Algae blooms – not a bad thing?
On the note of spring openings – don’t be concerned if you experience new algae growth before or after your pond is cleaned. Algae are a completely normal part of any organic pond ecosystem – There are two most common forms of algae: suspended algae (the stuff that makes your pond look like pea soup!) and string algae often found attached to surfaces in the water, such as rocks and plants.
Algae are the first things to start growing in your pond after the temperatures have started to warm, so naturally they will have a head start to other plants in your pond as there is no competition for food sources, and may persist for 2-3 weeks.
If you have an automatic dosing system with beneficial bacteria, the bacteria introduced to the pond will compete with the algae’s food source, causing the algae to die off. Proper pond filtration will also keep your pond healthy, including A.) a mechanical filter or a skimmer, B.) biological filter such as a Bio-falls, or Constructed Wetland Filter and C.) plants!
Sunlight is a major contributing factor in algae growth: If algae does persist, ways to control it are: installing an ion-gen, a copper probe system that adds copper to the water molecule that will then attach it to the algae, not allowing it to feed and kill it off. Increasing your beneficial bacteria count in the pond, simply add more beneficial bacteria or turn up your automatic dosing system. Or adding plants to the pond like water lilies to prevent too much sunlight on your pond. Marginal pond plants can also reduce algae growth by competing with algae for nutrients. Popular choices include: bloody dock, pennywort, aquatic mint, corkscrew rush, pickerel, water iris, canna lily, and more.
Some pond owners like to remove the algae by hand, but this can actually cause the string algae to release spores into the water as they are moved, thus causing more unintentional growth.
Some more tips include not overfeeding your fish, removing any uneaten food, and avoiding overstocking your pond with fish. Only feed your fish with an amount of food they can consume in five minutes or less. In regards to managing fish waste production and avoiding overstocking fish: a good rule of thumb to follow is having at least 10 gallons of water for every inch of fish in the pond.
On the topic of fish: Fish are also sensitive to water temperature, and as pond water warms up, you will see more activity, and be tempted to feed your fish. You’ve missed your fish all winter, but until the water temperature is consistently at 10° C, don’t feed them. Their metabolism is still in slow motion and they are unable to digest the food properly. If you do feed them and food cannot be digested, this can result in food starting to decay in the body of the fish, causing fish to become sick. When you do start feeding your fish, begin with small amounts of a quality fish food formulated for colder water temperature, such as Aquascape Premium Cold Water Fish Food Pellets for all pond fish. You can use this food when the water temperatures is between 10 and 15° C, after that, switch to your regular fish food.
Patience is key – if you’ve stocked your pond with a sufficient number of plants, kept the health of your fish in check, and you’ve started supplementing with beneficial bacteria, your pond will quickly balance and it won’t be necessary to manually remove any algae.
Who doesn’t love a low-maintenance water feature?!