How To Get Rid Of Pond Algae?

While ensuring the perfect condition of your Koi pond, it is essential to make sure that your pet habitat does not present any potentials for the development of algae and other forms of fungus on the surface of the water.

Algae tend to develop in ponds which have a lot of available sunlight for photosynthesis, along with food particles which offer a uniquely suitable combination for fungal development. When algae develops on a large scale in a fish habitat, it covers the entire surface of the pond, thus blocking out the required amount of sunlight along with the trapping of the gases, which are usually exchanged from the surface of the water. This tends to ruin the overall pond environment for Koi fish, and affect their growth and development patterns.

The trick is to ensure regular pond cleaning to prevent the development of algae in the pond. But if fungal development has already developed, then a pet owner needs to observe certain vital points to get rid of the messy greenish fungal mess from the fish pond.

The first step involves the removal of the Koi and the potted pond plants from the algae surroundings and installing them in temporary living units, while you clean up the pond. The water of the pond needs to be drained to expose the bottom and the sides of the fish habitat.

The areas covered by algae need to be coated with iodized salt and left for at least three days until it dries. The dried up algae needs to be scrubbed from the bottom and the sides of the pond, the rock decorations and filtration system etc. The pond should be rinsed well to remove the algae.

If it is not possible to drain the entire pond, then the debris at the bottom and surface need to be removed through sifting or the use of a net or a pond vacuum. As debris is the nutritional source of algae, remove it to prevent any further development of fungus in the pond.

After a thorough cleaning of the pond from algae, it is imperative to prevent future hassle by adopting methods which avert the development of the fungus. Adding barley straw to the pond is a method to check algal bloom, while installing air diffusers serves to ensure water movement and oxygen supply throughout the pond, thus limiting chances of fungal development.

Ensure regular pond skim cleaning and only feed the fish the required amount of nutrients, so that the excess does not become a source for algae. Adding pond plants both in and around the pond surface, helps to keep the algae development in check, as these plants compete for the available nutrients, thus ruining the chances of the fungus to thrive in the water.

Keeping a check on algae in the pond is of critical importance to Koi health.