The Battle of the Green Goo
Algae
bloom is caused by an improper ecological balance in the pond. It feeds on nutrients, sunlight, warm water and carbon dioxide
put off by the decay of leaves and fish waste.
Aerate:
Agitating
or aerating the water with a fountain or a fall will help remove carbon dioxide from the water.
Add plants:
Oxygenating or submerged plants compete with algae for nutrients.
Even the particular type of algae that causes the green blanket stuck to the walls of your pond
are beneficial in competing with the ugly water born algae bloom.
Marginal plants and water lilies
help shade and cool the water as do floating plants. One particularly aggressive floating plant is Azzola also known as “Fairy
Moss“. It has to be used with great care however to keep it out of natural water systems as it will cover up the entire
surface of large bodies of water. You will be adding the maintenance of having to thin it from your pools surface with a net
if you choose to add it to your garden. It makes an excellent mulch for the rest of your garden.
Either
keep the bottom of your pool clean or do not disturb what lies there as this will mix the nutrients into the water and encourage
algae bloom.
Fertilizing:
If you want to fertilize
your water plants, use tablets specially made for water gardens. They keep the nutrients at the roots of the plant that you
want to benefit rather than feeding algae.
Bio Filters:
A
bio filter once it starts working properly is an effective way to keep algae blooms at bay. It is nothing more than a container
with a medium (lava rock works well) for good bacteria to grow in. The good bacteria eats the algae. A bio filter can be hidden
inside of a waterfall. Instead of pumping your water into the top of a header pool, just run the pipe to the bottom of the
pool and disperse the flow evenly about the bottom (PVC. elbows and tee’s work well for this.) Then cover the plumbing
and fill the pool with lava rock or some other porous medium. You can hide the medium you use with a layer of drain rock or
gravel.
The down side of a bio-filter is first, that the bacteria takes time to grow and second
that the pump can not be shut off even for a couple of hours or the bacteria will begin to die and the waiting process started
over. Also when conditions are just right for algae, it may be more than the filter can handle and the algae will bloom
regardless of the filter although it will clear up much quicker and in much less time.
Wait:
Once your pond is all properly planted you will need to give it some time to reach it‘s proper eco-balance.
It can take several weeks!
Or Not:
If your not into
the whole waiting thing there is a fast remedy. A U.V. light of the proper size for the water volume will clear it right up
and keep it that way. Other than the costs involved, The unit, pump, electricity and bulb replacements. A U.V. light is hard
to beat.
For the purpose of algae control, 10 watts of UV per 1000 gallons is adequate although
the more the merrier.
They are quite simple to install. Just be sure the flow rating on
the light matches your pump and hook it up so the water flows through the light chamber.
