After setting up a pond you might find various difficulties in future and among them the most irritating and inevitable problem is the unstoppable growth of algae. There are many ways to decrease the amount of algae existing in the pond.
Let’s clear out what algaecide is first. It is a kind of chemical property which prevents algae’s natural habitat and growth.
To be honest it won’t be very wise to use pool algaecide as it’s not prepared to be used in pond water. This chemical can mess up the oxygen supply and create other issues as well which might be harmful for the aquatic lives and fishes in your pond.
Now the question is can you use pool algaecide in your pond? Stay tuned to know in details.
Should you Apply pool algaecide in your pond?
Algaecides are generally made based on copper. When we use algaecide, a chemical reaction takes place and tries to break the cell of algae.
Such chemicals are used in algaecide which oxidizes the water. For better understanding let’s just say algaecide uses oxygen in the water while destroying the algae. Now, you might be asking “where’s the harm in it?”
As the oxygen supply in your pond water decreases, it becomes difficult for the fishes to survive in less oxygen. And that is why it is not recommended to use pool algaecide in your pond. We know pool water contains chlorine and pool algaecide is produced with such chemicals which interacts better with chlorine.
You won’t even get any good results from using pool algaecides too much, rather the copper-base in this product will stain your pool if not used moderately. It can pretty much stain any concrete surface and you don’t want an extra headache while the algae issue alone is giving you enough but it just doesn’t end here.
You will notice foaming in your pond water if you use pond algaecide. Foaming is not good for the living things in water and also makes the overall looks of your pond less attractive. Also, it’s not very easy to clear. So, after all the legit reasoning, it’s safe to say you are better off not using pond algaecide to fight against the algae in your pond.
Not just me, even the producers who manufacture pool algaecides are also against using it in your pond. So, let’s go over what other options are out there for you which can help you get away with the algae problem.
Alternative options available to terminate algae
You shouldn’t lose hope if algaecides aren’t as useful as you wanted them to be. There are various effective and less harmful options available starting with pond dye. It is a process of blocking the sunlight by applying dye in a pond which helps with killing the algae since without sunlight they can’t survive.
Moreover, pond dye prevents algae from getting the energy that they need, and keep in mind that the black dye is the best option you can go for. If black is not your color then you can go for blue as well but the darker the color the better this process works.
Then comes the second option which is to add a top-quality pond filter. A well branded powerful filter will catch much more algae than a normal filter would do. So, most of the algae will be filtered if you add a first-class filter.
Now what to do with small algae which even your top notch filter failed to filter. For that purpose, an upgraded filtration system is available . It’s a new filtration system where UV light is added to the filter so that the smallest particles in the water can be filtered. Using this filter, tiny algaes can be detected and filtered along with small particles of dirt.
There are various types of algae and we will learn about them in the next segment. So, in the case of algae that are born in green and murky water, you need to install filters with UV light. They will filter even the smallest particles which might harm or pollute the overall condition of your pond.
And last but not the least, you can use pond algaecide instead. It is a great replacement for pool algaecide since it’s not harmful to the fish and aquatic lives. It’s made with such chemicals which are suitable for a pond. But don’t forget that no matter what , chemicals are never to be used in a large amount. So even though you are using pond algaecide, use as little as you can at a time.
Though a small amount of chemicals is used yet it’s adequate for the pond and produced especially considering fish health. But excessive use of it might harm the fishes in your pond, so be careful about not going over the limitations.
How To Add Pond Algaecide Safely To Your Pond Water
Since there are some algaecides available that are fine to use in ponds as long as you are using them in moderate amounts, let’s get you started with how you can safely add the algaecide to your water.
Divide the pond into various sections
By dividing your pond into a few sections, you can apply algaecide. This will make sure that you are not using too much algaecide at a time and also the overall oxygen supply will remain survivable for the fish.
After dividing the pond into sections, complete one section at a time. After completing one section, give a break for five to seven days. Then add algaecide to the other section. Following this procedure, complete the whole pond. The time interval between each section gives your pond the chance to regain oxygen supply in water.
Air pump or Aerator to maintain the oxygen level
As algaecide drops the oxygen level in the water, you can use an air pump or pond aerator. Because it will keep on increasing the oxygen supply in the water while algaecide is decreasing. As a result, there will be an equilibrium of oxygen level in which the fishes in your pond can survive.
Don’t forget to clean the filter more often
The dead algae are often stored in the filtration system. So when you have applied algaecide, and you see all existing algae are dead, it’s time to clean up the filter. Because mostly the dead algae end up at the bottom of your pond or in the filter. So, after using algaecide, cleaning the filter thoroughly is a must.
Adding activated carbon
When you are done adding algaecide to your pond, you can apply an advanced layer of chemical filtration in your system using an easily found material called charcoal or activated carbon.
Using activated carbon you can reduce the amount of harmful chemical substances present in your pond. Charcoal helps with removing various organic wastes and color and ammonia as well from your pond.
To be super sure that there is no harmful chemical left in your water, you should apply activated carbon first. And after that, you can release all the fish. Activated carbon also helps your pond with fast recovery from dangerous chemicals.
Additional Details about algae and algaecide
The three major kinds of algae you can determine by the color. Black, green and sometimes yellow. Apart from these another kind is algae consisting of one cell, these are the kind which make your water turn greenish and also known as “pea soup” color.
When the pond is open to a large amount of sunlight, algae increases in number. Because all the nutrients needed for algae are available in sunlight. No matter the circumstances, as long as algae gets sunlight, they keep on growing. And this is where algaecide comes in since sunlight is inevitable and you can’t stop it from reaching algae.
Algaecide is high with chemicals which immediately start reactions which destroy the cells of algae. But in the process it uses oxygen present in water and hence the oxygen supply in water decreases. And without proper oxygen supply in water, no fish can survive.
Soon after you have used algaecide you need to clean up the dead algae from the bottom of your pond. Because when they die they fall and gather at the bottom of your pond. If not extracted from the pond immediately, they will decay and there’s more to it. They will release carbon dioxide in your pond and often the carbon dioxide helps new algae to grow. To prevent that, you should remove the dead algaes as soon as possible.
And one other thing which you should be careful about is not to go over the limit while using algaecide. Cause as you already know, algaecide decreases the oxygen supply in water. So, if you go beyond the limit, you will end up harming the fishes in your pond.
Conclusion
Though there is a lot of confusion regarding whether you should or not use algaecide in your pond, you don’t need to be confused. Just remember to pick the algaecide which are produced to be used in the pond and while applying remember to use moderate amounts and small portions at a time. By doing these you can keep your pond clean from algae and your fishes won’t be disrupted.
