Getting Rid of Algae and Clearing Water

 

 

I get asked at least 5 times a day in the summer the dreaded “Why is my water Green?” or “How do I get rid of Algae?” questions. If you ask 10 different Pond Experts you will get at least 15 different answers. After years of Ponding, I have found the following to be the Keys to a clear, algae-free pond.    

What is Algae                             

There’s typically 3 different types of algae that many of us may be plagued with.  The first kind is ”green water’ algae.  It is simply a microscopic plant that makes your water look green.  The next kind is string algae and it typically grows on rocks, in between water lilies and other aquatic plants and looks like long green hair.  It grows on these places because the water is warmer than elsewhere in the pond (especially shallow areas around the shore or on a waterfall) and there may not be as much water movement . Many of us get frustrated and just pull out the string algae by handfuls but what you’re actually doing is making the problem worse.  String algae releases millions of tiny spores throughout the pond when it’s pulled out thereby creating more string algae plants to grow.  So, it becomes an on-going situation.  It’s best to cut the string algae with a pair of scissors if you are going to manually remove it.  In addition to ‘green water’ algae (planktonic algae) and string algae, there’s also filamentous algae which looks quite disgusting.  It looks like green throw up or something and floats on top of your pond.                             

1.  Filtration                             

The rule-of-thumb is to ensure that the water is turned at least once per hour through your filters. For a 1,000 gallon pond, you need a pump that pumps the water at least 1,000 gph at the head height that you are pumping it to. It might take a 1500 gph pump to pump 1000 gph water 4 feet vertically and 20 feet horizontally. This is the 1st step toward water clarity. Clear water can be achieved with a variety of filters including Skimmers and BioFalls, Pressure Filters, Gravity-fed filters, Submersible Filters, etc. For purposes of this discussion we will assume that our filtration system is adequate                            

2.  Aeration                             

Aeration, Aeration, Aeration! You cannot over-aerate. This is the single thing that most of us fail to provide adequately for our ponds especially in the hot summer. The rate of metabolism doubles for every 18 degree change. In other words, a temperature increase from 70 degrees to 88 degrees, doubles the requirements of fish, bio-filtration bacteria, algae, etc.  for nutrients, oxygen and everything else.                           

The aquatic submerged plants like algae in your pond are both beneficial and detrimental to oxygen levels. During the day aquatic plants such as algae in your pond produce oxygen. However at night, they consume oxygen and compete with the fish and filter bacteria for the limited supply of oxygen in the water. This is why fish die-offs occur in the early morning hours. The lack of adequate aeration is one of the biggest factors in a cloudy algae-filled pond. Most of us have too many fish and too little aeration!                             

Large ponds and golf course lakes avoid algae problems without filtration simply by using either  large submerged aerators                     

Aquascape AirPro Diffuser

or large Fountains spraying water high in the air to aerate the pond.                           

Scott Aerator Clover Big Shot

           

For our backyard ponds under 1500 gallons, Aquascape’s 4-stone Aerator is a great choice.          

                 

           

           

           

For larger ponds, the PondMaster Aerator  series are a great choice                       

                  

            

            

            

            

            

3.  Plants            

The use of plants cannot be over-emphasized. The plants provide shade for the pond which limits the algae and also compete with the algae for nutrients                             

A good rule of thumb is to cover 30% of your surface with plants and also another 40% plants with ledges above your pond, but still where it’s in the water. It’s best to plant directly in the gravel except for Reeds, which should be kept in containers .                             

4.  Shade    

The more shade the better as the direct sun really causes the algae to thrive.                            

5.  Beneficial Bacteria    

In order to jump-start and help maintain the whole eco-system, it’s very important to use a beneficial bacteria like Beneficial Bacteria - Dry by Aquascape .   The Beneficial Bacteria competes with the algae for the nutrients and is what helps keep the water clear with a “polished” look. For new ponds or after winter, treat daily for the first 10 days with 1 scoop (teaspoon) per every 1,000 gallons. After the pond has matured use a maintenance dose of 1 scoop per 1000 gallons weekly. This can be applied by simply dropping the bacteria directly in front of the skimmer or filter which will suck the Beneficial Bacteria through all the biological filters.                         

                    

         

         

         

         

        

OK – You have done all of the above and still have green water or String Algae. From here, you have two alternatives, Use Algae Treatments in your pond and/or use a traditional UV Light or the revolutionary new IonGen from Aquascape. Below are your final options:       

6.  Algae Water Treatments                             

My two favorites are AlgaeFix by PondCare (Liquid) and EcoBlast (Granules).      

The Beneficial Bacteria mentioned above can and should be used in conjunction with these products.                             

The Algae bloom begins before the rest of the eco-system has started in the spring. For that reason, it’s VERY important to use either of these products EVERY 3 Days for 2 – 3 weeks in order to “nip the algae in the bud”. If you just use these products sporadically, you are wasting your money.                             

