Blanket Weed

We have a fairly new pond of about 8 weeks, the pool stays very clear
as we have an ultra voilet light, and an air machine and pump. But we
seem to have picked up blanket weed we don't know if it came on a
plant we bought or if this is a common problem with ponds, any advise
on getting rid of it would be welcome

On 17 Sep 2004 00:27:15 -0700, (vespula)
wrote:
We have a fairly new pond of about 8 weeks, the pool stays very clear
as we have an ultra voilet light, and an air machine and pump. But we
seem to have picked up blanket weed we don't know if it came on a
plant we bought or if this is a common problem with ponds, any advise
on getting rid of it would be welcome

Pull, boy, pull. You may want to start a composter.
--
Crashj

(vespula) wrote in message . com...
We have a fairly new pond of about 8 weeks, the pool stays very clear
as we have an ultra voilet light, and an air machine and pump. But we
seem to have picked up blanket weed we don't know if it came on a
plant we bought or if this is a common problem with ponds, any advise
on getting rid of it would be welcome

Koi are good, if you do not have Koi etc, add more plants, like Lilies
etc.
More plants will mean less light for the blanket weed.

Prune plants as needed.
Remove all the blanket weed you now have, water change etc.
Then add more plants.

If you have about 50%+ of coverage, algae is seldom an issue. But you
still need to remove excess plant growth.

I've never used a UV for a number of ponds.
Never needed too.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Our koi view it as a treat. They slide half out of the water onto plants to
gobble it up. Get koi!

Jim

--
____________________________________________
See our pond at: home.bellsouth.net\p\pwp-jameshurley
Ask me about Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $120+ per child) at: jogathon.net

"vespula" wrote in message
om...
We have a fairly new pond of about 8 weeks, the pool stays very clear
as we have an ultra voilet light, and an air machine and pump. But we
seem to have picked up blanket weed we don't know if it came on a
plant we bought or if this is a common problem with ponds, any advise
on getting rid of it would be welcome

"Jim and Phyllis Hurley" wrote in message
. ..
Our koi view it as a treat. They slide half out of the water onto plants
to
gobble it up. Get koi!

Jim are you talking duck weed? because blanket weed is hair like strands
of algae, and thus far ive not found anything but chemicals to take it out..
(apart from the twisted stick routine)

pulled over 3 lb's out of my pond in last week (after sitting in lawn for 30
mins to drain off some of the water) its nasty stuff... even grass carp
don't touch it...

my fish love a treat of duckweed, but nothing seems to touch blanket weed
(not even a UV)

HTH

Lost

"Lostin1999" wrote:

nothing seems to touch blanket weed

I had good luck controlling severe blanket (string algae) weed that was
trapping and killing my fish (golden shiner minnows) like a spider web.
I used:

€ Trap-door snails into the pond to eat the string algae.
€ Bale of barley straw to kill the string algae
€ Bacteria to help eliminate the dead algae.

I also have a lot of marginal filter plants in the pond to take the
nutrients out of the water.

No filter, no UV, no pump, no Koi, no problem.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

"S. M. Henning" wrote in message
news
"Lostin1999" wrote:

nothing seems to touch blanket weed

I had good luck controlling severe blanket (string algae) weed that was
trapping and killing my fish (golden shiner minnows) like a spider web.
I used:

? Trap-door snails into the pond to eat the string algae.

can i get Trap door snails in the uk (legally?)

? Bale of barley straw to kill the string algae

ive been using barley straw, but its almost all rotted now (i was hoping
the cooler weather (its autumn(fall) now in uk) would mean no more needed
till next spring..) guess ill be off to the pond suppliers for some
pellets..

? Bacteria to help eliminate the dead algae.

would this be "added" bacteria or the ponds natural?? if added would
"filter booster" work?

I also have a lot of marginal filter plants in the pond to take the
nutrients out of the water.

next year im going to add some water hyacinth's, but as my pond is
ornamental one thing i didnt want was loads of plants (although im still
trying to design a veggie filter with a slow flow for my pond (but as its
got cooler ill probably not get it sorted till next spring!)

No filter, no UV, no pump, no Koi, no problem.

Congrats!!

Lost

Yes, I am talking about blanket weed (long strands like hair) rather than
duckweed (small leaves that multiply like mad). Our koi love duckweed too.

We get blanket weed in the veggie filters. In the main pond, it gets eaten.
It is amazing to see the koi go up on the pots for a bite.

Jim

--
____________________________________________
See our pond at: home.bellsouth.net\p\pwp-jameshurley
Ask me about Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $120+ per child) at: jogathon.net

"Lostin1999" wrote in message
...

"Jim and Phyllis Hurley" wrote in message
. ..
Our koi view it as a treat. They slide half out of the water onto
plants
to
gobble it up. Get koi!

Jim are you talking duck weed? because blanket weed is hair like strands
of algae, and thus far ive not found anything but chemicals to take it
out..
(apart from the twisted stick routine)

pulled over 3 lb's out of my pond in last week (after sitting in lawn for
30
mins to drain off some of the water) its nasty stuff... even grass carp
don't touch it...

my fish love a treat of duckweed, but nothing seems to touch blanket weed
(not even a UV)

HTH

Lost

vespula Wrote:
We have a fairly new pond of about 8 weeks, the pool stays very clear
as we have an ultra voilet light, and an air machine and pump. But we
seem to have picked up blanket weed we don't know if it came on a
plant we bought or if this is a common problem with ponds, any advise
on getting rid of it would be welcome

You'll never completely get rid of it, but the fewer nutrients in the
pond the better. Plenty of marginal and submerged plants helps. It's
easy to pull out with a stick and a twirling motion.

Is the pond in full sun, or does it get shaded as the sun moves across?


--
Chakoteya

"Lostin1999" wrote:

* Bacteria to help eliminate the dead algae.

would this be "added" bacteria or the ponds natural?? if added would
"filter booster" work?

It is a powdered sludge-eating product (concentrated bacteria culture).

I also have a lot of marginal filter plants in the pond to take the
nutrients out of the water.

next year im going to add some water hyacinth's, but as my pond is
ornamental one thing i didnt want was loads of plants (although im still
trying to design a veggie filter with a slow flow for my pond (but as its
got cooler ill probably not get it sorted till next spring!)

Marginal plants or a veggie filter are necessary to get the nutrients
out of the water. That is what the string algae is living on. If you
don't eliminate the nutrients the string algae will keep coming back.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman