Everything You Need to Know About Green Pond Water Problem

For most pond owners, this is such a sticky situation. It is an absolute annoying problem which makes your gorgeous pond looks so ugly, and your fishes too, they may experience some green spots on their body.

Green pond water is surely a number one problem for the water gardener, and getting through this thing as quickly as possible is a must. It is better for you to understand this pond problem first.

green pond water
credit: Hydrosphere Water Garden

The first thing you need to know that all of those green views in your pond water is caused by the algae. They include to primitive plants which grow through photosynthesis process like other green plants. In the spring, or when the temperature rises, the algae massively grow and scattered in your pond. Your pond can basically experience two problems caused by algae which are:

  • Single Cell AlgaeThis is our main focus here, and it happens because of the tiny single-celled organisms that even your most expensive filter cannot deal with them. They live suspended in the water and you can find up to five million algae cells per mm of the water.
  • Hair AlgaeThe name is derived from their appearance which looks like green long hair, and they are the caused of what is called blanket weed. These algae knot together and double their size in about a day.

Then what caused those algae grow in your lovely pond? They can grow whether in a newly built pond or the old one, and there are some factors which make them bloom staggeringly, such as:

  • Excessive NutrientsYour pond contains massive food sources for algae to grow like decomposed leave and fish, and when they are available in a great amount, the algae will grow overabundantly.
  • Excessive Sun ExposureAs told above that green water problem can occur when days are sunnier in spring. This circumstance allows the algae to grow much faster.
  • Low OxygenThis condition causes the plants and organism in your pond die, including the algae actually, but as the result, those dead organisms will become a good food source for algae.

 

Dealing with The Green Pond Water

Algae are actually not harmful organisms, instead, they are so beneficial in producing oxygen for our planet, acting as the natural food source for aquatic animals, or even used as a shelter for small fishes.

However, when they excessively grow in your pond, that is the time when algae become a problem and obviously need to get fixed. They don’t only visually disturbing, but can also harm or even kill your fishes.

There are three methods to deal with green pond water problem, the natural method, chemical treatment and using the UV clarifier, below are the explanation:

  1. Natural Method

    It is considered as the best method to handle the algae problem which can b done in two ways:

    • Shade the pond by planting some plants with huge leaves like Water Lilies, Elephant Ears, and Lotus. Those plants will control the sunlight which exposes directly to the pond which then reduces the growth of algae inside the pond. Aquatic plants also consume the nutrients in the pond which can make the food sources for algae are taken away.
    • Use barley straw or pouches can also inhibit the growth of algae with their natural enzymes. This method can take more than one month to show the result. It also a good way to fight blanket weed problem.
  2. Chemical Treatments

    There are some chemical products to handle the existing algae which attack your pond. Those products basically control the growth of the green or string algae, and you have to use it repeatedly for maximum control. This method is effective but doesn’t provide a long-term protection to your pond.

    They can be offered at an expensive price. Always follow the dosage instruction, or you will end up harming your fishes and plants.

  3. Ultraviolet (UV) Clarifiers

    This tool destroys the reproductive ability of the single-celled algae by exposing them to a very high level of UV lights. It is safe for the fishes and plantation in the pond, and quite cheap to run. The good quality UV clarifies is combined with a biological filtering system. They are available in various model and prices for different pond sizes. Check out this video below to see how they work:

Algae are actually the great natural feature to your pond. Treating them well by controlling their gowth can keep them useful for the fishes and plants without disturbing the appearance of your lovely pond.

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