Pond Algae - How To Treat Nuisance Pond Algae

Pond Algae is an all too common problem among pond owners around the world. Pond algae blooms are usually brought about by things like season, temperature and available nutrients. There is a lot a pond owner can do to limit the spread of pond algae, this guide will highlight those methods that work.

Pond scum is a very general name to describe a whole bunch of pond algae that can take over the pond. Their names and details are not important. Suffice to say that the methods listed below will be equally effective against all three.

Every pond had at least some amount of sludge resting at the bottom. That sludge is a rotting mass of detritus, fish waste and any organic particulate matter that dropped into the pond. As it rots, it produced nutrients that are used by aquatic plants, microscopic algae and pond scum. Microscopic algae (green water) is part of the pond scum problem. Swift removal of the sludge and any pond algae you can grab is essential.

Aquatic plants are a natural and ideal as they compete with problem pond algae for nutrients. Floating varieties are especially useful as they prevent sunlight from reaching pond algae in the water column and on at the bottom. There are a few popular kinds available to take a trip to your local nursery and find what suits your tastes best.

A quick and effective method on ridding your pond of microscopic algae (green water) is simply hooking up a UV sterilizer to your water circulation. While it deals with the problem admirably, UV sterilizers are not a cheap item to purchase. The bigger the pond, the bigger the sterilizer needed.

Algaecide's are commonly available but i would advise against their use as they are a very toxic substance that wreaks havoc on the your pond. Algaecides are made from Copper Sulfate, a poison that will destroy the microfauna that exists in pond systems. While they are very effective, they are ultimately a short-term solution for pond algae. The root of the problem is nutrients, which algaecides do not address.

Barley straw sees widespread use in the pond industry as they can battle nuisance pond algae with better than average results. It is put into the pond where it releases natural chemicals that are harmful to most problematic pond algae, but not all. While they are not completely effective towards all forms of pond algae they are cheap enough to be viewed as a viable alternative. Use in conjunction with proper pond husbandry.

Algae Control : Effective Algae Control Methods

Algae control. If you have an aquarium, those two words have probably crossed your mind at least once. While unfortunate, it is nevertheless true that the closed aquarium system offers all sorts of nuisance algae ample opportunity to multiply. While we can try and duplicate mother nature, more often than not our aquariums are left wanting.

And thats ok because maintaining a balanced system is easier said than done. Which means most of us will have to read up on proper algae control methods at some point. Sooner rather than later. This guide is primarily aimed at Algae Control in a marine aquarium but the same techniques can be used with freshwater tanks.

The usual suspects :-

• Red Slime Algae (Not an Algae, a cyanobacteria)
• Diatoms (Again, not an algae)
• Hair Algae
• Dinoflagellates

These four turn up whenever our systems our out of balance. More specifically, algae growth is accelerated when excess nutrients are present. Nitrates and Phosphates are the two most important nutrients we are concerned with when attempting to implement some form of algae control. As they are both forms of nitrogen and phophorus, they act as fertilizers to all plant life within a saltwater aquarium, so naturally, it is our goal to reduce them to an appropriate level.

Nitrates and Phosphates come from many sources. The main sources we should be looking at are fish waste, fish food, tap water and anything else that is slowly rotting in the tank like uneaten fish food and detritus.

Reverse osmosis units are normally used in the marine aquarium hobby as they effectively remove any nitrates and phosphates present in tap water, if there are any. I personally don't use one as i'm lucky to have relatively clean tap water that i treat for chlorine and chloramine beforehand. Still, i will be looking to get one in the near future as the water that the Ro/DI unit produces does not need to be treated any further, making it a hassle free affair.

We should begin cleaning the entire system of any fish waste and detritus that is present. During this time we also need to manually remove as much of the problem algae as possible. If we're dealing with red slime algae then it is a simple affair as it forms carpets that is easily removed. Not so when dealing with hair algae. Removal of live rock and scrubbing may be required. Its hard work but this needs to be done. Siphon out any bits of the algae floating about in the tank.

Next we deal with the current nitrate and phosphate levels. Nitrate is easily dealt with via water changes. The most you should ever consider changing at a time is around 40%. And never more than one a day. If the nitrate levels are so high that the tank needs two 40% changes then leave a gap of a day or so. So thats 40% on Monday and another 40% on Wednesday.

Phosphate are even easier to get rid of. Some companies sell these lovely products, PO4 removers and i love them. Simply put the appropriate amount in an area of high flow and your phosphate readings should drop to nothing in a day or two. The larger the tank, the more media is needed. Some good brands i can vouch for are Phosguard, Rowaphos and Phosban. I personally use Phosguard as it is a bit cheaper and just as effective as the other two.

Another area we need to address is light. Chances are, you have a lighting system. Are they older than 6 months? If they are you might want to consider changing them. Older bulbs tend to shift in spectrum towards red. You don't want any red light in your aquarium as it will affect algae growth. You might want to lower your photoperiod to about 4-5 hours a day depending on the type of corals you keep.

All of the above represents effective algae control techniques. It should be noted that results will not be seen immediately. The goal should be effective implementation of algae control in a month. I do not recommend liquid algae killers an effective form of algae control. To see why, pay a visit to my article, Algaefix.