Help Please!

On 27 Sep 2005 15:05:44 -0700, "captain039-recponds"
wrote:

What do I do with the algae I still have on the liner?

Leave it there. that's the good stuff that keeps suspend algae away.

Should I refill the pond, and leave it as is
for spring, or refill and use a treatment of some kind, then drain and
refill one last time?

Refill. Put shade cloth over the pond to keep leaves and sun out over
winter, you will find the string algae all gone by spring. ~ jan

This is the first year ever that I have not had a coating of algae in
any of my half barrels or preforms......I just cleaned out the wifes
triple tier half barrel setup yesterday, and it was
spotless.........same for the other liner type containers here and
there. I was just getting things ready for the cooler months so if it
got really cold (fat chance of it really) there would be no mulm etc
decaying on the bottom to give problems later on.

I have at least one Pleco in each container some have 2 or more, as
well as 1 or 2 large snails........and some flying foxes. And each
and every outside preform has a couple of DOJO loaches, which do
remarkably well at cleaning up bottom junk.......All the roots on my
marginals that have poked through pots were spotless.......In my
opinion if you have a small preform or any pond in which you remove
your fish from in the winter and bring them indoors its worthwhile to
have a good clean up crew in them. You can't expect a ot out of a
clean up crew to do a fine job on an already infested with algae etc
pond, but if the crew is put in there at the start or after cleaning
it, then they can usually keep up with it....Previous years I was
inundated with algae, but this year it eas just about non-existent.

In the large pond I have still been aerating and usuing Baraclear and
it too has maintained a very good clarity and no string or other algae
blooms that interferred with water conditions. I do have a heap of
lilys and tons of floating plants, mainly sensitive vine/fern which
does a super job at pulling excessive nutrients from the water. My
parrots feather (what little I have left) does not do well once it
gets hot out here, but during the winter months when the other stuff
goes dormant the PF takes off and continues on with the nutrient
removal process, so come spring, until the other plants get going
again they are not inundated........Plants and aeration are important
in reducing algae, and of course excess feeding also does it part in
promooting algae growths.........I can't do much in regards to
sunlight / shade but I think I have the right balances in both the
natural ponds and the preforms etc. I'll do the same next year and see
what my reuslts are then and hopefully I have the combination of whats
needed to keep it right.

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 18:50:44 -0700, ~ jan jjspond
wrote:

===On 27 Sep 2005 15:05:44 -0700, "captain039-recponds"
wrote:
===
===What do I do with the algae I still have on the liner?
===
===Leave it there. that's the good stuff that keeps suspend algae away.
===
===Should I refill the pond, and leave it as is
===for spring, or refill and use a treatment of some kind, then drain and
===refill one last time?
===
===Refill. Put shade cloth over the pond to keep leaves and sun out over
===winter, you will find the string algae all gone by spring. ~ jan


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o

new ponds go thru "succession" (scroll to the bottom to see a synopsis of sand dune
succession)
http://weloveteaching.com/spring2005...evolution.html

when the pond is first filled most water is going to be full of nutrients. It is
also going to be cold. as the sun warms it up algae bits float in or are brought in
on insect and bird feet. this part can be speeded up by seeding with a LOT of algae.
as the algae grows there are 3 main types (with good aeration), algae on the side of
the liner, algae free in the water and string algae. if there is no aeration there
is also bubble algae. ponders like the algae on the sides we call it sweater algae.
with no fish or nutrient run off eventually the free algae (pea soup) and string
algae die off for the most part (some hangs around) leaving the algae on the sides of
the pond. the pond is now "balanced". even if iced over the algae keeps growing.
somewhere during this first phase the filter of our choice is added. it takes about
a month for a filter to mature. I use a veggie filter
http://weloveteaching.com/mypond/mypond.htm
in the shade, shade loving plants will be needed. I hear some people use hostas.
Once the pond is clear, temp of the water is warmed up is the time to add fish. Fish
need to be added a few at a time, the smaller the pond the fewer the fish. it takes
a mature pond a mere couple weeks to adjust to the new load of fertilizers. The
reappearance of pea soup (free algae) usually means too many fish have been added.
pea soup is an indicator of excess nutrients in the water. Actually, I have seen pea
soup clear in a couple days when the water was moved in the shade. algae likes the
sun so it is important to use test kits if shade prevents algae blooms due to excess
nutrients.
In fall I remove my plants, the tender ones go into the house under lights. In
spring I start running the veggie filter empty and string algae quickly shows up and
grows removing nutrients. during the year when the plants are in the filter I never
see string algae. String algae is seen in clear creeks as the snow and ice melts.
freezing does not kill algae, algae continues to grow under clear ice.
A UV filter can be used to kill the pea soup algae. I dont start using it until I
see my veggie filter is really up and running. I would rather have the excess
nutrients used up by the algae than toxing out my fish. please dont use algaecides,
they are toxic to some degree and getting to the cause of the algae is better for the
pond. Ingrid

"captain039-recponds" wrote:
I should have asked if below zero weather will kill the algae we now
have, or if it would be wise to use an algaecide or something else?



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This has been a very informative and educational thread. Thank you all
very much for sharing your expertise.