticed I have some on the walls of the sunny side of the pond. I'm not bothered, as it gives the koi something to munch on and it a natural filter with my filter off. Kim

 

[Mmathis]

Hmmm.... I haven't been feeding but a couple times a week lately. Is it "normal" for EVERYTHING to be covered with it? I scooped up several Trapdoor Snails that were tangled in masses of it! And water temp was 58 again today, but they're predicting a low in the 30's for tonight.

Howard, I agree about it's dirt-trapping properties. When I pull it up, there's all kinds of crud stuck in with it: leaves, acorns, twigs, plants, snails....

 

[Dave's pond Indiana]

Hair algea is a good sign of a healthy pond it is also a good mechanical filter. Don't worry---Be happy!

 

[Mmathis]

Hair algea is a good sign of a healthy pond it is also a good mechanical filter. Don't worry---Be happy!

Always liked that song!

I'm just worried because there is SO MUCH of it! All I could see initially was what was growing along the sides [among the Parrots feather, etc], but when I started pulling up plants and pots, it was just in SHEETS, and EVERYWHERE! I was feeling like I'd neglected the pond by not noticing it sooner.

 

[fishin4cars]

TM, it is very natural for outbreaks of string algae this time of year. Yes, Nitrates and Phosphates can trigger outbreaks as well. String algae don't usually grow in high ammonia, it seems to prefer older more mature water. I would try and keep it in check and during a warmer day possibly doing a good water change. I pm'd you directly. there are other alternatives too helping control it. If you notice once plants are really growing string algae doesn't grow as much. that's because the higher order of plants are using the nutrient/s up that string algae like. As they die back and leaves start falling they start releasing those nutrients back in the pond. string algae will be eaten some by hungry fish, but I have seen plenty of ponds that the fish couldn't keep up with the growth no matter how many fish and how hungry there were. Good thing is, as long as it is growing and there isn't a die off, it's pretty healthy for the pond as long as it's kept in check.