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This is the most common plant in the
water garden and the most dreaded. What
are algae?
Where there are light and water, there will be
algae. Algae are simple types of plant life
ranging from microscopic to seaweed. All green
plants, including algae absorb nutrients,
convert it to new plant tissue, and give off
oxygen as a by-product. This is known as “photosynthesis”. The nutrients
are available in the water. Living creatures need oxygen.
Algae are nature’s
way to insure adequate oxygen will be
present to support life. The best way to
prevent excess algae is through
good pond balance. This is done by adding the right amount
of plants to starve the algae out
of nutrients and light.
There are several kinds of
algae. Single-celled, free-floating type
which causes green water, the mossy growth that covers
the sides of the liner and the pots
and rocks, and the least desirable, the stringy, filamentous
type that entangles plants, called blanket weed.
The moss-like algae is actually beneficial
and a sign of good health in a
water garden. This alga harbors the same kind of bacteria
found in an artificial
biological filter and helps to remove toxic chemicals from your
water garden and provides food for
fish and tadpoles. Green water algae appear in early spring
as the air and water warm up and
before most aquatic plants break dormancy. These algae
are found often in new water gardens
and in ponds without plants. The growth requirements of
green-water algae are the same as those
of plants: light and nutrients. One way to discourage
algae growth is to cut down on the
light with floating plants and floating leaves, to shade
the water. It is also helpful to use water
dyes, but keep in mind it also shades plants growing
below the surface. Most dyes available
commercially are blue. Water in ponds has usually a
yellow to brown color.
Yellow and blue gives what color? Green, you
will end up with green water. There is a
black coloring available that makes water
look deep and mysterious. Most botanical
gardens use that for their water
features, it is not that easy to find and quite a bit expensive,
but remember a little goes a long
way.
The best way to prevent green water
algae is to have 60 to 70 % of the
surface of your pond covered by plants and to use submerged plants
such as Elodea or Anacharis ,
and to keep the fish load down. Controlling the growth of green-water
algae with algaecides is not advisable as it may
stunt aquatic plants and harm fish.
Green-water algae can also be killed
with an ultraviolet sterilizer. This light is set up
after the filter unit so that all water
passes with in a specific distance to kill any microscopic plant
or animal life within the water. This
means of algae control also presents a cleanup problem. If the
dead algae collect on the pond bottom,
the cycle of decomposing organic matter produces more
nutrients for; you guessed right, more
algae. The UV lights do not kill string algae.
Filamentous algae usually occur in clear
water. The best way of controlling blanket
weed is
simply to take it out by hand. Keep in mind,
take out the algae, and take out the
nutrients.
The algae have to make more algae. To prevent
algae it is very important to achieve
a good
balance in your pond. The presence of algae
will tell you what is out of balance.
Free-floating algae, green water: A
free-floating alga shows a gas problem.
Green water is
happening in the first 90 days of a new pond.
The length of time depends on many
things such as weather, water
chemistry, number of plants and animal life.
Hair algae: Recognizable as big clumps of
long, stringy algae. Hair algae are a
result of too
many nutrients in your pond. By physically
removing the algae, you remove the excess
nutrients. The most probable source of excess
nutrients is too many fish or feeding the
fish
too much. Check also for run offs. Can the
surrounding soils wash into your pond?
Not enough filtration or no filtration at all, you
need to change that. Not enough plants
or not enough of the right kind.
Slime: Recognizable as the green growth on the
sides of ponds. Slime produces 60% of the
oxygen in your water garden. Your pond will
not be healthy until a good layer of slime
develops.
Stocking formula for a balanced Pond
Two bunches of submerged (oxygenating) plants
per square yard of pond surface. One water
lily for each square yard of surface area or
enough floating plants to cover 60% of
the ponds surface during the summer.
1 goldfish per 30 gallon, 1 Koi per 125 gallon (a Koi pond
should be no smaller than 1000 gallons).
The English have been using Barley straw for
centuries to keep their ponds algae free. We
finally have re-invented this practice and
believe me it really works. As Barley
straw decomposes it gives up a toxin that
breaks down the DNA of algae. Of course it
would be ugly to have Barley straw
swimming on top of your pond. Now it is available in
different kinds. I am using mats of straw
in my filter were it is out of site. It is also available
in pellets and liquid form. Try it, you
will be surprised. Keep in mind it is not a quick fix,
the straw has to decompose which will
take a few weeks.
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