Algae Control | Tips on Controlling Algae in Ponds, Lanks & Streams
The Algae Control Challenge
One of the most disheartening things in the world for a pond owner and its users is to see the pond’s water overcome with blue green algae and various species of algae and species of moss. Surprisingly, most pond owners don’t understand the causes of the pond algae problem, therefore the remedy to the pond algae control problem eludes them. It is quite simple really and so is the treatment.
For starters, the algae forms in the shallow areas, so for algae control,increasing the depth of the water is an option. Dying the water is much cheaper and works pretty well in preventing the sunlight to reach the bottom of the shallow areas. Once the sunlight is filtered out, the algae and moss will begin to die. As this dead matter decomposes, the nitrate level in the water increases. Algae feeds off of nitrates, so it is a never ending circle. Another source of nitrates in the pond water is storm and rain run off from fertilized ground. The nitrate enriched water drains into the pond and increases the algae level.
Natural Algae Control
For algae control, if you can lower the nitrate level, the algae and moss will continue to die off. That is where the AQ-3 formula comes in. The application rule for algae control is one pound per acre foot. You simply multiply the acreage of the pond by the average depth of the pond to determine how much AQ-3 to apply. A one acre pond that has an average depth of 5 foot would require 5 pounds of AQ-3 to treat it. Dying of the water is often a necessity. To keep the nitrate level down and accelerate the treatment, it also helps to rake out as much of the decomposing vegetation as possible.
Another point to mention is that as the algae dies, it will come to the surface, it gives the temporary appearance of getting worse before it gets better. This is especially true when the water is dyed, the algae at the bottom will die and surface. Give it a few days, natural algae control will prevail.
