Green Water, Cloudy Water - What should I Do?
Nature as an example
Many water gardeners ask, "Natural ponds aren't green. Why does mine look like pea soup?" The answer is fundamental to understanding why so many ponds have algae problems. In nature, you won't find a 500-gallon pond filled with 25 pounds of koi. Natural ecosystems cannot support such a high fish load. Compared to nature, our ponds contain several thousand times the number of fish per gallon of "living space"! Despite the notion that water gardens duplicate nature, man-made ponds are very unnatural in just about every biological and chemical aspect. This is not to say that natural processes are not contributing to the health of the pond. On the contrary, we must use and manage these processes to keep water gardens beautiful. Nowhere is this truer than in algae control.
When a pond is first established, the water is crystal clear. As fish and plants are introduced into the pond, almost instantly a serene and natural-looking environment is created. Over time, however, pond water can become murky. Suspended sediment or algae blooms can cause murky conditions. Both problems are discussed below, as well as methods to correct them. Algal blooms appear as green water, "pea-green soup," or filamentous mats that float to the water's surface. Algae grow when there is an excessive amount of nutrients in the water, usually in spring prior to plant growth.
Excessive phosphate and nitrate are two of the major components contributing to algae growth. *These nutrients can come from tap water, rain runoff, fish waste, and debris. Many blue-green algae species (Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Gleotrichia, and Nostoc) respond to excess phosphate in the water, and can lead to algae problems in the pond. Therefore, reduction of phosphate is essential to control algal blooms.
If algae does not obtain adequate sunlight, they cannot grow. PondCare® Algae Blocker will tint the water an attractive blue color, inhibiting algal growth by reducing available sunlight in the water. Algae Blocker also enhances the appearance of water lilies by providing an attractive blue tint to the water that some people enjoy.
Sometimes all efforts of "natural" methods don't seem to work, or you've run out of time and patience. In that case PondCare AlgaeFix can be your answer to the green water and string algae. The pond owners' number one problem has been green water from -single cell algae, blanket weed, and string and hair algae. Previously all algaecides were non-selective and killed or damaged all plants in the pond along with the algae. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc offers an effective, E.P.A. registered selective algae control product that solves green water pond problems. AlgaeFix cures green water problems and the unique formula means AlgaeFix can be used in ponds with plants. Plus, AlgaeFix is E.P.A. registered for use in the United States to control Sting Algae and Blanket Weed! (Oedogonium).
Pond water clarity can be diminished by sediment or suspended debris. The small particles associated with this type of problem are so fine that the pond filter cannot trap them. PondCare Accu-Clear simply clumps together or flocculates these tiny particles, allowing them to either settle to the bottom of the pond or be removed by the pond filter. Thus, you can help your pond filter work at maximum efficiency by using Accu-Clear.
NOTE: When trying to clear any cloud in your pond, make sure you provide plenty of aeration. *''Water Pollution Control Federation. Nutrient Control - Manual of Practice FD-7 Facilities Design. Washington, D.C. 1983.
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