Ponders: need help, what is it and how do I remove?

yuck!!! this is growing in my little 6 gal container water garden. Looks like green cotton. how do I remove? will it hurt or suffocate other plants? thanks for your help

Horrid isn't it? It will take over everything. I have heard that hydrogen peroxide like you could purchase at the drug store or wal-mart would kill it if you pour it in the water.

That is String Algae and you can kill it with AlgaeFix if you want to use chemicals, that's what I use but there are many others.
Kathy

thank you both. My 2 dogs and kitty LOVE to drink water out of my mini pond, even though their water dishes are clean and 2 ft away from the mp. is algaefix toxic to pets?

is there a non-chemical alternative to eradicating this? I've no problem with the chemical, just asking for the benefit of readers.

This message was edited Jun 4, 2008 10:57 AM

If it's in a small container, you can just let it grow and then fish it out as you've done.
Great compost--it's full of the excess nutrients that your plants can't absorb, so think of it as a disposable mini-filter.
If it's any consolation, it's much easier to remove string algae than the pea-soup variety and I've heard it said often that they don't or won't coexist.
If you're desperate to remove it other-than-manually, you can use hydrogen peroxide.

Here are some of my 'Water Garden Remedies & Recipes' notes that I've gleaned from various sources:

To disinfect aquatic plants for algae: 6 Tbs. salt dissolved in 1 gallon of water

To treat water garden for filamentous algae: 1-2 pints of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide per 1000 gallons. Repeat in 3-5 days if necessary. Remove as much algae as possible both before and during treatment to avoid oxygen depletion as algae decays. At this concentration, Hydrogen Peroxide has no effect on aquatic animals or plants, and it is not effective on suspended algae.

Phos-X removes phosphorous so the string algae have nothing to ‘feed’ on, combined with lowering the PH (filamentous algae like a high PH of 8+)

SAB or String Algae Buster does not change pond PH, but breaks the calcium bond that filamentous algae need to grow.

Add daphnia and amphipods to feed on algae.

Place barley straw in water garden or bio-filter to prevent/reduce string algae.


Hope one or more of those is helpful!
Teresa

DH uses a toilet brush on ours - works a treat!
If it's too bothersome, the Hydrogen Peroxide also works.
We have a bio-filter, but the stuff just comes and goes.

I had it a month ago in my pond but now that my plants are starting to take off a little bit the string algae has pretty much stopped growing (just like my pond guy told me-he also said to be patient). He said it grows until your plants start to utilize the nutrients in the pond and it evens out. My pond is new and it took like a month or so to slow down.

patience?????
I already have to be patient w/ daylilies and roses. Now this too?????

The first several years, I had the string algae show up in my pond each spring. Use to take a toilet brush and clean it out every few days. The last two years, zero algae. Why? Not sure. I added a UV sterilizer, which controls the pea green soup algae. But does it control the string algae also? Dont know.

I was told too much sun causes it.

my little container is certainly in the sunniest possible location

I can't remeber what it is called but there is a black dye to put in the water to help controll algae. Doesnt hurt the plants or so they say. Floaters help in that they shade the surface. Mini water lillys.