Fill a barrel with lava rock and use that as your filter for your pond. Your water will stay cleaner longer.
By Teresa from Spencer, WI
Will it help if I have certain types of stones like lime and sandstone in the pond? What would happen if I used salt water rather than regular city water to fill the pond? Please help!
John
First off, I applaud your intention to control algae without chemicals. It is not necessarily the easiest or most convenient fix, but most chemical solutions are only a temporary cure for the problem anyway.
There are several ways to keep algae under control in your pond without using chemicals. The key is finding which combinations of biological and physical components work best to keep your pond in balance. It may also take some time and patience to figure that out. It is not clear to me from your question whether your pond is stocked with fish, so disregard any of the following strategies that do not apply to your situation.
Also, don't be afraid to approach and compliment the successful pond owners you see. They'll probably be more than happy to share their secrets with you.
Good luck!
Ellen
Barley straw in your pond will inhibit algae growth.
I have a small fountain with a prefilter; and the "spitter" part of the fountain--an ornamental frog--has a small UV light inside that the water passes by, and it kills any algae without chemicals.
I had the same problem finally I had to get a filter, (a large 55 gallon drum with pvc pipes in it with holes. You can go on line and look up how to make one. It works good but you also have to provide shade for your pond. I just got rid of my pond because my back just couldn't take the cleaning anymore.
Sterile Carp is the only way I have found to control the algae problem in my pond. They have to be special ordered. I have two in my pond. ~Janette~
Plants, Floaters and Potted
Plants will soak up all those nutrients floating in the water that the algae also use to grow. The more plants you have the less nutrients in the water and no algae.
I use an algae control product in my pond that is very natural and easy to apply. It is environmentally friendly, safe on fish, pets, humans and plants. You can even swim in the pond.
Have them give you a free quote. I'm sure it will not cost much considering it is a very small pond!
I used copper sulfate for algae control in my pond. I ended up killing all my koi. Is there any way to get the copper to dissipate or do I need to drain my pond to reintroduce koi?
Thank you!
I recently moved into a house in rural SE PA. There is a rather large pond that has a lot of green algae floating on the top and what I would call a seaweed growing up from the bottom. The pond is about 70 - 80 ft long and about 15 ft across with an average depth of 4-5 feet. I have tried barley straw bales that have been in about two weeks, I tried the use of an algaecide, but so far no positive results.
I really would like to clear it asap as it sits in my 1.2 acre yard and what should be a beautiful focal point is currently an eyesore. Any help would be greatly appreciated.I have a 7000 gallon fish pond with more than 70 Koi fish. I am faced with the problem of algae, and it is spreading very quickly. The walls of the fishpond are marble. One man advised me to put salt into the fish pond to control the algae. Is that true? Algaecide for fish ponds is very difficult to buy, and could not be found. How can I control the algae without damage to the fish?
By soe from Yangon, Myanmar
Koi are very expensive fish. Don't do anything or add anything without first checking with a koi expert.
If it's an outside pond it's getting to much sun you must have as much as the top water covered with plants to cut the sun light. If you have plants and you use a algae killing chemical it will kill the plants trust me.
I have read that putting sterile carp in a fish pond will take care of algae. I dont think i would use salt tho. I put two in my pond I have on the farm where I live and it worked. No more algae. Go to a farm supply store and order one. I think one should do it. Hope this helps.
Tough question!
It's certainly a good idea to know how to get rid of the algae in your pond, but nothing beats designing for a good healthy ecosystem with the right combination of plants! Koi are tough on plants, but there are ways to protect the plants so they can take up the nutrients and compete with the algae.
...A pond without fish is like...well...the air without birds!
I have been using an algae control system product that I found to work VERY well. It is safe fish and you can even swim while using the treatment. I would check out this site for more information!
Is there a recipe for vinegar to use in backyard ponds with fish? The pond has algae on top. I want to kill the algae without killing fish. The algae is taking the oxygen away from the fish. Please help.
By shirley holmes from Little Rock, AR
Clean as much out as you can and then take an onion bag and fill it with straw.This should keep the algae away. I don't know about the vinegar it might kill the fish.
I wouldn't use vinegar without checking with a reliable source. I had a fish pond for years with no problem. Do you have any plants in the pond? Water hyacinths are supposed to help. In the house, I have algae eaters in the aquarium.
Does an Oase 6000 pump work OK on the bottom of a pond 27 inches deep?
I use Barley hay, you can buy it in bundles of all sorts of shapes and sizes. It is said that barley hay was used in the old days for keeping algae controlled in water cisterns and wells.
How can we balance our goldfish pond water with household products? We are thinking of products like baking soda, vinegar, muriatic acid, etc. We have a 6 foot x 27 foot pond. It is 1.5 feet deep at the shallow area with a 3 foot deep area. We have few water plants and full sun light. There is a homemade 30 gal. sand and gravel filter with a 3 foot to 4 foot long steam. From what we have read we have blooming algae (green water).
By Billy M. from T Town, AL
I moved into a new home and there is a 50 gallon pond in the front yard by front door! It has green algae along the walls. I bought a $50 filter and pump at Lowe's and it doesn't do the job. I have bought stuff to put in the water which also does not seem to help. I went to a pond nursery and ended up buying a PF 300 filter and am going to try to hook it up with the little pump I got at Lowe's. This filter cost me $150.
The pond is oval and has 2 shelves on either side with a deep center. I feel I am going round in circles to keep clean. Or do I have to! I have no fish as of yet, just one plant, (variegated Japanese iris). Do I need a filter of this magnitude or should I keep pouring in the chemicals (algae killers)?
By Bonnie P
My pond holds approx. 2000 lt. It has algae growing on the plants and fish in the pond. How can I safely get rid of the algae?
By Bruce
What is blanket weed and how do I get rid of it?
By Romy
