There are many myths to what works for controlling algae in ponds. Here are a few of the common one's and advice on how you can get your pond clean. From www.pondalgaesolutions.com
I also put a crate in my bio filter with quilt batting soaked in peroxide and water to pick up fine algae cells .It does have to be cleaned often at first .I reuse the quilt batting over and over again .I just hose it off .Plus only feeding my fish 3 or 4 times a week really helps
I have been raising Koi fish for over 20+ years in a 10,408 gallon pond in the worst possible algae weather condition known to pond owners. (I live in Maui were the temperature and sunlight is conducive to a 365 day algae growing season). I have heard every myth he spoke about and agree with everything he has said in this video. Thank you sir for letting people know the truth.
Well done Alarmrat...all the things you did would be helpful for sure...but uv is often a game changer. Not always, but often enough. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your pond!
Hi Duane...I'm not sure I can add anything here that would help. You are probably right in that some coloration would block some light that could stimulate growth. Just not sure what that would be or how to use it in hydroponics since I haven't worked with that myself.
Hey, this is a great video. Some very good points. I do not have a pond, but I am into hydroponics. What do you know about green coloration in plastic containers preventing algae growth? I am assuming by blocking certain wavelengths of light that would normally promote algae growth?
Hi Kuhako...algae is always indicative of some degree of nutrients and they are usually high if algae is abundant. So I'd focus on that. Make sure fish aren't overloaded for a pond of it's size and that the filter is able to handle the capacity. I like to also use some beneficial bacteria in fish ponds because it's safe and addresses nutrients directly. Don't overfeed the fish and keep the bottom of the pond cleaned of organic build up of any kind such as dead plants, uneaten food, leaves,etc
I have a very small liner that I want to use as a small frog pond for my grandson....don't want to get too expensive with this first trial run of backyard pond. what all do I need besides water plants?
I get string algae in my natural pool and I also get very high quality water. I vacuum the algae when required. I have a large lightly planted gravel biofilter. I don't use anything or add anything to maintain excellent swimming water. No UV either. Just one water pump. I've realised the pond world is the same as the swimming pool world in being able buy a ton of stuff to throw in the water.
Great to hear Jeff! While every pond is different, when you get things dialed in and working well, it's time to enjoy the pond or pool as it's meant to be!
hello, i have a koi pond. and lots of red algae growth. what should i do to prevent algae grow?? my pond is 11ft length ,3ft width, 3ft deep....i have a 9 kois.
Thank you for the info. Third year with 7,000 pond. Had a big problem with pea soup algae, we installed two 50 watt UV units no pea soup this year, now globs and globs of string or something algea. I guess we took to single cell competition away so the other one took center stage.
Gloria...yes, this can happen for sure. One impeded the other. The root cause of course is usually high nutrients, which the UV doesn't address. I do think it is a good option when green water appears to be all you have to deal with. In this case, unfortunately it wasn't. You could try some beneficial bacteria in there...turn off the UV when you add it for say 24-48 hours and see if you can get it to colonize in there a bit. If you have a biofilter, it will set up in there. You can kind of pulse the UV...if you see green water coming back, turn it on...but somehow you'll want to address those high nutrients.
great advice . after a 2 yr battle with green water I added uv to my small 1000gal koi pond. plus increased size of bio / plants.and another filter. my water has been clear for 2 months now. I beleive its the uv but not positive..
ee to many people over feed there fish .I have a koi pond and water is clear and I use nothing but lava rock filters ,no uv and I tried barley once but found all it does is break down to peroxide .It does not do anything but make a mess .I use crushed oyster shells to buffer my ph also .I use no chemicals in my pond .I don't believe in wasting my money .11 years of ponding and I have never had 1 fish die on me but have given lots of healthy babies away .My koi were a couple of inches long and now are over 2 ft long
them with me. The pond is 80 x 50 yards. I have been told it is impossible to catch them. But if I leave them I'm afraid they will die because no one will take care of them. Do you have any ideas? Thank you. Denisehenkind@gmail.com
I don't know that it would be impossible to catch them but it may have a bit of a challenge to it. I would suggest probably doing some research ahead of time, moving or relocating fish or something related to that topic. I would certainly talk with some koi experts...I'm not one of them honestly but at least you can prepare properly for the move. I'd hate to see you attempt this and then lose some just in the process of trying to move them. To capture them I can think of a couple ways...if you feed them, or can get in the habit of having them come in for food, you could try netting them at that time. You could try isolating them...or herding them to one end of the pond and contain them to the point that they could be netted out. Or you could drain or draw some of the water down to a point where they become contained enough to net them. There may be other options but these are the first things that come to my mind. I don't know how large or deep this pond is so that adds a variable in there, but still, something here should help you at least with the capture part. Good luck with your efforts and your move!
Jessica Slater Some common ones might be lilies or hyacinths, but there are many others. I would do a bit of research online for pond plants and see if there's anything you like the look of and matches the zone rating for wherever you may live. Also many garden centers are now carrying pond plants in the spring and you might look around your local area for some. Anything is helpful but I do like to use some floating plants for shading as well as nutrient reduction in the water.
No probably not but it may have replaced it. In other words if the blanketweed or any weed or algae dies off, it's possible another could replace it. If you have uv going though you might want to trouble shoot that with the manufacturer because that should help with green water.
