Ponds and Water Gardens - Algea Control for Large Ponds

I see a lot of ads for Algea control products out there on the web etc!
I would like to hear from those that have actually tried some of these products to find out what if anything, really does work?
I know that most of these products are very expensive, are they worth the costs? A friend of mine uses something he buys locally here from a supply house, I dont remember what its called, it does get rid of the Algea, but it makes the water an unusual blue/ aqua color. Does it hurt the fish? I dont know about that, as he has a lot of nice Catfish in his pond.
RH

Probably copper sulphate. It has been used for many years as an algae control. It should be least expensive in the generic form rather than paying for some brand name claiming to cure everything from alga to zits.

Algae control is relativley inexpensive compared to most other aquatic chemicals so be glad you do not have a watermeal or duckweed problem. What type/size pond do you have? What fish do you have?

Make sure what fish you have in your pond. Many fish are sensitive to (poisoned by) copper compounds which are in most popular algae controls.

Basically you have three options.

#1 Reduce the nutrients in the water that feed the algae. This is the best long term solution but the hardest to accomplish and can take a long time.

#2 You can use a algae control chemical like Captain, Cutrine Plus, Clearigate, K-Tea.......... all of which use chelated copper. These chemicals are harmful to some fishes but will remain in the water for a period of time to help control algae for a while.

#3 You can use an oxidizing chemical like Green Clean which is safe for most fish but it does not linger in the water to provide lasting protection so if the original problem is not corrected the algae will be back. Think of it as hydrogen peroxide or OxyClean for your pond.

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Copper sulfate has lost popularity in the past 20+ years as safer and more effective copper solutions have come to market. Also, many people will dye their ponds so a blue/green color does not equal copper sulfate like it used to.

Pilot Dane,
THis pond is only about 3 weeks old, just a "baby"
No fish yet, still deciding on what kind to get? Most likely the Bass/Catfish/ Bluegill combo.
It is about 80'x 150'
We have almost all clay, the kind that sticks to your boots like glue!
The pond builder said it was the best clay for ponds , and said the water will clear up in maybe 6 months or so. Right now it is a very nice green color., and it is not quite full yet, we are having a lot of fun swimming in it. I am filling it up with just a water hose, slow but sure. It has maybe 2 feet to go.
I have been trying to keep up with the surface algea by scooping it out with a net, However, I think that our waterfalls will help with the Algea by circulating the water thru 2 small ponds filled with lava rocks, with waterfalls between them covered with larger rocks. kinda like a "bio-filter." This submersible pump I got pumps around 6,000 Gallons an hour so hopefully all the water will eventually go thru this "filter". I would prefer not to have to use chemicals to control the Algea and or weeds. so far no Duck weed, I have heard that birds can spread a lot of "bad" weeds?
Thanks for your reply,
RH

I would go ahead and stock the pond with fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). They eat plants and algae, will start the ammonia cycle in your pond and bio filter and will be a great food source for the bass when you put them in.

No one mentioned using Barley Straw to absorb nutrients from the water. Its sold in pond supply shops. Has anyone tried it?

When I was involved in fishkeeping in the marine hobby, the most popular method of algae control was to add another tank nearby with lighting and purposely grow the selected algae. Water from the display tank would be diverted to the algae tank and then back to the display tank. The idea here is that as the amount of algae increases, so will the demand for nutrients. So as long as the demand exceeds the supply thats in the display tank, then after a couple of weeks, the nutrients in the display tank will start to drop and then there will be less algae growth in the display tank.
The algae will need at some point to be trimmed back. Its like a balancing act. You need just enough nutrients in the water to satisfy the algae tank without starving them or the algae cycle will start anew if the algae die.

Now to implement this idea to a pond requires room to build another pond nearby about 10 to 15% the size of the display pond and grow algae and let it get out of control until the nutrients in the water drop from its present levels and then it can be trimmed. This area can be fenced off so as not to divert attention to it.

The only problem I see with this idea is that maybe theres not enough room to install one. So we go to plan B.
The questioner should add plants of every kind to his pond to soak up nutrients and not feed his fish too much as uneaten food breaks down and releases nutrients as does the feces of the fish. One of these breakdown products is nitrate which is the end result of the nitrogen cycle in the biological filter. Phosphate is the other nutrient that comes directly from food rotting on the bottom and waste products. These two nutrients are the ones responsible for algae getting out of control. As mentioned before, its a balancing act. One must leave (in this case) sufficient nutrients in the water just to satisfy the algae and plants without both getting out of control in their display pond. So again, as long as the demand for nutrients exceeds the supply, algae can be controlled.