How do I get rid of algae in my pond / pond?
How do I eliminate algae from my garden pond? How can I reduce the amount of filamentous algae?
There are more than 150,000 types of algae in the world. Depending on the species, they can live in different environments and under diverse conditions. A distinction must be made between floating algae (treated through effective natural filtration or UV treatment) and filamentous algae, which can be treated with various solutions.
These filamentous algae occur in different forms in your garden pond. They can form filaments more than 2M long. These algae are not always attractive, but did you know that koi carp love to spawn in filamentous algae?
In ponds, there are several groups of algae. Microscopic algae float freely in the water and turn it green, while filamentous algae form long strands.
As their name suggests, filamentous algae form filaments. They are long green strands that initially attach themselves to the walls and plants. From a distance, they look a little like clouds. At a later stage of their growth, they detach and drift in the form of mats. Their color ranges from khaki green to brown, passing through yellow, eventually forming a kind of repulsive sludge. When filamentous algae are present, the water is often clear or very clear.
Unlike floating algae, filamentous algae are not a bad sign. They are satisfied with a very small amount of nutrients (phosphates). After winter, nitrate residues inevitably remain in the pond water. Filamentous algae take advantage of this to proliferate until there are no more nitrates. They then stop growing, detach, and form slippery yellow-brown-green clumps that float on the water's surface.
How is the algae problem caused?
Algae growth occurs because aquatic plants are unable to completely remove the nutrients from the pond. Excess nutrients accumulate, which the algae take advantage of.
Microscopic algae are always present in a dormant state and develop very quickly. Unlike other plants, they are not demanding when it comes to water quality.
How do I remove algae from my pond?
There is nothing more troublesome than an excess of algae in the pond. A pond is a closed ecosystem. Biological waste is transformed by bacteria into nutrients for aquatic plants, which in turn release oxygen into the water, creating a healthy pond environment.
Even when the pond has been well designed, problems can arise that disrupt the biological balance, resulting in unwanted algae proliferation.
How can I prevent algae?
Here are a few tips to counteract algae formation.
- Place more pond plants
- Use bacteria that will digest the nutrients
- Avoid bottom waste and clean the filter.
- Your fish should eat all their food quickly
- Remove as much algae as possible by hand
- Check your water quality
- Use an algae treatment
Algae control
The first step to having an algae-free pond is to test the water. Based on the results, a diagnosis and a plan can be made to remove the algae.
For the pond environment, knowing the pH value is essential because it tells us the CO2 content of the water. If the pH value is relatively low early in the morning (pH 7-8) and relatively high in the evening (pH 8-9), the pond environment is functioning properly, the plants will grow well, and the water will be clear.
Using peat granules can accelerate the decrease in pH. A pH value that is too low (pH 6 or lower) indicates that the environment is becoming acidic and threatens all the pond's inhabitants. Under certain conditions, excessively low pH values can occur especially during winter.
The general hardness of the water is determined by calcium and magnesium. This becomes the GH value of the water. A good GH value for pond water is between 8° and 12° dH. Most pond plants grow optimally within these values, and the development and activity of microorganisms are optimal in this moderately hard water.
Carbonate hardness (KH value) is an important pillar of the pond environment. The KH value is also called temporary hardness. It is also referred to as acid-buffering capacity.
Remove algae quickly
The measures mentioned above are intended to biologically reduce the proliferation of filamentous algae and ultimately eliminate them. The complete process will take months. This period can be shortened by using an algae treatment. Remember that this type of product combats the algae symptom but does not eliminate its cause.
Devices have also been developed to permanently solve the algae problem in garden ponds. They work according to the principle of mineralization. This mineralization prevents the proliferation of filamentous and beard algae while stimulating the growth of aquatic plants.
A UV filter is a lasting solution to the problem of floating algae (green water). Ultraviolet radiation kills floating algae, pathogens, and fungi.
Installing a suitable filtration system is also a solution to the algae problem. On the one hand, filtration keeps the water clear; on the other hand, water circulation provides sufficient oxygen. A filtration system filters the pond water both mechanically and biologically.
An excess of nutrients in the water can have several causes:
- excessively high phosphate levels
- too much food for the fish
- too many fish
- not enough plants
- inadequate filtration
- poor bacteriological water balance
- insufficient water quality
Comments
Leave a comment