Algae in all forms is food to certain aquatic animals, especially fresh water clams and mussels. The work especially well under or near water flow/water falls. It is NOT a quick fix but over time, they fully clean the water. Of course, ammonia nitrogen is the main feed or algae and to eliminate that is to have aquatic plants both submersible and above water plants that will use the excess nitrogen produced by fish and or decaying organic matter.
We just built a 4700 gallon pond and it just finishing cycling. We have algae but it’s like a puffy cloud looking algae laying at the bottom. Our PH is on the high side at 8.3... I live in Florida and we have an UV installed on the pond. We will be adding a shade sail next week. Do you think this algae is the cause on the high side PH and what can I do to go reduce it? I try to push it to the bottom drain but most of it just mixes up in the water. I appreciate any advice you can offer. My KH is 161 and GH is 180. Thank you 🙏
Hi Adam...pH can be affected by algae, no doubt about it...however 8.3 isn't terrible...workable would be a good word for that. UV of course will only work on small, single cell algae that would create green water. Shade is helpful. Have you tried any form of beneficial bacteria at the start up? If not, I would do that...and if you have used that, I might tinker a bit with the dosage. There is a particular algae as you describe that can come up in ponds and it can be tough to get rid of. You might experiment with physical removing using a small pond vac or muck vac...this wouldn't be for heavy cleaning, just getting that "dusty algae" out. Oh, one more thing, if you do add good microbes, be sure to turn the uv off for a day or two...it will kill good microbes as well as bad.
Question.I have a third acre pond 4 feet deep.Stocked with large mouth and bluegill.Last 2 years I have noticed large amounts of what I believe to be chara.Some stays submerged,alot of it floats.Gritty to the touch and has a musky/sulphur smell.Around September there are really small yellow flowers on top of the floating chara.Maybe the size of an eraser,if not smaller.Anyways I have raked most out for the last 2 years.And by the time I'm done,more appears.I don't want to go the chemical route.Would a few grass carp help me out?Thanks and good video
Hi Jimmy...head over to a site called Aqua Plant and you can confirm it is Chara...sounds like it. You can search on google for aqua plant and it will come up. Management options are listed there too and grass carp could very well help with this once old enough. The other option is an algaecide but you have to be really careful with the fish in there. Ideally you would have aeration going to protect them when you start killing the plant off. You can reach me through the website if you do come to a point of wanting to add aeration and we can make suggestions for you on that. Personally if you can remain patient for a time, I think the carp make good sense here, at least as a first line of defense.
Hi Folks...after checking into why some folks have had problems with the audio on this video, about all I could come up with was that when using my headphones the audio was really garbled...using the computers speakers it worked fine. I'm not an audio wizard so not sure why it's doing this but hopefully that tip will help...also the subtitles seem to be pretty accurate once activated as well.
Hi hows it going I have a small fountain on my pond but during the summer time I get a small platonik algea problem. any tips to keep it looking clean?
Hi Lionel...thanks for the question. My preference for helping with an algae issue, apart or in addition to aeration like you have, is to try a beneficial microbe product. Something like our biosphere pro product found on our website...and there are many others on the market too. Try microbes for maybe a two month time frame...use a liberal amount (they are safe to use and non-chemical) and see if you can affect the algae growth that way...often it will help.
Kind of interesting but is there a follow up video suggesting good ways to keep algae at bay while keeping balance in the pond? I am trying shade via plants in the pond + trees around the pond i also have a bridge/pontoon and a shade sail for the moment. I added a waterfall for aeration and i am putting in an oversized home made filter which will be full mostly of clay pebbles lava rock and some nylon material at the bottom to house a little bacteria. It will be back-washable with valves to divert the backwash to my compost pile and compressed air input to bubble the muck out. I'm fairly new to ponds and it's very sunny here near Chamonix France, i live at 1000M above sea level on the south side of the hill. My algae was out of control for a while but the pond has cleared up since I added a large prototype filter made from a giant flowerpot 4ft high. It has the layers i spoke of above^. I will be building the filter with ball valves etc into a similar sized wheelie bin, i have the waterfall 75% finished and the hole is dug, at the moment the large flowerpot (no holes) is at the top of the waterfall and the water pushes up through the gravel layers and spills out of the top and over the side down the waterfall. Soon i hope to have the new filter finished and hidden in the ground. As the other guy said, lava rock seems to help and having a large easy to clean filter helps. Shade from pond plants and surrounding plants help too. I have 3 koi one is getting fairly big now, i also have around 25 goldfish. Pond is probably around 700 US gallons. The fish didn't seem effected when i had algae but they seem happier now. My goal is to be able to see the bottom (around 5ft deep) in the summer. Last winter there was a point that i could clearly see the bottom. I think that keeping the water cool helps, i have seen some people with their filters above ground potentially being heated by the sun. I have gone for some good depth in the pond (with shelves 3/4 of the way around) and an underground filter with buried pipes, no skimmer for now but i can net the surface if it gets bad. My next pond might have a skimmer and then i might build a swimming pool :D
It sounds like you are working on a lot of good things that may help. This is really what it takes to find out what step or steps will work best for your situation. As for follow ups to the video, there are a few on our youtube channel that may help and I would also suggest visiting our blog at pondalgaesolutions.org, which has a lot of useful information too. All the best!
I would add some good bacteria too...those two things together can do a lot of good. Visit our site at Pond Algae Solutions and look for the 2500 system, it will fit a small pond nicely.
