STRING ALGAE?!

[Jason]

Ok so I have NEVER had String algae in my 4 ponds I have built until this newer one... I believe it's because it is in direct sunlight for 90% of the time, but how do I get rid of it? I place my 13watt UV in and while it did make the water clear, the string algae was not fazed.

I bought 2 Pleco's but have not seen them in a month lol, Im sure they are eating there butt off but what should I do to kill it or at least knock it back enough for 2 plecos to handle the load and balance out.

Pond is 270 gallon bottom pond, 40 gallon waterfall pool pond, 20 gallon half barrel is my filter and that spills out over 1ft into the 40 gallon pond which then spills about 6" into the 270.

Have a middle island bog with a hole through a rock that shoots up and splashes around to water the bog plants and the other line is split and helps circulate the pond.

Waterfall is fed by a 950gph pump, island fed by a 650gph pump, plenty of aeration so what should I use for this infestation?

 

[Priscilla]

I used to have it growing in my pond, I added an aerator just for the fish, within two weeks all string algae was totally gone and has never returned. It also took care of the floating algae I used to get in the heat of the day. Unfortunately, my pond is totally green at the moment, UV is not clearing that up. The fish and plants seem to love it, so I'm not that bothered at the moment.

 

[tbendl]

Still green Priscilla? I'm so sorry. You've been fighting this forever.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Ok so I have NEVER had String algae in my 4 ponds I have built until this newer one... I believe it's because it is in direct sunlight for 90% of the time, but how do I get rid of it? I place my 13watt UV in and while it did make the water clear, the string algae was not fazed.

I bought 2 Pleco's but have not seen them in a month lol, Im sure they are eating there butt off but what should I do to kill it or at least knock it back enough for 2 plecos to handle the load and balance out.

Pond is 270 gallon bottom pond, 40 gallon waterfall pool pond, 20 gallon half barrel is my filter and that spills out over 1ft into the 40 gallon pond which then spills about 6" into the 270.

Have a middle island bog with a hole through a rock that shoots up and splashes around to water the bog plants and the other line is split and helps circulate the pond.

Waterfall is fed by a 950gph pump, island fed by a 650gph pump, plenty of aeration so what should I use for this infestation?

PhosOut. The only long term solution to string algae in ponds with high organics.

 

[addy1]

So the long and short of it, if your phosphate level is high = string algae = high organics in your pond. The PhosOut reduces the phosphate level, but if you don't get rid of the high organics, you have to continue to treat with PhosOut, is that it?

Or plant lots of blooming and growing plants that eat up the phosphates. And clean the extra organics out of your pond.

That right Meyer?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

So the long and short of it, if your phosphate level is high = string algae = high organics in your pond. The PhosOut reduces the phosphate level, but if you don't get rid of the high organics, you have to continue to treat with PhosOut, is that it?

Or plant lots of blooming and growing plants that eat up the phosphates. And clean the extra organics out of your pond.

That right Meyer?

Essentially yes. The key is to balance the number of plants to the fish load and the supplemental feeding. Most garden ponds do not have the available space for the required number of plants. This is why 'bogs', phyto-filters, constructed wetlands or whatever one calls them make such a positive impact on water quality. Basically what is being done is the creation of Two (2) connected Water features, one for fish and one for plants that support each other.
Where appropriate sized phyto-filtration is not possible then other means must be used to minimize the availability of nutrients such as Nitrate and Phosphorus.

 

[addy1]

bowing................ I tested my pond, out of curiosity and a bit of string hanging around in my slow flow loop pond, just the last one in the loop, Nitrites, Phosphorus etc all readings of zero, Nitrates had a tiny bit of color to the test water, around 20ppm.

I do have a ton of plants, all getting ready to bloom. Now why would the string hang out in the loop pond (small almost like a preform pond, slow water flow) which is fed by the big ponds water. You would think that water with the zero readings would not keep the string in the one pond so healthy. The other two ponds in the loop are string free.

I leave it there, the tads, frogs, critters all love it, just curious why one pond of 5 would have it the rest pretty much free of the stuff.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

If there are no plants in the loop pond, that is your answer.

Interesting on your Nitrate reading. I have always considered 20 ppm borderline. I prefer to maintain <10 ppm.

 

[addy1]

The pond with the string has two lilies, anacharis and a small lotus.

Going by the color, it is a light blue the 20 is slightly bluer.
I was not concerned because of reading stuff like this on the net that never tells stories.

