ALGAE CONTROL
Algae, while some people view algae as natural and normal aqua vegetation, hobbyist hate it!
Algae hinders our ability to see our beautiful fish and expensive decorative water plants, but do not be afraid there is a resolution for algae control.
Lets start by first understanding the two general classifications of algae types. We know that there are thousands of different species and types of algae, and we know that they are classified under different sub categories, but for the sake of simplicity we will generalize them into two highly commonly understood types.
The first type that we will attempt to describe will be algae that are visible to the human eye as a actual plant material growing on the walls in the pond and commonly seen in running trails of water or on the return edge of a waterfall, this general type of algae we will be referring to as string algae. Generally seen all over the place but does not necessarily cause the green cloudy affect in the water.
The second type of algae is related more towards phytoplankton which we cannot individually see with our eyes but in large amounts surely it clouds up the pond water often making it look very green and cloudy. We will refer to this cloudy water algae as bloom algae. Bloom algae is typically what the general hobbyist has the biggest problem with, in terms of visibility of fish and other decorative plants.
The steps to finding a solution to algae outbreak problems in your pond. The first step should be to determine what type of algae is the most problematic. Hobbyist pond environments differ drastically from one pond to another. Once you have figured out which of your algae problems resides under one of the two main types explained above you can start determining which methods you decide is fit for solving your algae problem.
The first common method of algae control, the natural way. Natural ways consist of natural organic substances that are put into the water to control the outbreak of plant growth. For instance Barley. Barley is a straw plant that will naturally excrete algae controlling ingredients into the water, without hurting fish, while it decomposes in your system. This natural method however effective takes a longer period of time before you start to notice a change in your water clarity.
The second method we will be explaining is the chemical method. Chemical additives are usually very complex and involve many different ingredients to formulate a solution in which reduces the growth and problematic green clouding of water in your pond. Although considered by many to be the problem solver, chemical methods are not considered natural because of its ingredients. All chemical based water treatment products for algae sold by us are considered to be fish safe.