What would be the best method to add aeration to a 1/2 acre pond that is about 150 to 200 yards away from a power source. I’d like to start making the pond clean enough to swim in but it’s overtaken by weeds and algae and figure first thing I should do is try to get aeration to it just no power anywhere near.
Hi Matt...very doable. Would you be kind enough to email me? mark@klm-solutions.com Also if you could note the depth of the pond..just note the max depth and that should suffice. I'll explain how to do this remote power set up, but kind of need to narrow down what system might work best to do it. I'll also be able to provide some additional info on dealing with the weeds. Thanks!
I new at ponding; I have a 1100 gallon pond with about 2 dozen koi (mostly small at this point). My question is, I've been using beneficial bacteria and it's done a good job of cleaning my water - but I don't understand if I should be emptying the pond from time to time and starting fresh or leave the water and continue to treat with the bacteria?
One point needs to be added to your discussion of salt and algae. If the salt concentration approaches 15 parts per thousand ( 1.5 percent ) any vascular ( ie submerged or decorative plants ) in your pond will likely die off. Salt is much better as an aquatic herbicide and dispersing agent than it is for algae control.
Mark, If done carefully would direct UV exposure in the pond better control algae and other bacteria in larger ponds(1 acre)? (Not in a water filtration system but rather directly exposing sections of the pond systematically).
Hi Bill...I think it would be tough to manage with UV in a pond that size...typically when we get any pond over 15-20,000 gallons...1 acre at a very average depth of 6' would be around 1 milliion gallons...but typically we would use ultrasound potentially in larger ponds like this. It would end up being much more affordable than any kind of UV which I would think would almost have to be a high volume, industrial design, and typically this would be in a circulating type of system....I have never heard of UV used in any other way.
Location Southern Australia. Our backyard fishpond is approx 188 litres, rectangular and 25 cm deep. Goldfish population: 7 A year ago, the water was completely murky, with less than an inch of visibility. The water 6 months ago, I added a BioNatural product, which deals with Blanketweed/GreenWater/PondSludge. A few weeks ago, we have noted a sudden inundation of dark evergreen coloured string algae, very sticky stuff, blocking filters in less than a week. I had already increased my filter capacity, to 3 pumps, which all introduce aeration via venturis. I don't want to introduce any further chemicals, beyond the BioNatural product already used. One cannot manually scoop the string algae out, before it grows back fervently. A cctv recording shows the pond only gets 2 to 3 hours of direct sunlight, due to house and fence shielding the pond, on the East and West. 2 pumps have carbon foam filters, and one has 'bio-Noob pellets for assisting bacteria.
+Home Hobbies - Here is my funny story, but true. If your Pond is less than 500 US Gallons or even at 1000 US Gallons. With all the Money and Time spent on Chemicals and Labor.... Best is to DRAIN it, and refill it with new Water. Even if you have to buy new Fish, it will still cost you LE$$.... LMFAO !!!
Ultrasound? What the heck is that?..never heard of it in a pond! But you seem knowledgeable. Maybe you could point me to a discussion. I thought I knew everything. About UV, isn't it also advantageous in killing pathogens? Unless it gets really out of hand I don't mind the string algae so much as long as it doesn't affect my waterfall. I have a toilet bowl brush on a stick that I use for that. I'm thinking about getting an all in one UV and pump as a secondary system, sit in on the pond shelf and see if that doesn't clear some of the non-string algae. What do you think of that?
Hi Dennis...ultrasound creates sound waves that are in resonance with the frequencies of most algae cells. Via vibration, it damages the structure of the algae over time. UV is very different of course. And UV works only on green water, where as ultrasound works on most types, although there a few species that have shown resistance. I should note too, that I don't use ultrasound in smaller ponds. Normally it would be a 1/4 acre and larger up to multi acre lakes. We use UV in smaller backyard ponds, and only when green water is a primary issue...although it can help with certain pathogens if it's set high enough. As for your combo uv/pump idea...usually uv comes with in pond filters, and pumps as well for smaller ponds. If your issue is green water, it's worth a shot.
Well, thanks. I don't know how this technology got by me but I contacted a SonicSolutions provider (already!) in South Carolina (I'm in Nebraska) and he said that even the SS100 would be overkill for me. I suggested the company come up with a garden sized model. Changing UV bulbs would get old and they're fragile. So I guess I'll just watch and wait. Thanks VERY MUCH for putting me onto this technology!
We don't use these in smaller ponds, kind of for this reason...UV does exist, and it does a bit more for the pond. Where ultrasound really becomes useful is in very large waters where the cost to treat it with beneficial bacteria becomes really cost prohibitive.
Now that I've researched this product I think there IS a use in smaller ponds. UV has all kinds of problems. High voltages near water is never good and the bulb burns out in short order. AND you have to clean it all the time. I think USonics would be a great option for garden ponds. Invent it!
I wouldn't empty, just add some fresh water, maybe once a week or every other, something like 10% water exchange would be fine. You want to leave things alone if the bacteria is working well...starting over just means you have to build all these good microbe counts back up again and that takes weeks usually.
String Algae is time and time again killed off by adding 0.3% salt.. proven over and over again, even I used salt.. - but when I used it, it kinda turned the balance of the pond up side down.. so, the benifit of using salt isnt big.. since the downside is greather..
Adding salt will kill off existing algae but halophiles will just colonize in their place. Cyanobacteria strains live in the saltiest regions on Earth.