"
What is a safe nitrate level for koi and goldfish?
The ideal range for nitrate is 20-60 ppm, parts per million. If your pond reaches 80 ppm you should begin a regiment of partial water changes to reduce nitrates to a safe level. Nitrate becomes extremely toxic above 120 ppm."




I feed seldom, low fish load, maybe 20-25 fish. Tons of plants that get no food except from the pond water, they should suck all that stuff right out.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

The pond with the string has two lilies, anacharis and a small lotus.

Going by the color, it is a light blue the 20 is slightly bluer.
I was not concerned because of reading stuff like this on the net that never tells stories.

"
What is a safe nitrate level for koi and goldfish?
The ideal range for nitrate is 20-60 ppm, parts per million. If your pond reaches 80 ppm you should begin a regiment of partial water changes to reduce nitrates to a safe level. Nitrate becomes extremely toxic above 120 ppm."




I feed seldom, low fish load, maybe 20-25 fish. Tons of plants that get no food except from the pond water, they should suck all that stuff right out.

This is one of those "it depends on who you talk to" situations. I have seen many admonishments concerning Nitrate levels similar to the one you posted.
I personally prefer to rely on what is generally accepted and substantiated by the scientific community.

And here is where it really gets interesting.

The LC50 level of Nitrate toxicity for Koi is around 1000 ppm. That is not a type......1000 ppm.
But the accepted drinking water level of 20 ppm is toxic at some level to all other aquatic creatures. For many 10 ppm is too high. To protect ALL aquatic organisms the recommended limit of Nitrate is 2 ppm.

I would expect to see some 'transit' Nitrate reading no matter the pond's balance. It has to get from the source to the consumer. But if it is chronically above 10 ppm, then either there is a source that is not identified or you need more plants or you need to increase your flow rate

 

[CometKeith]

Essentially yes. The key is to balance the number of plants to the fish load and the supplemental feeding. Most garden ponds do not have the available space for the required number of plants. This is why 'bogs', phyto-filters, constructed wetlands or whatever one calls them make such a positive impact on water quality. Basically what is being done is the creation of Two (2) connected Water features, one for fish and one for plants that support each other.
Where appropriate sized phyto-filtration is not possible then other means must be used to minimize the availability of nutrients such as Nitrate and Phosphorus.

Meyer. i think your explanation is why my string algae almost dissapears totally every year. I keep a high water flow and a lot of plants (about 60% coverage) versus the amount of bioload (goldfish only and no koi) so my pond is probably more of a glorified bog than anything else!

 

[addy1]

Ok I need to recall what I actually tested.......................... Just went and got some pond water, My Nitrate test color is not blue the readings are not blue......geez............old brain cells now and then. Guess I ought to write things down!

Anyways the long and short of it, Nitrate ZERO, Nitrite ZERO, Ammonia ZERO, Phosphate ZERO, Ph 7.8-8....................

I have enjoyed the education Meyer and at least now I do not need to worry about Nitrates in my pond water.............. geez But still have pretty string in one pond with lots of plants lol.

the blue circle is the pond with string, the red arrows show the water flow directions. Not counting the stream or stream ponds.

Here is a melted shot

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Anyways the long and short of it, Nitrate ZERO, Nitrite ZERO, Ammonia ZERO, Phosphate ZERO, Ph 7.8-8....................

geez But still have pretty string in one pond with lots of plants lol.

These two statements are contradictory. No living thing will continue to survive and grow without nutrients, including algae.
Your tests results show NO nutrients, yet the algae is still present and growing so it must be getting nutrients from somewhere.
Simple logic says that the test results must be wrong.
I have never thought that water quality tests that require color perception to be any more than an approximation of actual levels. The colors on the chart and the test result colors are never the same.
Not questioning you addy1, but I am questioning the accuracy of the test results. It just don't compute!

 

[addy1]

Same here, it is the drops, i.e. liquids, maybe I need a new test kit. The phosphate test kit is new, the api is from last year, maybe the year before. Need to find the expire date on it.

There are nutrients everything is growing great, I just fertilized the lilies. I don't test very often, this was out of curiosity more than anything.

My pond guy in arizona, used to email me a huge list of tests run on my pond, until I had it filled in, became more of a issue than a pleasure with renters and being 2300 miles away. No clue on what he used, his company mainly took care of big ponds i.e. lakes.

 

[callingcolleen1]

You could darken the water with liquid pond peat, that helps cause the dark water prevents the algae from getting lots of light. The color only last a while though, depending on how many filters you have running.

Another trick I use is a stick, and twirl the algae around the stick like cotton candy. I too get string algae in the spring and early summer, then the hornwort takes over and other plants as well help starve out the algae.