Pond is looking good but!

I have my 1200 gallon pond up and running for two months now. Everything is
falling into place. The water cleared up very nicely, after I increased my
Bio-filter with some lava rock. (Some advice I got from another group) It
is now crystal clear and I can see the bottom and my three small Koi and six
goldfish with ease. Problem. Blanket weed, String Weed or at least I think
that it is. In the past week some of the plant stems and bigger rocks
develop a green halo around them. It is very fine and if a try to grab it
by hand I get almost nothing between my fingers. It is also around the roots
of my water lettuce witch dose not look so good ,the leaves are a little
yellow and I think something is eating on them. The dead Blanked weed or
algae floats to the top more and more every day. I skim of what I can. My
rocks in my waterfall are dark green and have these long green strings
flowing in the water. I really don't want to start using chemicals if I
can help it. What is that Koi Clay that I keep reading about? I've read
in a another group that it is just cheep kitty litter. I live in Missouri
and have well water. I don't exchange water in my pond, it get hot here and
I need to ad an inch or two every two days and on hot ones every day. Last
question! Snails? is it a good idea to put snails into the pond? Some
people say yes others say they just become a bother. Thanks for all your
help in the past I think I have finally found my hobby. It is just so
relaxing to sit on my porch in the morning and hear the water fall and look
at all the flowers blooming in and around the pond, it is truly Devine.

Hi Rick,

String algae is what we usually call it.

But you should be able to grab it. It will hold together. It stays in one place
and won't float up and down. Sounds like what you have in your waterfall.
Some folks have had good luck with plain kitty litter. There is a link in my
sig site that talks about it. Also String Algae Buster.
Koi will eventually eat any snails you put in. Some snails carry disease they
pick up from bird waste deposited in the pond.

The mushy stuff is probably dead algae and you need to skim it out.


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Hi Rick,

String algae is what we usually call it.

But you should be able to grab it. It will hold together. It stays in one place
and won't float up and down. Sounds like what you have in your waterfall.
Some folks have had good luck with plain kitty litter. There is a link in my
sig site that talks about it. Also String Algae Buster.
Koi will eventually eat any snails you put in. Some snails carry disease they
pick up from bird waste deposited in the pond.

The mushy stuff is probably dead algae and you need to skim it out.


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

Rick, You have the dreaded "string alage". The easiest way to pick it off the
rocks is with a toilet brush. I had my hubby attach a toilet brush to a
handle. Lay the brush flat on the "stuff" and twirl the brush and it will come
right up. There is a something called String Alage Buster but I have never
used it, and others on this board have also used kitty litter. Good luck!!
Jan
"Our Pond" Page
http://hometown.aol.com/pinkpggy/index.html

Rick, You have the dreaded "string alage". The easiest way to pick it off the
rocks is with a toilet brush. I had my hubby attach a toilet brush to a
handle. Lay the brush flat on the "stuff" and twirl the brush and it will come
right up. There is a something called String Alage Buster but I have never
used it, and others on this board have also used kitty litter. Good luck!!
Jan
"Our Pond" Page
http://hometown.aol.com/pinkpggy/index.html

Thanx! how much kitty litter should I use for a 1200 - 1400 gal. pond. Is
that stuff around the plant stems also string algae ?




"Pinkpggy" wrote in message
...
Rick, You have the dreaded "string alage". The easiest way to pick it off
the
rocks is with a toilet brush. I had my hubby attach a toilet brush to a
handle. Lay the brush flat on the "stuff" and twirl the brush and it will
come
right up. There is a something called String Alage Buster but I have
never
used it, and others on this board have also used kitty litter. Good
luck!!
Jan
"Our Pond" Page
http://hometown.aol.com/pinkpggy/index.html

Thanx! how much kitty litter should I use for a 1200 - 1400 gal. pond. Is
that stuff around the plant stems also string algae ?




"Pinkpggy" wrote in message
...
Rick, You have the dreaded "string alage". The easiest way to pick it off
the
rocks is with a toilet brush. I had my hubby attach a toilet brush to a
handle. Lay the brush flat on the "stuff" and twirl the brush and it will
come
right up. There is a something called String Alage Buster but I have
never
used it, and others on this board have also used kitty litter. Good
luck!!
Jan
"Our Pond" Page
http://hometown.aol.com/pinkpggy/index.html

Hi Rck, Welcome from another Missourian!

I would go ahead and buy the Koi Clay... online at
www.koiclay.com ... this stuff is wonderful - I would not be comfortable
in using kitty litter. That's just me, though. I would never be able to
tell the
difference in plain ole kittie litter and the other kind. Would end up with
a Big mess in
my pond.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Rick" wrote in message
link.net...
Thanx! how much kitty litter should I use for a 1200 - 1400 gal. pond.
Is
that stuff around the plant stems also string algae ?




"Pinkpggy" wrote in message
...
Rick, You have the dreaded "string alage". The easiest way to pick it
off
the
rocks is with a toilet brush. I had my hubby attach a toilet brush to a
handle. Lay the brush flat on the "stuff" and twirl the brush and it
will
come
right up. There is a something called String Alage Buster but I have
never
used it, and others on this board have also used kitty litter. Good
luck!!
Jan
"Our Pond" Page
http://hometown.aol.com/pinkpggy/index.html

Hi Rck, Welcome from another Missourian!

I would go ahead and buy the Koi Clay... online at
www.koiclay.com ... this stuff is wonderful - I would not be comfortable
in using kitty litter. That's just me, though. I would never be able to
tell the
difference in plain ole kittie litter and the other kind. Would end up with
a Big mess in
my pond.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Rick" wrote in message
link.net...
Thanx! how much kitty litter should I use for a 1200 - 1400 gal. pond.
Is
that stuff around the plant stems also string algae ?




"Pinkpggy" wrote in message
...
Rick, You have the dreaded "string alage". The easiest way to pick it
off
the
rocks is with a toilet brush. I had my hubby attach a toilet brush to a
handle. Lay the brush flat on the "stuff" and twirl the brush and it
will
come
right up. There is a something called String Alage Buster but I have
never
used it, and others on this board have also used kitty litter. Good
luck!!
Jan
"Our Pond" Page
http://hometown.aol.com/pinkpggy/index.html