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Algae - It is a Balancing Act

Algae are a normal part of any organic pond ecosystem. The main goal in keeping clear water is not to attempt to completely rid your pond of algae, but to keep it in balance with nature.

Nothing is more frustrating than battling algae. Green water and long, ugly string algae is a big headache. There are many factors that contribute to excessive algae growth, and fighting it can sometimes seem like a losing battle. Thankfully, prevention and control of algae is much easier than you may think.

Two Types of Algae
There are two main types of algae that attack ponds. The first type is suspended algae that create green water. The second type is filamentous algae which are also known as string algae. It forms in hair-like chains, and attaches itself to rocks, plants, or any available surface it can find in the pond. Although both forms of algae can be a real nuisance, they are two distinctly different types of algae and it helps to understand the causes for each.

Suspended Algae
Suspended algae growth typically occurs in the spring when the pond is first waking up from its winter slumber and the water temperatures are still low. As the temperatures begin to rise, plants and fish in the pond are not active yet. The algae are the only organism actively contributing to the pond's ecosystem. And, since the algae have no competition for a food source, everything is perfectly set for a bloom of suspended algae.

Typically, this condition clears up in a week or two, as soon as the temperatures rise enough for the beneficial bacteria to colonize in the rocks and the biological filter. The rising temperatures will not only help start the production of bacteria in the filter, but will also break plant dormancy. As the plants begin actively growing, they help consume some of the excess nutrients and compete with the algae thereby reducing its growth.

String Algae
String algae are a major pest, all season long. Many different elements in the pond can encourage the growth of string algae. Sunlight, a heavy fish load, and failure to have enough plants in the pond can all contribute to blooms of string algae in your pond. String algae consume excess nutrients in the pond, such as phosphates and nitrates. Having a sufficient number of plants in the pond will help remove nutrients from the water. By having plenty of plants in the pond, you can, in effect, starve out string algae.

The Easy and Natural Way to Control Algae
The prevention of algae is made much simpler by reducing the amount of nutrients available for the algae to feed on. This is accomplished by having a balanced pond and a proper filtration system. A well-balanced pond makes it much easier to avoid having algae problems. There are five factors that are necessary to achieve a balanced ecosystem. Removing any one of these items will make it much more difficult to keep a pond with clean, clear water.

These five elements are absolutely vital to have in your pond in order to reduce the amount of nutrients, and in turn, keep your pond algae free:

Plants: Plants have a variety of benefits in and around the pond. In addition to beautifying the pond and its surrounding area, plants help control algae. They do this by consuming the nutrients out of the water that algae would normally consume. Also, there are many oxygenating plants that add oxygen to the pond, helping maintain a healthy ecosystem. Some plants, such as water lilies, will shade the pond, thus reducing the amount of sunlight available for algae growth.

Fish: Large fish, especially koi, will eat a tremendous amount of algae. Fish constantly forage for food among the rocks and gravel in the pond, picking them clean of any algae they might come across. Koi that are over nine inches in length are a definite asset to have in the pond, as they love to eat string algae.

Rocks and Gravel: When rocks and gravel are added to a pond, bacteria will actually colonize in the gaps and crevices between the rocks. The rocks and gravel provide huge amounts of surface area for the bacteria to colonize and multiply. Once the bacteria colonize the rocks, it?s just like having an additional biological filter in your pond.

Mechanical Filtration: A pond skimmer acts as a mechanical filter by removing leaves and other debris from the surface of the pond before they can sink to the bottom. This way the debris does not have a chance to decompose in the pond and thus provide nutrients for another algae bloom.

Biological Filtration: Having the proper size of biological filter is essential if you want clean, clear water. Without a biological filter, you are facing a losing battle against green water. Aquascape?s BioFalls? Filter provides a huge area for bacteria and enzymes to colonize. These bacteria and enzymes consume nutrients and help break down organic debris and fish wastes that would otherwise contribute to water quality problems.

Nutrients From Outside the Pond
Another important factor to guard against is the use of any chemicals or nutrients entering the pond from outside sources. There are several ways that nutrients find their way into the pond. The two most common come from storm water runoff and lawn fertilizer. Storm water runoff that?s allowed to enter the pond will quickly add loads of new nutrients to the ecosystem. Lawn fertilizers accidentally sprayed into the pond can quickly turn the clearest pond green. Avoid having adjacent lawns chemically sprayed or treated. More often than not this creates problems in the pond.

Bacteria
Beneficial bacteria will often help control algae. Bacteria feed on the same nutrients that algae does, and adding nitrifying bacteria will help win the war against green water. Nitrifying bacteria converts harmful fish wastes into nitrite, and eventually into nitrates, which plants use as nutrition/fertilizer. The bacteria colonize on the filter mats and lava rock in the biological filter, as well as on the rocks and gravel in the pond. This, all by itself, will help the water stay clear.

Thankfully, taking the proper measures can drastically reduce the occurrence of algae. It is important, however, to remember that algae are a part of nature, and an important part of the pond ecosystem. A pond is an ecosystem that supports fish, plants, frogs, tadpoles, birds, dragonflies, and other wildlife. The main goal in keeping clean water is not to attempt to completely rid your pond of algae, but to keep it in balance with nature!