string algae

does anyone know how to stop string algea..it's taking over everything including the water fall...help

Pmoore I don't know how big your pond is but the first thing I would do is remove as much as you can by hand (a toilet brush is good for this as it grabs the threads easily). One of the reasons for the algae is all the rotting matter takes up the oxygen in the water so I would also clean out the bottom or anything that rots (I found barley does this too). It will grow in ponds with a high ph so your ph should be between 6.8 and 7.4. That should help. Then I know people who add hydrogen peroxide to the pond. I think they use the 3 percent bottle you buy for about $1. That is added to about 500 gallons on a weekly basis until clear. It is not supposed to hurt your fish, but Ihave never tried that. If you have a lot of green algae it rots and exacerbates the string algae problem so keep your filter going.
I just started my pond about 4 years ago and at first had terrible problems with both string algae and green water. I tried the barley bales, had two filters, used the bacteria formulas, and bought all kinds of chemicals. I was spending a fortune and working myself to death. I would clean the filters every few days. Then I read somewhere that my goldfish did not need very much food at all and that was a cause of some of the problem. I also got a uv sterilizer filter last spring 2003. Well, last August I just quit feeding my goldfish (15 fish from 3 inches long to about 9 inches long). Hey they are growing and my maintenance on the pond has gone to once a month (I do clean the about ground filter on the uv sterilizer once a week). Here lately I have been giving them a very light feeding about once a week, but I'll taper that off again in August and not feed in fall or winter at all. Believe me they eat the algae! This is probably way more info that you wanted. Jenny

Jenny -- Thank you so much for the information you posted! We just installed a waterfall pond and the string algae is horrible! The pump broke down and didn't get replaced for two weeks and my water lily was NOT happy. Now I have the string stuff all over the lily! Do you know if the hydrogen peroxide will hurt the water lily --- it's the only thing I have in the pond. Sally

I have never added the peroxide to my pond personally, just been given that advice. I have used it in (a tablespoon to a gallon of water) for root rot. I don't see how it would hurt at all. Since I have stopped feeding my fish so much they eat all the string algae. I also have the UV filter which I love. I probably need to change the bulb since it has been in there 2 years now.

Arent UV filters wonderful. We had pea soup green water and the UV cleaned it up great. Unfortunately, they do nothing for string algea. I've tried some chemicals but they havent cured the problem, I installed a small trickle tower which is supposed to help, I too have cut back on feeding the babies and just try not to worry too much about the algea. Its hot out there !
charlotte

I use a product called Algae Fix. In fact I added another shot three days ago and noticed this morning that the pond is looking good as is the once quite green and stringy waterfall. This has been a year for algae for me....I guess it is just worse some years than others.

Edited to say that my lilies aren't bothered by the Algae Fix and actually didn't seem bothered by the algae until the bottle of Algae Fix arrived... I am ordering more for next year and hopefully will avoid the "Screaming Green String" as my DS calls it, completely

This message was edited Aug 5, 2004 8:37 AM

This message was edited Aug 5, 2004 8:39 AM

I love the UV filter too. But the number one cure for my string algae was to stop feeding fish anything through the winter and early spring. I didn't feed anything until in July. They lived off the algae. I have about 13-16 and some are 6 or 8 inches long.

Could someone explain the UV filter for me? What is it, how does it work and where do I get it? I pulled out the string algae and balanced the PH in the water and bought some tiny gold fish to eat the rest. Things were looking better but the waterfall rock is looking very green. The pond is made from Lichten moss rock but this is getting out of hand!

I am a two year ponder now and I can vouch for the PH factor. I did not know the PH of my well water was over 9. Could not grow even Hyacenth or water lettice.
Dropped the PH down by using meratic acid and switching to city water and the string algae all went away. Thinking of the UV light for the green water.

I bought my uv filter from one of the pond companies online. Just put do a search on google for uv filters and it should lead you to some of the suppliers. You might check several to get a good deal.
I have a Fish-Mate UV and bio pond filter. I like mine because it is so easy to clean the sponge filter, just flip open the lid and take out the filter, clean and put back in. Some of the filters have tricky lids that my old arthritic hands cannot open.
Water passes in front of a uv light which causes algae to clump and die. Then it is filtered out and the water passes through some other biological filter before draining back into the pond.