Yes, I know that bacteria can trive allmost anywhere.. well.. not allmost, but.. they can trive anywhere. !! But killing of algae with salt is a start, killing bacteria with salt can be done, at least some of the harmfull bacterie will die of using salt.. but if a few survive the salt treatment, its because they have evolved resistance towards salt... then you will have a few salt resistant harmfull bacteria left in the pond, and they will start multiplying and now you cant kill them of with salt anymore.. - they evolve fast, because their lifecyckle is short and they multiply many times. Using salt can be good.. but my problem was that it also made an inpact at the perfectly working biofilter ( bakki shower ) to render it allmost useless as biofilter, because it killed the good bacteria too. I dont use salt anymore - and I will never do so again. !!
Hi Melissa...there are many nuances...some of which is related to the pond size itself...small ponds may be handled differently than larger ones. But here's a very brief summary...and note first and foremost, there are no silver bullets...no one size fits all thing that will work. Our protocol involves most often, aeration first...raise oxygen levels and circulation in the water, second, use beneficial microbes to lower nutrients that feed algae, third, consider other supportive tools like dye, barley, clarifiers, etc, 3 for large waters, research ultrasound, and finally, if necessary, as a last resort, look into specific chemicals that may have a high probability of working without causing future problems in the pond environment. If you have specific questions for your pond, contact me through the website and send any details about your pond over that you can...we can take it from there.
We have an event center - 4 acre pond with a run off feed of water under ground. Our problem is the north side of the pond is 2 - 4 foot deep and from May - September Filamentous Algae covers 2 1/2 to 3 acrce of the pond and looks very ugly for our customers. We are willing to use your company if you can direct us in the right direction we just are not able to spend $2000 - can you help?
Hi Tim...I emailed you directly on this. A pond this large would require a bit of consideration before doing anything. If you don't see the email come through this afternoon, let me know and I'll resend. That should get us started in a good direction.
+tmc1717 - Leaves and Dead Plants etc.... Are a BIG contribution on Algae, no one really told me that one :((((((. Best is to have someone just Scoop / Clean out Leaves and Dead Plants every season. Only way to keep up or you will spend thousands of dollars to have it done labor, including chemicals :///
Howdy...no we use ultrasound on larger ponds and lakes for algae reduction. It's different than UV...although I do suggest UV for smaller ponds that have chronic green water issues.
Yes you can find it on our website at pondalgaesolutions.com. Links are on the left side and you'll see ultrasound listed there. Keep in mind this is only for large ponds...maybe from olympic pool size on up...I don't use them in smaller ponds.
Wow...I'm not sure...the sound or audio is working fine for me here. I don't think the videos are in stereo or maybe they re using one audio channel so perhaps that could be part of it. But normally you should hear something of course. Can you try another computer or another browser?
Just black out the pond for a week and all the Algea is dead, this won't harm your fish as long as there is airation and they can go weeks without food so I week is nothing just use a black bin bag
I use 2 9 volt UV lights in a recirculating stream in my Koi pond. Since UV light kills bacteria, am I wasting time and money adding beneficial bacteria to my pond.
Thomas, not entirely. The microbes can still serve a purpose but you're right, uv will knock some down. What I always suggest is when you add bacteria, turn the uv off for 24 to 48 hours...let the microbes circulate through the system. A lot will end up settling in the pond body itself and not circulate, then if you can get some colonization in there that's great...after a time turn the UV back on. For algae only you could run uv only if you are seeing green water issues...if it's string algae, uv won't help with that anyway. But if the timing is right, I think both uv and bacteria can be helpful.
Howdy Rob...you are welcome to use the contact form on our website and email me the details of the pond...ie, size, depth, etc...and I can offer some advice. In general I would ask if you have used or tried beneficial bacteria in the ponds start up? If not, I would begin there.
Also, Mark klmgroupia you should join our discussion in our ponds community on google+. plus.google.com/communities/106122096790923657121 while it is not a place to directly promote, I know you will benefit from the exposure.
Here is my funny story, but true. If your Pond is less than 500 US Gallons or even at 1000 US Gallons. With all the Money and Time spent on Chemicals and Labor.... Best is to DRAIN it, and refill it with new Water. Even if you have to buy new Fish, it will still cost you LE$$.... LMFAO !!!
you're an idiot! Water changes should be normal anyway without replacing fish and you would need to acclimatise pond first so the problem would repeat anyway if u don't do anything different. Why keep a pond if u can't maintain. Evil little sod. Yeah funny ya wierdo. Nitrite poisoning is funny.
Through expensive trial and error I agree 100% with this video in all myths covered!! Listen to this man, he know what he is talking about.
Just got into the pond business. Very useful knowledge. Thank you.
I also put a crate in my bio filter with quilt batting soaked in peroxide and water to pick up fine algae cells .It does have to be cleaned often at first .I reuse the quilt batting over and over again .I just hose it off .Plus only feeding my fish 3 or 4 times a week really helps
Thanks a lot! This was clear, concise and very informative. Great job !
I have been raising Koi fish for over 20+ years in a 10,408 gallon pond in the worst possible algae weather condition known to pond owners. (I live in Maui were the temperature and sunlight is conducive to a 365 day algae growing season). I have heard every myth he spoke about and agree with everything he has said in this video. Thank you sir for letting people know the truth.
Thank you for the kind words Allan! Continued best wishes with your pond and koi!
Well done Alarmrat...all the things you did would be helpful for sure...but uv is often a game changer. Not always, but often enough. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your pond!
