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There are many kinds of algae, green water algae and string algae are the 2 most common.


Koi clay WILL NOT work on green water. It only kills string algae, the long stringy stuff that grows on every thing. It grows so fast that you can watch it grow literally! Koi clay has to be grossly overdosed to kill string algae and it does work!

TWO THINGS TO CLEAR GREEN WATER

UV

OR

MORE PLANTS
plants especially hyacinths and lettuce will clear green water, they love dirty water.

There is another solution that works on green water and that is flocculent!You will find it on my supplies page

Shade in the form of a cover above the pond will help because it cuts back on sunlight but that will take some time

Bonnie

Bonnie I am glad you posted this. I recently have encountered some string algae in my pond.

Whilst everything checks ok the temperature has raised considerably this last week in my pond. I have no shade during the afternoon, except for the hyacinth and lilies (65perc perhaps). The stringy junk seems to only be attached to my hyacinth which are all in full bloom now. I removed them yesterday and spent hours cleaning it from the roots. I think my mistake was using fert tablets in my lilies recently?...

Is this something that will subside on its own if not treated?

Again thanks for the post ~ Pam

String algae can get very bad and it is best to deal with it when it first appears. It grows so fast, I swear, you can watch it grow!

I have seen it so bad it actually choked out and killed plants. I have seen baby fish caught so tightly in it they died because they could not escape.

If you use the koi clay in overdoses it will kill it. The worse it is, the harder it is to get rid of. You must continue to use it weekly, 52 weeks a year at the maintenance dose to keep it gone. If you live where there is ice, mix the koi clay with water and pour it through the hole in the ice. Yes, it can and does grow in cold water though it prefers warmer water.

We use pond tabs every 7 to 14 days in our water lilies. Pond tabs are specifically designed for pond use so as to not cause algae problems, either green or stringy type. It is just a coincidence the string algae appeared after you used them.

Bonnie

Thanks Bonnie

Well...I believe I killed my hyacinth.. I left them in the tub too long I'm sure as they are shriveled and brown. Lilies are looking nearly as bad also, arg..

Bonnie, I just sent you an email.

~ Pam

Hi everyone,
I have not encountered string algae, to date. Sounds like I dont want to. I have, however, encountered green algae and learned from "this" forum, how to control it. The plants work. Waiting for them to grow and do their job is slow. I tried "Algae Fix" from Wal Mart, and I do not reccomend it as, it did kill, some of my weak fish. I did not know, the fish were weak, but, that is all it takes, to completely tip a weak fish over.
Now that my plants are established, my water is clear, except for plant debris. Its always something. You Love it or you dont. I have not even
graduated to uv filters at this time. I would like to have them. For now, I am getting by with partial water changes and rinsing my filters, and the plants seem to be doing most of the work. Its alway's harder in the spring, when your plants are not established. Thats when the green water attacks the most at my place. I have not tried Bonnies focculent, that may be an option, I need to look into. I was not able to keep my Hyacinths or water lettuce alive in my greenhouse. I am going to try again this winter. I needed more heat, than, I used. I do not have a thermostat on my heater and kept it low, due to the unpredictable warm winter days in Tennessee. I should be more successful this winter.

Hello Noahbug..

I have not treated the string algae in my pond. My readings are all normal and my fish "seem" healthy as ever. I'm not recommending this mind you, but it does prompt me to ask this, what detriment does algae bring to a pond? Natural ponds & water sources "turn over" yearly by nature with an abundance of the crud yet all fish thrive?

I ask out of curiousity mostly. I suppose I should research.. or maybe ask in the book section but a simple clarification from someone knowledgeable would be much appreciated.

Good Luck

Algae bloom in the ocean can cause a die off of fish and insects due to a decrease of oxygen in the water. I personally have had many algae problems but no deaths due to it. I have always had excellent aeration in my pond.
It can be helpful in that it consumes some of the chemicals that cause problems for the fish.
If not to excessive it is mostly an eye sore.

One interesting note most algae is in the kingdom Protists not in the kingdom Plante.

Seems every summer there is a story in the news of a fish die off in a fresh lake some where in the USA due to an algae die off! These do tend to be shallower lakes...OR lakes that have a lot of vegatative growth

Algae die off can be a very serious problem. As the algae dies off it will actually deprive the water of oxygen and the fish can actually die.

We just went through another algae die off in my pond here, the 2nd this summer. Other than being unsightly and making a mess in the water, the fish did not suffer because I have massive water movement.


The warmer the water the less oxygen it holds. You probably have noticed in the very heat of the summer, it is hard for you to breathe too. More so if you have breathing problems. When it is extremely warm out side the air itself does not hold much oxygen. So in the case of our ponds we must do what we can to add more oxygen to the water. This is done with moving more water over water falls, stream beds OR by adding an air pump and air stone.

If your fish are near the top, piping (gasping) in particular near water returns, chances are you do not have enough oxygen in the water. The first fish to die are the largest fish. The larger the fish the more oxygen needed for it to breathe.

And in the winter when the water is cold in the winter, oxygen saturation is near 100%!

There are test kits available for oxygen saturation. They are more advanced kits and require a bit more skill to use them

Bonnie

Bonnie, that makes perfect sense. Thanks for explaining the bit on oxygen levels. We have alot of issues with irrigation ditches being overrun and clogging systems from the algae. And it does happen very quickly.

I seem to be in a totally different arena with the bluegill. Zooplankton, which is found in the moss is a benefit for my fish, as long as everything stays in check. I'm assuming koi do not benefit the same??

I am not sure I understand your question.....


Bonnie

there is still snow on the ground and ice in the pond but I also have alot of string algae. After using Koi Clay does the dead algae have to be removed? How large of an overdose is needed?
Thanks, Linda

10 tablespoons ever day for every 1000 gallons is needed to kill string algae.

You need to vacuum up the dead algae or it becomes food for more algae to grow

Bonnie

Thanks Bonnie.
I've always had a problem with string algae. I'm guessing its my well water.

Linda

Hi
I'm new to this site (just signed on this morning) I'm so happy to see the string algae topic covered. I live in San Diego county so don't have the winter cold to deal with. The string algae in my pond never stops growing!
I'm not familiar with the clay that is mentioned. Is it available through this site? Does it affect the fish or other plants? Our pond is about 3,000 gallons and has 4 adult fish and about 100 fry from last July's hatch. All appear to be very healthy. Thank you
J-net

Hello J-Net and welcome

Click BonniesPlants on the top left of the page. On the main site click on supplies. the scroll down the right column and you will see koi clay.

Koi clay is what the Japanese mud ponds are made of and is 100% safe for ALL aquatic life.

Bonnie