Corn Meal Gluten

There was a post on another site last year about using corn meal gluten for algae control in ponds. Since I will will applying it as a pre-emergent for weed control using it in the pond interests me. I know that these strategies are not quick fixes but I am looking fo long term strategies. Would also like to hear any antedotal evidence about barley hay for algae control and water clarity.

Thanks. Loretta

Loretta, I'm sure you know this is a big debate. Last summer was the first year for my pond. I tried all kinds of things to bring the green water under control - I finally admitted defeat and purchased a UV light. Wish I had done that much sooner. As for string algea - I felt that I did have a good many plants. I also used barley that I buy by the pound for about $3-$4. Koi Clay is supposed to work. Like many folks with this problem I tried several things so I'm not sure how much each one worked. This year I plan to use the barley and koi clay. I purchased an imitation Koi Clay on Ebay and that stuff was NASTY :)

Thanks for the information. UV light is probably the best way to go but it is pretty expensive for the size I need. I would need two 25 watt units which would cost at least 500.00. There are some dry and liquid barley products that you can use year round. I cleaned out gobs of string algae this past weekend so I need to start something. Tomorrow I am going to phone the place where I buy my pond supplies and talk to the Big Kahuna about this liquid barley. So the koi clay is primarily to provide nutriens to the koi, is that right? How much was your Koi Clay?

Loretta

I paid entirely too much for my koi clay at a local retailer. I think $9 for a pound. You can order it for I think about $6 or $7 per pound. The koi clay is "reported" to help with water clairity and in sufficient doses fight string algea ? I was using it as a clairier and algea fighter. Bonnie Hale at Bonniesplants.com has done some experimenting and feels that it does indeed help with string algea. I'm gonna try it again this year but NOT buy that imitation gunk on ebay. I'm going for the real thing but I havent researched online prices yet to find the best price.
Good Luck
charlotte

Folks, Please give Algaefix and the Barley straw a chance. My pond is 6 years old and not a trace of algae, string or other , except some around the sides which is healthy, and the fish eat it.
I place a bag (I use a mesh bag used for washing delicate in the washing machine,it's fine enough so that the straw doesn't escape in to the pond)of barley under the waterfall in march, even though the pond is still frozen (waterfall runs all year) and by the time the pond thaws the straw is doing it's thing.Just remember to change it every three months.Over lapping addition by 3 weeks so the new can get started as the old straw is wearing out.
Algaefix will stop any and all string algae with one application. You can find it at your local pond store or Walmart(it's cheaper) . Just follow the instructions and you will have beautiful clear water
Good luck.

Annabelle15.

We had similar problems in our pond for the first year or so, until we started using a product religously.... Every Sunday, my hubby mixes up a batch of Aqua Clearer ($45) and lasts ONE year. He simply pours this into the skimmer box, which takes it and distributes it thru the waterfall and back into the pond... it says to use 1 oz for each 1000 gallons. There are instructions for how to initially start the process, but this is ALL we do to maintain a very clear system. We are on our 3rd gallon in 3 yrs.... worth every penny. Much cheaper than those bulbs...huh?

We have tried the barley, and corn gluten meal... they do work, but not as reliably and consistently as this product. Our pond is 4500 gal. so it will last longer if your pond is a more average size. They may have smaller quantities, too, so check it out.

www.aquascapedesigns.com

mel

I spoke with my salesman at a pond supply company I do business with. He recommended a product simalar to Aqua Clearer, used the same way you described. He said it does keeps the pond very clear and you can also do a trearment that will remove the algae from rocks, waterfalls, and pots.
In his opinion barley does work and gluten can work but not quickly, it can take several seasons to get optimal results. Koi Clay may help bind some toxins so they can be filtered out and that is a big may. It is used for Koi health and to promote vibrant colors. He said unless you have some high-dollar koi it is an expense you don't need unless you just want to provide it for your fish. And the benefit to water clarity, if any, are minimal so it may better to invest those resourses somewhere else.
So I am going the same route TXmel is going and since the pond is clear right now I won't need a special treatment to get started, just maintenence treatments.
BTW he said UV lights work great, but if you have a large pond it can be very expensive way to go and some of the cheaper units on the market are not that great. They get lots of returns on those units. A UV sterilizer for my pond would cost at least 600.00 wholesale so that is not an option for me.

Koi Clay - if I recall correctly - is really calcium bentonite. Some people see the word "bentonite" and think, oh well, bentonite is bentonite. However, if you use sodium bentonite you'll have a mess on your hands - that is the 'stuff' that is used in the hydraulic clays for lining waste sites, ponds, creating impereable seals, etc (here's a website that explains a bit of the differences http://www.claytone.net/clay/cchem.html ). Sodium bentonite may have been what someone was selling on E-bay claiming it was 'koi clay'. If you check out the various websites for 'koi clay' and it's competitors the predominate claim of difference is that it -Koi Clay- is finely ground without a lot of coarse material in it.

If you check around there are numerous industrial suppliers that can sell you calcium bentonite at far more reasonable prices than what you pay for 'Koi Clay'. Just make sure you're buying pure calcium bentonite without the soda ash or sodium carbonate additives some mixtures contain. I was lucky and able to get a 50 lb. bag (your basic lifetime supply!) donated but you should expect to spend probably $25-$30 plus shipping for a similar amount. Since I got this a couple of years ago I don't recall the exact location where I got it and I can't get out to the greenhouse right now - we've got about 2 feet of snow blocking everything! But I've seen it available - just do a search for calcium bentonite to locate someone near you. It is very fine powder, appears to work the same as Koi Clay as best I can tell - I've tried both.