14 replies to this topic

[ceagle]

hi
just wondering if anyone has solved the string algae/blanket weed problem or could give me any suggestions.

i have tried totally stripping and scrubbing everything in the pond and using aquapro solution to the point of over dosing the pond repeatedly and it just comes back within a couple of weeks. one pond is a black heavy duty hard plastic. the other is a brown coarse sand finish which i empty and scrub for an hour with a scrubbing brush to remove algae, i just can't be doing this every 2 weeks!!!
both get filtered light and have shade sails over them
i'm prepared to try just about anything.

thanks
Deb

[Mr_docfish]

if you have goldfish or koi in the pond - starve them until they eat the long lengths of algae (fine fuzz on the sides is normal and should be ignored)

if you dont have these or similar fish, then you can use bacteria or chemicals to control it - but this is going to be a repetitive thing....

never scrub the pond out - this encourages the algae and you will always be stuck on first base.... given time, the algae growth will subside as the pond ages.

Feel free to PM me if you want some detailed info on what you can use in your situation.....

[ceagle]

hi thanks for your reply
ok i won't feed the fish for a bit and see if that helps. i am currently pulling the long string algae clumps out manually every couple of days but i think it's growing faster than i can remove it. should i be doing this or should i be leaving it???
also read on the net that putting barley straw in the pond will help but i can't find any in Perth tried 3 pond shops/bunnings/city farmers etc do you think that might help?
i was also told i need to put copper in the water? but that was also by someone who suggested placing magnets all long my filter hose to put a negative charge into the water?

for some reason i don't seem to be able to pm you?
thanks again
Deb

[Mr_docfish]

keep pulling out the excess until the fish catch up with it.

Any straw will have the same effect - but it is better suited to green water than string algae.

magnets are a mild treatment... Im still sceptical on it - it depends on the water conditions.

Copper can work - but again it is dependant on water conditions - safer to use on harder water... there are expensive electronic units to ionise copper 24/7 - worth consideration for bigger ponds or for people that dont want to keep re-dosing the pond.

Ive sent you a PM that you can reply to.

[Ivan Sng]

Ceagle, it is common for outdoor tanks to have algae growing in them. It is nature, combine sunlight and nutrient from the fish waste, you will find that some form of algae would grow... If you are going to stop feeding the fishes for a while, I would also suggest blacking out the whole tank... In other words, cover the tank will a tarp or similar, allow no light into the tank. Take sunlight out of the equation, algae will die.... GIve it 1-2 weeks black-out, your tank should be clean again...

One of the reason why algae grow is because there is excess nutrients in the water, hence you need to have plants to take up the nutrients or feed the fishes less. I am into aquaponics and one of my system at the moment has 0 nitrates, and the barramundi in there are fed twice a day... That tank does not have too much algae growth at the bottom and on the sides and it is exposed to full sun daily...

If your pond is an ornamental fish pond, feeding the fishes less would help but you still need plants to use the nitrates up...

Another fish that I can think off that feed on algae is silver perch...

[ceagle]

i don't mind a bit of algae i don't expect a pond to look like my fish tanks but i'm talking so much string algae that if i don't pull handfulls out every couple of days there isn't much room for the fish to swim.
it's like a big fishnets everywhere and blocking my pump i have also lost fish that have been tangled in it. have had ponds for a few years and this problem appears to have come in with some new water lillies i bought 18 months ago. i have about 6 different plants in there ('water lillies etc) and they are looking great. i was only feeding fish a small amount once a day but have cut that now too.
thanks for the advice it's certainly worth a try.
thanks
Deb

[scarab]

can i suggest adding amazonian frogbit?? They are floating plants and sucks up alot of nutrients and multiply very fast. At the same time, as they are floating plants, while they suck up nutrients and multiply, they will block out light entering the pond, limiting the growth of the algae. maybe you can try this out.

[mattt]

anyone know how salt tolerant frogbit is?

[gilz]

sorry to hijack but does anyone know where to get any of this amazonian frogbit
any lfs's selling it at the moment

interested in some for my pond

pm me so this thread doesnt go too off topic

[Krystal]

Aquotix always had Frogbit in stock

[sajica]

Another plant you could try is Hornwort. It's extremely fast growing and is "believed" to have algae killing properties. Failing that it's extremely fast growing and suitable for absorbing excess nutrients out of ponds.

[ceagle]

thanks everyone you have all suggested ideas/plants i haven't tried. i will keep you posted on my battle against string algae, incase someone else has the same problem.
really appreciate you sharing your ideas
cheers
Deb

[tastyfish1980]

I had exactly the same issue as you have. I tried the usual chemicals and ended up getting a barley straw bomb from Aquarium City at Meltham, crn Grand prom and Railway Pde. They are a sponsor. Cost is about $8 a bag. They are locally made using a sewed hessian mini-bag. I only had to use the 1 and after several weeks.........gonsky! Best of all it has never come back after a couple of years now. Also having pond plants, rushes, water iris etc I would say helped the eco system and is good as gold. We have 2 bio boxes on this long pond and still had the string algae until I used the barley bomb. You can get barley liquid as well, but I don`t know if it would have the same effect. It was certainly a quickish and cheap fix! Murray.

[Tina]

Our pond is approx 5000 litres and was filled solid with string algae and blanket weed. Tried everything, but installed a Itronic Copper Anode (cost around $500) and it is all gone completely! Its safe for fish (we've got barramundi & perch) but lethal to shellfish.

[malbone]

Good luck mate - I have 10 ponds from small to large - a 250 ltr has heaps of hornwort, mainly in the shade and no fish but plenty of stringy algae.......go figure......and in another pond some of the motorbike tads have died getting caught up in it - i shake them loose and most seem to have survived..........