How to get rid of thread algae in a pond?

How to get rid of algae in a lake, in a basin or in a pond? How do I remove algae from my pond?

Filamentous algae are small living organisms belonging to the plant kingdom and living mainly in an aquatic environment or more precisely in a humid environment.

The installation of these plants in the basins is therefore completely normal. However, their presence is disturbing for several reasons. This is why pond owners are constantly fighting against these algae even if they are not specifically harmful. Let's find out the conditions in which algae grow, the reasons for their elimination and the effective methods against them.

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What are the favorable ecological conditions for thread algae?

Knowledge of the conditions favorable to the installation and development of algae makes it possible to limit their proliferation by depriving them of their preferendum. They can basically be distinguished into two categories. First, those relating to the climate and then those relating to food relations.

Climatic conditions

The climatic conditions prevailing in an ecosystem inevitably determine the animal and plant species likely to be found in this environment. Indeed, a species colonizes an environment due to the presence of climatic factors that are advantageous to it. With regard to filamentous algae, these factors are essentially related to humidity, temperature, hygrometry, and light.

The temperatures favoring the development of algae are those between 20 and 25°C. These plants multiply there and end up colonizing the environment. To get there faster, they also need high humidity and relatively good humidity.

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Water is the main growth factor while the wind helps them to transport their spores more easily for the progressive colonization of the environment. Finally, algae need sunlight, like all chlorophyllous plants, to grow. This light brings them the energy necessary for the conversion of mineral elements into organic substances.

Nutrient conditions

The development of algae in any type of environment could seem surprising in relation to their nutrition. They sometimes thrive on media without a large supply of nutrients.

Indeed, algae are pioneer plants, that is to say, plants without great requirements in terms of nutrients. You therefore understand that your pond is a paradise for these organisms because it is full of nutrients that can be used for their nutrition.

From plant debris released into the water by aquatic plants to fish droppings and minerals present in the water, algae find their place and flourish there naturally.

Discover our solutions to reduce algae in ponds.

Why get rid of thread algae in the pond?

The impacts of the presence of thread algae in your pond are of several orders. It must be recognized that these consequences are not only negative. Nevertheless, there are several reasons to proceed with their extermination, or at least to curb their spread. What are these reasons?

The survival of aquatic fauna

The proliferation of filamentous algae in a pond primarily affects the inhabitants of this ecosystem. Even if their presence benefits the maintenance of food chains and the ecological balance, their exponential development causes the gradual death of the basin's fauna.

Discover our solutions to reduce algae in ponds.

Indeed, filamentous algae are voracious consumers of oxygen. In large numbers, they therefore gradually deplete the basin's oxygen reserves; thus depriving the fish of this vital gas. The latter, for lack of oxygen, die one after the other, and if nothing helps, the aquatic fauna will be gradually replaced by algae.

The weakening of the ecosystem and its poisoning

The depletion of oxygen caused by the colonization of filamentous algae also causes the gradual disappearance of aerobic microorganisms in favor of anaerobic ones. This concerns much more the bacteria which ensure the ecological balance of the environment. However, anaerobic bacteria are much more harmful to the ecosystem, whether for fauna than for flora.

In addition, the biomass of algae having increased, their death leads to the deposit of large quantities of organic matter at the bottom of the basin. But if it was limited to organic matter only, it would be inconsequential. In fact, when they die, these algae release toxins which accumulate in the tissues of other organisms in the basin that consume them. The trophic network is therefore infected with it and all the organisms in these chains feed on it and accumulate it simultaneously by transferring materials. The whole ecosystem is poisoned by the toxins released.

How to remove thread algae from the pond?

There are several methods for eliminating algae in a pond. These sometimes complementary processes are mostly natural and have no impact on the life of the basin. They essentially consist in preventing the algae from finding the conditions favorable to their development.

The injection of air current in the basin

The aeration of the basin makes it possible to bring in dioxygen and thus to favor the development of the fauna capable of limiting the proliferation of algae. By feeding on these algae, the animals and bacteria that make up the basin's fauna participate in the progressive reduction of their population and consequently in the limitation of their actions.

The introduction of natural microorganisms

Some microorganisms, such as bacteria, feed on the same nutrients as algae. By bringing these bacteria into your pond, you create competition with the algae which will gradually run out of nutrients and therefore will wither and disappear.

Sun deprivation

If the fish and aquatic plants you have do not specifically require a significant supply of solar energy, you can filter the sunlight by using a dye or a tarp to deprive the algae of this energy which is essential to them. In the absence of light, they will not be able to develop in your pond.

The establishment of a filtering and collection system

Some devices allow water filtering and algae collection at the same time. This type of system can be very effective in preventing the installation of algae in your pond because they do not even have access to it.

Discover our solutions to reduce algae in ponds.

They are eliminated even before reaching the threshold.
In conclusion, the installation and proliferation of algae in a pond are linked to the presence of certain favorable climatic factors and the availability of nutrients. The eradication of these plants therefore mainly involves the elimination of these factors and the establishment of a system preventing their installation.