This won't help the algae on the rocks, it just clears the water. The algae on the rocks is pretty and makes it look more natural to me.

I am tickled to find all this great info about how to get rid of my green water and string algae. I too didn't know pH was a factor and will test my water today!

The UV wont do anything for string algea just the green water floating algea. I found the best price for me was at AZPONDS.com
charlotte

I never saw any significant blanketweed on a pond heavily planted with waterlilies, aquatic iris, marginals, floaters... bear in mind I tinker with liner and clay dug ponds, some with ferocious fertility from heavy rains that drain into them... still ponds with no pumps or filters

If you are sparing on fish numbers, fish feeding, fertiliser for plants, water polluted with nitrates phosphates etc., and all the other things that turn a pond into a fertile soup for pea green algae, a water garden pretty much looks after itself and is more likely to resemble a clear mountain pool

Perhaps it's a quirk, the preference to see a well planted pond rather than a shelf decorated with hocus pocus algae remedies...

Regards, andy


This message was edited Sep 25, 2004 9:11 AM

This is the first time that my pond hasn't been taken over by string algae. It was a weekly routine to remove it by hand from the waterfall and the pond. It especially seems to like flowing water. Anyway, I think the difference is the floating plants. As the water hyacinth began to spread, the string algae began to diminish, and it is virtually gone now. I'm sure it will come back this winter when the water gets cold and the biological filter stops working. The hyacinth will be in the compost by then and the fish won't be eating. It is fun for a while, though, to see the stone ledges of the waterfall instead of swishy green stuff. (I've never had green water, just green surfaces!)

We had a DREADFUL problem with this at one time. We kept fishing it out, as best we could, and I was afraid that the fish would get caught up into it and die. So, my DH dug another large hole next to the pond, lined it with plastic, as a temporary holding tank for the fish. Drained the main pool; used a regular scrub brush and scrubbed the whole interior with a strong Clorox solution (our in-gropund pool is made of cement, and has been there for years....built by my father). The Clorox did a great job of disinfecting the pool, and the Clorox dissapated completely in a short period of time.

We refilled the pool with water, replaced the fish (all within the period of the same day). We haven't had any string algae for a few years now. For pool supplies we generally deal with Lilly Pons in Maryland....so, used their water treatments for algae on a scheduled basis. I also note that they now have an implement that is specifically used to pull string algae out of the water.

P.S. Forgot to mention that we also have plants in the pool....that did not suffer, at all, because of the cleaning!

This message was edited Oct 7, 2004 7:00 AM

Several times a trickle tower is mentioned in this thread. Is anyone in a position to post photos of their trickle towers or provide blueprints and directions on how to build them?

Hydrogen Peroxide 3% soloution will not harm any plants including lilies.
It is effective in ridding the pond of Filamentous Algae [Blanket Weed, String Algae, Silk Weed etc] but has no effect on suspended algae in the water [green water].
HP 3% soloution will add oxygen to the water and is harmless if used properly.
It will kill the Filamentous Algae, which will turn black and then can be scooped out of the pond.
As a previous poster noted the usual dosage is one pint to 500 gallons, but it can be used at one pint added to 1000 gallons and still be effective.
Repeat a week later if algae still persists.
Oconus

This message was edited Oct 23, 2004 8:20 AM

Oconus, The hydrogen peroxide 3% sounds like a dream come true. I have been using Algae Fix and it does the job but not entirely...

I am not sure I am doing it right although I follow the instructions. My pond is 5000 gallons, with about 20 Koi and because I need it deep(4.5 feet at one side) for the Koi in the winter, I have shelves enough for 10 or so water lilies which won't cover but maybe 1/4 of the pond. I wish I could cover more.

Will the hydrogen peroxide bother my Koi? How should I add it to the pond?
Through the skimmer, waterfall, or ?

