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 | | From: | Stephen Henning | | Subject: | String Algae in Winter (Zone 6) | | Date: | Thu, 13 Jan 2005 23:18:51 -0500 |
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I just checked and the nice rich green carpet on the bottom of my pond
is string algae. The stuff beginning to cover the surface of the pond
is not duckweed, but azolla. I am hoping the azolla through shade and
filtering during the winter will help hold down the string algae growth
until the water warms up in the spring.
The golden shiner minnows are still swimming. The tadpoles are still
moving about. No sign of the frogs. All my marginal plants are sitting
on the bottom so the pots won't crack. There are some huge anacharis
"bushes" growing. I have tubs of water hyacinth in my greenhouse ready
to put in after the last frost.
Since my pond is spring fed, nutrient filtering is important all year
long. Is there anything I can do now or do I just play catchup in the
spring?
--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to rhodyman@earthlink.net
18,000 gallon (17'x 47'x 2-4') lily pond garden in Zone 6
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
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| | From: | Hal | | Subject: | Re: String Algae in Winter (Zone 6) | | Date: | Fri, 14 Jan 2005 12:43:26 -0500 |
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| On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 23:18:51 -0500, Stephen Henning
wrote:
>Since my pond is spring fed, nutrient filtering is important all year
>long. Is there anything I can do now or do I just play catchup in the
>spring?
Don't mean to be discouraging, but IMO with a continual spring feed
your pond is not going to be easily controlled. I'd try to enjoy it
as an experience and appreciate what the spring does for you. There
are over 1000 varieties of algae and the variety of string algae I had
one spring was a carpet 6" long bottom and sides, but didn't actually
harm anything until I got upset and tried to get rid of it. Aluminum
sulfate kills it, but the mass of dead algae plugged the drain and I
vacuumed the dead stuff for hours. (Being about as smart as a fence
post, I did this a couple times too.) The final cure was another
algae that turned the water black for a couple months. If it ever
happens again I shall keep the carpet, so long as it stays on the
bottom and sides and doesn't float to the top in a bubbly, snotty
looking mass.
Regards,
Hal
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| | From: | ~ jan JJsPond.us | | Subject: | Re: String Algae in Winter (Zone 6) | | Date: | Thu, 13 Jan 2005 20:44:25 -0800 |
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| >On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 23:18:51 -0500, Stephen Henning wrote:
>I just checked and the nice rich green carpet on the bottom of my pond
>is string algae.
There is fuzz algae that can be up to 2" long, that is the most desirable
plant filtration you can have. So is it really string, or just fuzz?
>Since my pond is spring fed, nutrient filtering is important all year
>long. Is there anything I can do now or do I just play catchup in the
>spring?
Probably catchup, but if you have string algae, one of the things I found
out from experience a few years ago.... I keep my ponds covered with
screening or shade cloth all fall & winter. Originally it was just to keep
leaves out, until I got the filters going full throttle again in Spring.
Going on a pond tour for a pond construction class early one spring there
was one thing those ponds had that I did not, string algae, lots of it. So
if it is feasible, perhaps shade the pond during winter? ~ jan
See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/
~Keep 'em Defrosted~
Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website
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| | From: | Stephen Henning | | Subject: | Re: String Algae in Winter (Zone 6) | | Date: | Fri, 14 Jan 2005 10:08:47 -0500 |
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| ~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:
> There is fuzz algae that can be up to 2" long, that is the most desirable
> plant filtration you can have. So is it really string, or just fuzz?
Thanks for the clue. I will have to look more carefully. It looks
different than the string algae that took over the pond in spring when
we first filled it. The bottom of the pond was clear until this winter
then this nice green carpet started growing on the bottom. It looks
like a nice bright green plush fuzzy carpet on the bottom of the pool.
It is definitely more than 2" thick, but it stays near the bottom while
the string algae sent streamers up to the top. The tadpoles like to lie
in the stuff. The fish don't seem to mind it at all. They got tangled
up in the string algae in spring.
--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to rhodyman@earthlink.net
18,000 gallon (17'x 47'x 2-4') lily pond garden in Zone 6
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
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| | From: | ~ jan JJsPond.us | | Subject: | Re: String Algae in Winter (Zone 6) | | Date: | Fri, 14 Jan 2005 18:26:22 -0800 |
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| >> There is fuzz algae that can be up to 2" long, that is the most desirable
>> plant filtration you can have. So is it really string, or just fuzz? ~ jan
>
>On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 10:08:47 -0500, Stephen Henning wrote:
>Thanks for the clue. I will have to look more carefully. It looks
>different than the string algae that took over the pond in spring when
>we first filled it. The bottom of the pond was clear until this winter
>then this nice green carpet started growing on the bottom. It looks
>like a nice bright green plush fuzzy carpet on the bottom of the pool.
>It is definitely more than 2" thick, but it stays near the bottom while
>the string algae sent streamers up to the top. The tadpoles like to lie
>in the stuff. The fish don't seem to mind it at all. They got tangled
>up in the string algae in spring.
Nothing can be finer
Than fuzz on the liner
in the morn.n.n.ning (or anytime).
I call that pasture and my koi are like horses grazing. Probably why I
rarely see it any longer than 2". ;o) ~ jan
~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~
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