My left ear loved this!
I guessed the Right one hates it, right? Hmmmm, mine too, LMAO
Hi Duane...I'm not sure I can add anything here that would help. You are probably right in that some coloration would block some light that could stimulate growth. Just not sure what that would be or how to use it in hydroponics since I haven't worked with that myself.
Hey, this is a great video. Some very good points. I do not have a pond, but I am into hydroponics. What do you know about green coloration in plastic containers preventing algae growth? I am assuming by blocking certain wavelengths of light that would normally promote algae growth?
very underrated channel, thank you very much
Hi Kuhako...algae is always indicative of some degree of nutrients and they are usually high if algae is abundant. So I'd focus on that. Make sure fish aren't overloaded for a pond of it's size and that the filter is able to handle the capacity. I like to also use some beneficial bacteria in fish ponds because it's safe and addresses nutrients directly. Don't overfeed the fish and keep the bottom of the pond cleaned of organic build up of any kind such as dead plants, uneaten food, leaves,etc
I have a very small liner that I want to use as a small frog pond for my grandson....don't want to get too expensive with this first trial run of backyard pond. what all do I need besides water plants?
I get string algae in my natural pool and I also get very high quality water. I vacuum the algae when required.
I have a large lightly planted gravel biofilter. I don't use anything or add anything to maintain excellent swimming water. No UV either.
Just one water pump.
I've realised the pond world is the same as the swimming pool world in being able buy a ton of stuff to throw in the water.
Great to hear Jeff! While every pond is different, when you get things dialed in and working well, it's time to enjoy the pond or pool as it's meant to be!
hello, i have a koi pond. and lots of red algae growth. what should i do to prevent algae grow?? my pond is 11ft length ,3ft width, 3ft deep....i have a 9 kois.
Thank you for the info. Third year with 7,000 pond. Had a big problem with pea soup algae, we installed two 50 watt UV units no pea soup this year, now globs and globs of string or something algea. I guess we took to single cell competition away so the other one took center stage.
Gloria...yes, this can happen for sure. One impeded the other. The root cause of course is usually high nutrients, which the UV doesn't address. I do think it is a good option when green water appears to be all you have to deal with. In this case, unfortunately it wasn't. You could try some beneficial bacteria in there...turn off the UV when you add it for say 24-48 hours and see if you can get it to colonize in there a bit. If you have a biofilter, it will set up in there. You can kind of pulse the UV...if you see green water coming back, turn it on...but somehow you'll want to address those high nutrients.
great advice . after a 2 yr battle with green water I added uv to my small 1000gal koi pond. plus increased size of bio / plants.and another filter. my water has been clear for 2 months now. I beleive its the uv but not positive..
ee to many people over feed there fish .I have a koi pond and water is clear and I use nothing but lava rock filters ,no uv and I tried barley once but found all it does is break down to peroxide .It does not do anything but make a mess .I use crushed oyster shells to buffer my ph also .I use no chemicals in my pond .I don't believe in wasting my money .11 years of ponding and I have never had 1 fish die on me but have given lots of healthy babies away .My koi were a couple of inches long and now are over 2 ft long
yeah great idea! Don't feed your fish. It's not like your filtration is inadaquate or something.
strange, the audio is working for me. I'm not sure what would be going on on your end.
Hi, thanks for all your great videos and help. I currently have about 15 Koi in a natural pond in my yard. I am moving and want to take
them with me. The pond is 80 x 50 yards. I have been told it is impossible to catch them. But if I leave them I'm afraid they will die because no one will take care of them. Do you have any ideas? Thank you. Denisehenkind@gmail.com
I don't know that it would be impossible to catch them but it may have a bit of a challenge to it. I would suggest probably doing some research ahead of time, moving or relocating fish or something related to that topic. I would certainly talk with some koi experts...I'm not one of them honestly but at least you can prepare properly for the move. I'd hate to see you attempt this and then lose some just in the process of trying to move them.
To capture them I can think of a couple ways...if you feed them, or can get in the habit of having them come in for food, you could try netting them at that time. You could try isolating them...or herding them to one end of the pond and contain them to the point that they could be netted out. Or you could drain or draw some of the water down to a point where they become contained enough to net them. There may be other options but these are the first things that come to my mind. I don't know how large or deep this pond is so that adds a variable in there, but still, something here should help you at least with the capture part.
Good luck with your efforts and your move!
Please let me know about some aquatic vegetation or plants that help to prevent algae growth in pond.
Jessica Slater Some common ones might be lilies or hyacinths, but there are many others. I would do a bit of research online for pond plants and see if there's anything you like the look of and matches the zone rating for wherever you may live. Also many garden centers are now carrying pond plants in the spring and you might look around your local area for some. Anything is helpful but I do like to use some floating plants for shading as well as nutrient reduction in the water.
No probably not but it may have replaced it. In other words if the blanketweed or any weed or algae dies off, it's possible another could replace it. If you have uv going though you might want to trouble shoot that with the manufacturer because that should help with green water.
great info
Algae in all forms is food to certain aquatic animals, especially fresh water clams and mussels. The work especially well under or near water flow/water falls. It is NOT a quick fix but over time, they fully clean the water. Of course, ammonia nitrogen is the main feed or algae and to eliminate that is to have aquatic plants both submersible and above water plants that will use the excess nitrogen produced by fish and or decaying organic matter.
