Help! Too Much Algae!!

Our pond is fairly new... completed in April, and we have had good results with the all natural, can't overdose the pond good bacteria. I recently pulled all of the water lettuce that we had in the pond out, as it was all going yellow and bad from too much direct sun. We still have other plants (planted in clay), a few snails, and yesterday we put barley balls in (but they take some time to work). Since removing the water lettuce, it's gone pea-soupy... it's very hot here, I'm looking for suggestions. I would do the hydrogen peroxide thing if I knew ratios so I don't hurt the fish or plants....

Thanks in advance,

Brenda

I had a thread like this not long ago. I had tried the beneficial bacteria, barley concentrate, algeacide (that worked amazingly well in the indoor aquarium), flocculant to try to clump it together and partial water changes. NOTHING worked. Then I got an inexpensive UV light from Lowes and it turned the water clear within a week. It was less than $80 including tax and rated for a 2000 gallon pond (mine is much less than that). It hooks up to the water line that is connected to whatever filter you are using and kills the algea as it goes past. It will only take care of whatever is floating in the water, not if something is growing on the plants or the sides. I wish I had done it much sooner and saved the time and money I wasted on the other stuff.

Thanks for the info, Tetley. I've asked about the UV lights in my SW Gardening forum (with lots of great and experienced ponders), and they don't seem to think that UV lights are something we need here. I will re-post the question in that forum... I don't know, but thanks for your input!

Tetleytuna aren't UV lights the absolute best. I went 2 years of my GF telling me to get one. Now I gladly pay $99.00 a year for the new bulb. Best money I ever spent!!!

bsavage- I have to recommend the UV light also. Algae is not a respecter of areas if you have a sunny pond you will have algae. If the balance gets off the least little bit you have algae.

Jeri

Thanks for the additional info. The worst of the algae is fluffy and coats the sides and bottom of the ponds. Not much of it is floating.

There is a good algae that grows on the rocks and sides that you don't want to go away. Is it stringy?

Jeri

There is some string algae, but there is an abundance of fluffy algae coating everything like a blanket (maybe blanket algae???). There are also some random bits of algae (not just the string algae, but others too) that floats around. The water has gotten very murky.

From my experience a UV light should clear up all but what is on the rocks.

Jeri

Thanks jeri!

Definitely go with a UV light that connects to your filter line. It will clear up pea soup water in no time.
String algae, which is long strands (also referred to as mermaid hair) can be killed with peroxide if you pour it directly on it. Also a slightly higher salt content in the water can keep a bit of the algae problem down, as well as benefit your fish.
Some floating algaes are from the heat of the day, and heat of the water....in the evening, quite often, it will sink again.
Use a sludge-buster additive while getting rid of additional algae, to help break it down, so it goes into your filters. You may have to clean your filter a little more often until you can get your algae(s) under control, but mainly clean only the filter part that sifts the chunks out. You don't want to mess up the whole "healthy bacteria" cycle going on in the rest of the filter.