BlingsBell. HP at 3% solution will not harm the fish or plants if use at the rate mentioned previously.
Since your pond holds 5000 gallons of water you can use 5 pints of HP and see what happens to the string algae.
Repeat in a weeks time if required.

Just go around the perimeter of your pond, pouring the HP into the water as you go until all the five pints are gone.

It is quite possible to find, as winter approaches the pond water cools and the pond plants die back, that the Filamentous algae[s] thrive with all the excess nutrients in the pond, it is quite normal.
Oconus

I agree with Oconus - hydrogen peroxide will work well. Even if you're not sure of the exact volume of your pond you won't have to worry about over-dosing. I've used 3% - H2O2 for several years - no impact on koi, comets, water hyacinths, frogs or anything else other than the string algae. It will NOT help with suspended algae. I've used dosages anywhere from 1 - 2 pints per 1000 gallons. Hydrogen peroxide doesn't store too well so buy new bottles when you need it - don't assume that the bottle that's six months old is going to be of any use. But be sure to get as much of the string algae out of there by hand so that you won't have a problem with too much oxygen being consumed as it decays.

'bout time you stopped lurking and "put pen to paper" DRH2 :-)
Good to see you here.
Oconus.

Thank you too, DRH2....

I think the Koi are down for the winter. They are all hiding under the algae and big rocks. I can only see bits of color here and there.

Should I be adding the H2O2 now? It seems that it is the wrong time to do it now that the pond is sleeping. I do have an air pump to make sure the oxygen level is up high enough.

I am acting like and old grandma now...thinking that the algae is like a blanket to help keep the Koi warm....silly, I know.

I have another time yet to add Autumn Microb-Lift to the pond. I am pretty new at this. I have only had the big pond for a couple of years. My other ponds are smaller, 200 or 300 gal ponds. I don't have the trouble with algae in them that I do in the big pond.

I do appreciate all the input given here.....more than you know.
Thanks again!

I think we all tend to identify (maybe a bit too much sometime! LOL!) with out watery pets. They are cold-blooded so the concept of them nestling into an electric blanket or wrapping themselves up in a bunch of algae really represents more of our wishes than their's. And having waited until this weekend to do a bit of my end-of-the-year maintenance I can REALLY identify with the warm blanket, the hot toddy, etc -up to my armpits in 50 degree water isn't really that much fun at my age! But I would still go ahead with the hydrogen peroxide. That string algae is going to die back during the winter in any event. As it does it will deplete the oxygen levels to some extent - not a problem if you’re keeping a hole open and/or aerating. But if a tremendous amount dies off and you have ice cover you’re asking for significant potential trouble. As for a place for them to hide - I use a large piece of slate/shale (approx. 30"x30" on top of two upturned clay pots for them to hide under. I believe - and have no good experimental evidence for this to support this belief - that the cold weather causes the fish to seek the bottom and a hidey spot because a million or two million years of genetic selection has said “it’s cold, the water is cold, you are very slow and someone will eat you if you don’t go hide down somewhere where they can’t get to you!” I do not subscribe to the unproven theory that it’s “warmer” at the bottom of our ponds.

Sorry about babbling (Oconus made me do it! LOL!). But go ahead and add the H2O2.

DRH2, I missed you! So happy to see you here.

Hey Equilibrium! Nice to see you as well! Of couse, now if someone wants to come help me get everything done before the snow flies....... Hey, it never hurts to ask!

BingsBell and others --- I just dumped in a half gallon of H2O2 yesterday (around the edges, etc.). Water temp is tad cool but 'tis what I do about this time of year. So don't be bashful about adding it now versus not adding it. It probably won't act as fast as it does in the summer (for killing the string algae) but it definitely helps.

Hey DRH2, Hope we can see some of those pretty pics you take. Jessamine

Hi Jessamine,
Thank you for the complement but I'm afraid I'm a rather rank amateur! However, here's a photo I took several weeks ago. And just to keep this 'on thread' - you'll notice there wasn't too much string algae! LOL!

Thank you! :) Jessamine