We just built a 4700 gallon pond and it just finishing cycling. We have algae but it’s like a puffy cloud looking algae laying at the bottom. Our PH is on the high side at 8.3... I live in Florida and we have an UV installed on the pond. We will be adding a shade sail next week. Do you think this algae is the cause on the high side PH and what can I do to go reduce it? I try to push it to the bottom drain but most of it just mixes up in the water. I appreciate any advice you can offer. My KH is 161 and GH is 180. Thank you 🙏
Hi Adam...pH can be affected by algae, no doubt about it...however 8.3 isn't terrible...workable would be a good word for that. UV of course will only work on small, single cell algae that would create green water. Shade is helpful. Have you tried any form of beneficial bacteria at the start up? If not, I would do that...and if you have used that, I might tinker a bit with the dosage. There is a particular algae as you describe that can come up in ponds and it can be tough to get rid of. You might experiment with physical removing using a small pond vac or muck vac...this wouldn't be for heavy cleaning, just getting that "dusty algae" out. Oh, one more thing, if you do add good microbes, be sure to turn the uv off for a day or two...it will kill good microbes as well as bad.
Question.I have a third acre pond 4 feet deep.Stocked with large mouth and bluegill.Last 2 years I have noticed large amounts of what I believe to be chara.Some stays submerged,alot of it floats.Gritty to the touch and has a musky/sulphur smell.Around September there are really small yellow flowers on top of the floating chara.Maybe the size of an eraser,if not smaller.Anyways I have raked most out for the last 2 years.And by the time I'm done,more appears.I don't want to go the chemical route.Would a few grass carp help me out?Thanks and good video
Hi Jimmy...head over to a site called Aqua Plant and you can confirm it is Chara...sounds like it. You can search on google for aqua plant and it will come up. Management options are listed there too and grass carp could very well help with this once old enough. The other option is an algaecide but you have to be really careful with the fish in there. Ideally you would have aeration going to protect them when you start killing the plant off. You can reach me through the website if you do come to a point of wanting to add aeration and we can make suggestions for you on that. Personally if you can remain patient for a time, I think the carp make good sense here, at least as a first line of defense.
Hi Folks...after checking into why some folks have had problems with the audio on this video, about all I could come up with was that when using my headphones the audio was really garbled...using the computers speakers it worked fine. I'm not an audio wizard so not sure why it's doing this but hopefully that tip will help...also the subtitles seem to be pretty accurate once activated as well.
klmsoluti
Hi hows it going I have a small fountain on my pond but during the summer time I get a small platonik algea problem. any tips to keep it looking clean?
Hi Lionel...thanks for the question. My preference for helping with an algae issue, apart or in addition to aeration like you have, is to try a beneficial microbe product. Something like our biosphere pro product found on our website...and there are many others on the market too. Try microbes for maybe a two month time frame...use a liberal amount (they are safe to use and non-chemical) and see if you can affect the algae growth that way...often it will help.
Kind of interesting but is there a follow up video suggesting good ways to keep algae at bay while keeping balance in the pond? I am trying shade via plants in the pond + trees around the pond i also have a bridge/pontoon and a shade sail for the moment. I added a waterfall for aeration and i am putting in an oversized home made filter which will be full mostly of clay pebbles lava rock and some nylon material at the bottom to house a little bacteria. It will be back-washable with valves to divert the backwash to my compost pile and compressed air input to bubble the muck out.
I'm fairly new to ponds and it's very sunny here near Chamonix France, i live at 1000M above sea level on the south side of the hill. My algae was out of control for a while but the pond has cleared up since I added a large prototype filter made from a giant flowerpot 4ft high. It has the layers i spoke of above^. I will be building the filter with ball valves etc into a similar sized wheelie bin, i have the waterfall 75% finished and the hole is dug, at the moment the large flowerpot (no holes) is at the top of the waterfall and the water pushes up through the gravel layers and spills out of the top and over the side down the waterfall. Soon i hope to have the new filter finished and hidden in the ground. As the other guy said, lava rock seems to help and having a large easy to clean filter helps. Shade from pond plants and surrounding plants help too.
I have 3 koi one is getting fairly big now, i also have around 25 goldfish. Pond is probably around 700 US gallons. The fish didn't seem effected when i had algae but they seem happier now. My goal is to be able to see the bottom (around 5ft deep) in the summer. Last winter there was a point that i could clearly see the bottom.
I think that keeping the water cool helps, i have seen some people with their filters above ground potentially being heated by the sun.
I have gone for some good depth in the pond (with shelves 3/4 of the way around) and an underground filter with buried pipes, no skimmer for now but i can net the surface if it gets bad. My next pond might have a skimmer and then i might build a swimming pool :D
It sounds like you are working on a lot of good things that may help. This is really what it takes to find out what step or steps will work best for your situation. As for follow ups to the video, there are a few on our youtube channel that may help and I would also suggest visiting our blog at pondalgaesolutions.org, which has a lot of useful information too. All the best!
I would add some good bacteria too...those two things together can do a lot of good. Visit our site at Pond Algae Solutions and look for the 2500 system, it will fit a small pond nicely.
What would be the best method to add aeration to a 1/2 acre pond that is about 150 to 200 yards away from a power source. I’d like to start making the pond clean enough to swim in but it’s overtaken by weeds and algae and figure first thing I should do is try to get aeration to it just no power anywhere near.
