Green Water In Ponds

Green water or planktonic algae can be a real challenge for pond owners.

What's interesting is a pond can be fitted with some of the best filters and in desperation a pond owner could change the water time after time, hoping it would clear things up, but quite often the green water algae will be back within a few days.

Specifically, green pond water is created by very small, single cell algae, that only show's up to the naked eye when they get dense and populated enough.

Initially they may simply tint the water, but many times they will get so dense as to create a pea soup look in a pond.

In some cases, even with a good biofilter in place, the algae can be so small that it can pass right through the device or at least some of the algae can.

Generally green water usually isn't a problem for fish, or at least it's not as problematic as it is for the pond owner who's hoping to have clear water.

There are several things you can do to help with green water issues and we'll discuss some of those below.

Treatments For Green Water Algae

As we would with nearly any algae issue, we prefer to suggest using a beneficial bacteria product in the pond, not so much to treat the algae directly but to clean the pond up from organic elements that might build up and release or create more nutrients for algae to feed on.

Along with bacteria, it's always a good idea to address the sun exposure on the pond. Providing some shade, in and of itself, may very well clear the water on it's own. In a small pond, this might be achieved by adding plants to float on the surface, or actually creating some physical obstruction to the sun. In larger ponds, pond dye may provide some relief from constant sun exposure.

UV light can also be used on green water algae, and in fact that's about the only algae that it will work on. Algae passes in front of the light where it becomes damanged or killed and then can filtered out more effectively with a pond's biofilter system.

For some pond owners, barley straw products have provided a way to keep a pond clear and free from planktonic algae. Barley will generally work best as a retardant and not a treatment.

And finally, if necessary, products such as Algaefix, which treat the algae directly can be used to attempt to clear the water. It should be remembered that Algaefix, like any algaecide, should be applied with adequate aeration, and care.

Dealing with green water algae can be a frustrating experience but if the pond owner is willing and able to try several things, sometimes together, they can often make good headway on the problem.