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Blanket
Weed
Blanket
weed, often called string algae is frequently a problem in ponds. It is a
form of algae that attaches itself to solid objects within the pond, such
as the sides of the pond, plants and pumps (which can become clogged).
Once attached the blanket weed will form into green strands that
trail out into the pond, usually following the flow of the water and often
seen on waterfalls. It is an unpleasant sight in a pond and can become so
prolific that the fish can become entangled in it and die. The spores for
blanket weed are naturally found in tap water and it can also be
introduced when adding new plants that have not been cleaned. There are two commonly seen forms of blanket weed, a dark
green variety and a brighter green variety, which although similar in
behaviour does tend to break up more upon touch and is somewhat slimy. Combating
these dreaded weeds, can often be a bit of a trial and error scenario as
there are many different parameters which affect it such as the amount of
sun a pond receives each day, water chemistry, fish stocking rates,
filtration effectiveness etc. There
is a great range of products available from many different manufacturers
and they usually claim themselves to be the best. Unfortunately in reality
every pond is different so a product that works for one person will not
always be the magic solution for someone else. Always read and follow the
products instructions before usage and also remove as much weed as
possible before treatment as dead weed will rot and pollute the ponds
water. Below are some of the more effective methods for combating Blanket
Weed. Algaecides Often
very strong and usually effective against Blanket weed and suspended green
water algae but they will normally kill any submerged plants such as
Lilies, Oxygenating plants etc and if overdosed can even kill the fish and
amphibians. These can be good
if dosed correctly for plant free ponds such as Koi ponds. They come in
both liquid and granular forms. Plant
friendly Treatments These are
much safer and do not normally present a danger of overdosing, while still
being very effective, but can be expensive to use considering their
frequent dosage requirements. They usually alter the water chemistry so as
to produce an environment that is not conductive for blanket weed and do
not destroy other submerged plants but some can slow their growth rate. Electronic,
weed control units Yet again
many different brands available and often highly praised but they must
normally be installed on pipe work which is at maximum 1 ¼” (32mm) in
diameter. They work by wrapping two or more antenna wires around the out
side of a section of the ponds pipe work and produce a frequently altering
signal, which alters the water chemistry. These units are safe to use with
plants and fish but on some ponds they can be totally ineffective. Biological
treatments More
recently a range of biological treatments have come onto the market,
produced by several manufacturers. These claim to introduce bacteria,
which either feed on the blanket, weed or use up its food source by
reducing the levels of nitrate and phosphate. Treatment with these
products is claimed to last for the entire season or even longer, which is
much more cost effective than the other methods available. We are
currently testing what appears to be the best of these products on some of
our own ponds and initial results are looking very promising but, until we
have finished our tests, cannot recommend or advise on their full
effectiveness etc.
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Algae are a minute single celled plant that can grow rapidly when in contact with sunlight. Even if drawn straight from a domestic tap pond water will contain millions of these single celled plants and they are so small that you cannot see them with the naked eye. Once in contact with sunlight they can very quickly grow large enough to become visible. Although
algae are often the reason for green water they can also cause brown water
conditions, as there are many species of algae. Within a pond the natural
fertilisers, fish waste and decaying plant matter, serve as an excellent
food source for the algae. Algae can coat most parts of the pond, including the ponds
surface, and the ponds submerged plants with a fine green slime, but it is
the suspended particles that cause the colouration to the ponds water.
In heavily stocked ponds, with no plant life and no filtration
system, the water can become so green that even large fish just one inch
below the surface can be impossible to see. As the algae are suspended in the water the deeper a pond is
the more exaggerated the green water will appear to be. The fish within our ponds do not object to the coloured water
caused by algae as it provides them with a good source of cover from
predators, but if it becomes excessive it will then deprive them of
dissolved oxygen. On the other hand most of us create a pond so that we
can see and enjoy the beauty of the life within it. Below are some of the more effective methods for combating
Algae. Always read and follow the products instructions before usage Pond
plants Ponds with plenty of plants do not often suffer from serious Algal blooms as the plants are competing for the same food source as the algae. Lilly leaves in particular can help to shade the pond from sunlight. Adding Plenty of Oxygenating plants often helps to reduce algal blooms within a pond, but pond plants (especially oxygenators) also spread rapidly and can soon become just as big a nuisance as algae. Basic
Liquid Treatments These are usually mixed in a bucket
or watering can prior to being distributed evenly over the entire surface
of the pond. They generally work by slowly sinking and clumping the algae
cells together, which are drawn down to the bottom of the pond where the
algae will die, probably from lack of sunlight. If you have a filtration
system fitted most of the sunken algae will become trapped within the
filter, which must be cleaned soon after. If you do not have a filtration
system fitted this method leaves all of the dead algae to rot at the base
of the pond. Further algal blooms can soon occur.
Algaecides Often very strong and usually effective against Algae
and Blanket weed but they will normally kill any submerged plants such as
Lilies, Oxygenating plants etc and if overdosed can even kill the fish and
amphibians. These can be good
if dosed correctly for plant free ponds such as Koi ponds. They usually
come in a granular or liquid form. Barley
straw Supposedly this was discovered by
accident when a farmer dropped a bale of barley straw into a pond that had
been green for years, only to find that it then cleared soon afterwards.
Modern treatments often have other additives and can be purchased in three
ways, as a pouch containing barley straw, as a liquid containing the
effective substance from within the barley straw or as an impregnated foam
pad. These treatments are
effective and they usually require a month to start working and regular
monthly replacements but do not appear to adversely affect the pond. Ultra
Violet Clarifiers (UVC) Caution;
Never look directly at an illuminated UVC bulb as this can cause serious
damage to your eyesight, most Models have either a small viewing window or
specially treated transparent hose tails so that you can check that they
are illuminated. Always read the instructions fully prior to installation. These are the most effective and
permanent form of control but you must replace the light bulbs every
spring regardless of if they appear to give off light or not. The light
bulbs can be quite expensive but these units really do work well so long
as you have chosen the correct sized unit for your pond and they must be
used in conjunction with an adequately matched pump and filter.
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