Hi Matt...very doable. Would you be kind enough to email me? mark@klm-solutions.com Also if you could note the depth of the pond..just note the max depth and that should suffice. I'll explain how to do this remote power set up, but kind of need to narrow down what system might work best to do it. I'll also be able to provide some additional info on dealing with the weeds. Thanks!
Sent you an email
I new at ponding; I have a 1100 gallon pond with about 2 dozen koi (mostly small at this point). My question is, I've been using beneficial bacteria and it's done a good job of cleaning my water - but I don't understand if I should be emptying the pond from time to time and starting fresh or leave the water and continue to treat with the bacteria?
One point needs to be added to your discussion of salt and algae. If the salt concentration approaches 15 parts per thousand ( 1.5 percent ) any vascular ( ie submerged or decorative plants ) in your pond will likely die off. Salt is much better as an aquatic herbicide and dispersing agent than it is for algae control.
Mark, If done carefully would direct UV exposure in the pond better control algae and other bacteria in larger ponds(1 acre)? (Not in a water filtration system but rather directly exposing sections of the pond systematically).
Hi Bill...I think it would be tough to manage with UV in a pond that size...typically when we get any pond over 15-20,000 gallons...1 acre at a very average depth of 6' would be around 1 milliion gallons...but typically we would use ultrasound potentially in larger ponds like this. It would end up being much more affordable than any kind of UV which I would think would almost have to be a high volume, industrial design, and typically this would be in a circulating type of system....I have never heard of UV used in any other way.
@@klmponds Thanks, That's good input. I just asked because I have 4 95watt UV-C fixtures I'm not using currently and two ponds which could use it.
Yes it would be incredibly efficient. Thats what i do and it works.
Location Southern Australia. Our backyard fishpond is approx 188 litres, rectangular and 25 cm deep. Goldfish population: 7 A year ago, the water was completely murky, with less than an inch of visibility. The water 6 months ago, I added a BioNatural product, which deals with Blanketweed/GreenWater/PondSludge. A few weeks ago, we have noted a sudden inundation of dark evergreen coloured string algae, very sticky stuff, blocking filters in less than a week. I had already increased my filter capacity, to 3 pumps, which all introduce aeration via venturis. I don't want to introduce any further chemicals, beyond the BioNatural product already used. One cannot manually scoop the string algae out, before it grows back fervently. A cctv recording shows the pond only gets 2 to 3 hours of direct sunlight, due to house and fence shielding the pond, on the East and West. 2 pumps have carbon foam filters, and one has 'bio-Noob pellets for assisting bacteria.
+Home Hobbies - Here is my funny story, but true. If your Pond is less than 500 US Gallons or even at 1000 US Gallons. With all the Money and Time spent on Chemicals and Labor.... Best is to DRAIN it, and refill it with new Water. Even if you have to buy new Fish, it will still cost you LE$$.... LMFAO !!!
Ultrasound? What the heck is that?..never heard of it in a pond! But you seem knowledgeable. Maybe you could point me to a discussion. I thought I knew everything.
About UV, isn't it also advantageous in killing pathogens? Unless it gets really out of hand I don't mind the string algae so much as long as it doesn't affect my waterfall. I have a toilet bowl brush on a stick that I use for that. I'm thinking about getting an all in one UV and pump as a secondary system, sit in on the pond shelf and see if that doesn't clear some of the non-string algae. What do you think of that?
Hi Dennis...ultrasound creates sound waves that are in resonance with the frequencies of most algae cells. Via vibration, it damages the structure of the algae over time. UV is very different of course. And UV works only on green water, where as ultrasound works on most types, although there a few species that have shown resistance. I should note too, that I don't use ultrasound in smaller ponds. Normally it would be a 1/4 acre and larger up to multi acre lakes. We use UV in smaller backyard ponds, and only when green water is a primary issue...although it can help with certain pathogens if it's set high enough.
As for your combo uv/pump idea...usually uv comes with in pond filters, and pumps as well for smaller ponds. If your issue is green water, it's worth a shot.
Well, thanks. I don't know how this technology got by me but I contacted a SonicSolutions provider (already!) in South Carolina (I'm in Nebraska) and he said that even the SS100 would be overkill for me. I suggested the company come up with a garden sized model. Changing UV bulbs would get old and they're fragile. So I guess I'll just watch and wait. Thanks VERY MUCH for putting me onto this technology!
We don't use these in smaller ponds, kind of for this reason...UV does exist, and it does a bit more for the pond. Where ultrasound really becomes useful is in very large waters where the cost to treat it with beneficial bacteria becomes really cost prohibitive.
Now that I've researched this product I think there IS a use in smaller ponds. UV has all kinds of problems. High voltages near water is never good and the bulb burns out in short order. AND you have to clean it all the time. I think USonics would be a great option for garden ponds. Invent it!
I wouldn't empty, just add some fresh water, maybe once a week or every other, something like 10% water exchange would be fine. You want to leave things alone if the bacteria is working well...starting over just means you have to build all these good microbe counts back up again and that takes weeks usually.
klmgroupia (
String Algae is time and time again killed off by adding 0.3% salt.. proven over and over again, even I used salt..
- but when I used it, it kinda turned the balance of the pond up side down..
so, the benifit of using salt isnt big.. since the downside is greather..
Adding salt will kill off existing algae but halophiles will just colonize in their place. Cyanobacteria strains live in the saltiest regions on Earth.
Yes, I know that bacteria can trive allmost anywhere.. well.. not allmost, but.. they can trive anywhere. !!
