Barley balls....

whowantsto wrote:

Don't waste your time, money, etc. on barley. Invest in a good UV
light and your green water will be gone.

I have to admit that I really do disagree with this "advice". My pond
is a bit over 800 gallons and with careful fish stocking, planting,
aeration and use of a small pad of barley straw every three or four
months (when I think about it and it's "around that time") I have not
had an algae bloom since the initial start up bloom (knocking on my head
as it's the only wooden object available).

I simply do not want to use a UV light. I don't like the idea of it.
It's not a power problem (I have power to my pond and available unused
outlets) nor a cost issue (in laws keep telling me I *must* have one and
that they are going to buy one for me and I keep saying no thanks), I
just don't like killing off stuff willy nilly. It just doesn't feel
right to me - e.g., beneficial things must be killed off in addition to
single cell algae. So, it's a personal thing as I suspect it is with
many others who use it or don't use it.

Susan
shsimko[@]duke[.]edu