But killing of algae with salt is a start, killing bacteria with salt can be done, at least some of the harmfull bacterie will die of using salt.. but if a few survive the salt treatment, its because they have evolved resistance towards salt... then you will have a few salt resistant harmfull bacteria left in the pond, and they will start multiplying and now you cant kill them of with salt anymore..
- they evolve fast, because their lifecyckle is short and they multiply many times.
Using salt can be good.. but my problem was that it also made an inpact at the perfectly working biofilter ( bakki shower ) to render it allmost useless as biofilter, because it killed the good bacteria too.
I dont use salt anymore - and I will never do so again. !!
So what does work?
Hi Melissa...there are many nuances...some of which is related to the pond size itself...small ponds may be handled differently than larger ones. But here's a very brief summary...and note first and foremost, there are no silver bullets...no one size fits all thing that will work. Our protocol involves most often, aeration first...raise oxygen levels and circulation in the water, second, use beneficial microbes to lower nutrients that feed algae, third, consider other supportive tools like dye, barley, clarifiers, etc, 3 for large waters, research ultrasound, and finally, if necessary, as a last resort, look into specific chemicals that may have a high probability of working without causing future problems in the pond environment. If you have specific questions for your pond, contact me through the website and send any details about your pond over that you can...we can take it from there.
We have an event center - 4 acre pond with a run off feed of water under ground. Our problem is the north side of the pond is 2 - 4 foot deep and from May - September Filamentous Algae covers 2 1/2 to 3 acrce of the pond and looks very ugly for our customers. We are willing to use your company if you can direct us in the right direction we just are not able to spend $2000 - can you help?
Hi Tim...I emailed you directly on this. A pond this large would require a bit of consideration before doing anything. If you don't see the email come through this afternoon, let me know and I'll resend. That should get us started in a good direction.
+tmc1717 - Leaves and Dead Plants etc.... Are a BIG contribution on Algae, no one really told me that one :((((((. Best is to have someone just Scoop / Clean out Leaves and Dead Plants every season. Only way to keep up or you will spend thousands of dollars to have it done labor, including chemicals :///
Ultrasound? Do you mean ultraviolet light?
Howdy...no we use ultrasound on larger ponds and lakes for algae reduction. It's different than UV...although I do suggest UV for smaller ponds that have chronic green water issues.
Ok, thanks, so do you have a link to this technology? What apparatuses are we talking about?
Yes you can find it on our website at pondalgaesolutions.com. Links are on the left side and you'll see ultrasound listed there. Keep in mind this is only for large ponds...maybe from olympic pool size on up...I don't use them in smaller ponds.
Fascinating.
I don't know why but I can't hear on any of your video's.
Wow...I'm not sure...the sound or audio is working fine for me here. I don't think the videos are in stereo or maybe they re using one audio channel so perhaps that could be part of it. But normally you should hear something of course. Can you try another computer or another browser?
That might work, I can hear the music at the beginning, but I can't hear when you start talking.
thankyou.
Just black out the pond for a week and all the Algea is dead, this won't harm your fish as long as there is airation and they can go weeks without food so I week is nothing just use a black bin bag
Im doing this idea at the moment. Been covered for 4 days now, still a bit murky though. I think mine will take 10 days. 9000gallon pond.
I use 2 9 volt UV lights in a recirculating stream in my Koi pond. Since UV light kills bacteria, am I wasting time and money adding beneficial bacteria to my pond.
Thomas, not entirely. The microbes can still serve a purpose but you're right, uv will knock some down. What I always suggest is when you add bacteria, turn the uv off for 24 to 48 hours...let the microbes circulate through the system. A lot will end up settling in the pond body itself and not circulate, then if you can get some colonization in there that's great...after a time turn the UV back on. For algae only you could run uv only if you are seeing green water issues...if it's string algae, uv won't help with that anyway. But if the timing is right, I think both uv and bacteria can be helpful.
@@markwashburn1485 Thanks for the very quick and well thought out response. Will do as you suggest.
great video ? i cant hear a thing
O
My left ear is very well educated on algae now.
Just built a patio pond to enjoy fish keeping and now I’m a combatant in the war on Algea. (that’s Algea not Algeria)
Howdy Rob...you are welcome to use the contact form on our website and email me the details of the pond...ie, size, depth, etc...and I can offer some advice. In general I would ask if you have used or tried beneficial bacteria in the ponds start up? If not, I would begin there.
Also, Mark klmgroupia you should join our discussion in our ponds community on google+. plus.google.com/communities/106122096790923657121 while it is not a place to directly promote, I know you will benefit from the exposure.
1 pound per 100 gallon is 1% .. 3 pound per 100 gallon is 3%
You are correct of course. I think my notes provided were incorrect. Appreciate the feedback!
Keep geese, ducks out , thus tons of fertilizer no more problems!
UV is highly over-rated.
Why?
Here is my funny story, but true. If your Pond is less than 500 US
Gallons or even at 1000 US Gallons. With all the Money and Time spent on
Chemicals and Labor.... Best is to DRAIN it, and refill it with new
Water. Even if you have to buy new Fish, it will still cost you LE$$....
LMFAO !!!
you're an idiot! Water changes should be normal anyway without replacing fish and you would need to acclimatise pond first so the problem would repeat anyway if u don't do anything different. Why keep a pond if u can't maintain. Evil little sod. Yeah funny ya wierdo. Nitrite poisoning is funny.