 AlgaeFix by PondCare (Liquid): Use 8 oz for every 2,400 gallons. Mix in a bucket of POND WATER and spread around the inside edges of the pond. Repeat every three days for 2 – 3 weeks and then once a week for the rest of the summer. The waterfalls and streams are the easiest. Just turn off your pumps for an hour or two, and broadcast-spread the granules on the stream and waterfall where the string algae is. Allow to dry.                            

EcoBlast (Granules): Use 4.4 oz for every 1,000 gallons. Mix in a bucket of POND WATER and spread around the inside edges of the pond. Repeat every three days for 2 – 3 weeks and then once a week for the rest of the summer. The waterfalls and streams are the easiest. Just turn off your pumps for an hour or two, and broadcast-spread the granules on the stream and waterfall where the string algae is. Allow to dry.                            

Make sure you remove as much of the dead algae as possible or use SAB Stream and Pond Clean by Aquascape to break down the dead algae and convert it into beneficial bacteria or the dead algae will be a breeding ground for more algae.                            

7.  UV Lights                            

These are very controversial in the pond world. Many Koi people are big fans of UV lights to control green water algae and swear by them. Many UV opponents argue that UV kills all the bad stuff including green water algae but also kills beneficial bacteria as well.  Most everyone agrees that UV lights have little or no effect on string algae as the string algae never passes through the UV lights. Personally I am not a fan of UV lights either as they are expensive to operate requiring 20, 40, 60 or even 80 watts of power to operate, the bulbs need to be replaced every 9 months to a year and I prefer the more natural eco-system well-balanced pond concept.                            

8.  IonGen - Revolutionary New Product from Aquascape to get rid of Algae                            

Aquascape introduced the new IonGen Electronic Clarifier  on September 1st of last year. I was so excited that I had mine installed in my 6,000 gallon pond by Sep 6th. It took me about 15 minutes to install it. I love it!                            

The IonGen drastically reduces pond maintenance and provides crystal clear water without the use of chemicals and completely eliminates the need for Algaecides. A microprocessor inside the IonGen control panel causes the outermost atoms of copper, silver, and zinc to lose an electron, creating a positive ion. The positive ion attempts to flow from one of the Probe’s bars to the other and is swept away by the flow of water where the ion can begin to treat the water. The IonGen Probe is self cleaning, using reverse polarity to prevent scale and debris build-up on the Probe’s bars. One IonGen unit is sufficient for up to a 25,000 gallon pond.                            

Aquascape has been testing it for three years and gave it to a number of their employees to test last summer. Everyone that I talked to was blown away. They say that you no longer need to use algaecides to control the algae but you will still have to use the Beneficial Bacteria – Dry (or the Liquid or Cold-Weather Bacteria). The probes should last about 1 year. A red light on the control panel comes on when the probe is used up.                            

They emphasize that this is very different from a UV light that “fries” all the bacteria – good and bad. The IonGen only takes about 1 watt to drive the electronic control panel unlike a UV which can require as many as 80 watts.                            

Scott Rhodes, Director of Product Marketing for Aquascape, Inc, assured me that their is no impact whatsoever to the fish. They have done a number of dissections on fish that have been exposed to the IonGen and show no traces of copper, zinc or silver.                            

Please take 10% off the already discounted price on our site by using the Coupon Code – blog10 – in the Coupon Code box at Check-out.                            

                         

Who is killing my fish! BirdCam 2.0 is the Final Answer!

Ever wonder where your fish went? Finally a tool to determine the culprit – Raccoons, Blue Herons, Otters, Hawks….????   

I get so many calls from ponders who are losing fish and cannot figure out which predator is nailing them. Raccoons can wade into gently sloping ponds. Blue Herons can fly in and play “Sushi Bar”. Hawks can swoop in and even otters have been known to wreak havoc. If you knew the culprit, then you can formulate a plan of attack.   

Did you ever wish that you had some way of documenting any movement around the pond – Bears, Deer, neighborhood kids, etc? No more doing like my partner did in exasperation after being picked almost clean by predators in the early a.m. His solution was an early morning stake-out lying under his picnic table locked-and-loaded.   

A new product – BirdCam 2.0 with Flash from Wingscapes -  is going to be available around April 10th that we will be selling for an introductory price of $167.99   

BirdCam 2.0 With Flash

Aquascape Foundation-Rainwater Harvesting to help kids in Columbia

Thought you all might be interested in this video that highlights the Aquascape’s Foundation installation of the RainXchange rainwater harvesting system for a needy school in Columbia, South America which was just releaased today. They installed a 10,000 gallon system that will provide water and allow the school to re-open. Hats off to the Aquascape volunteers and their sponsors!

Two points of interest here.

1. It’s a great cause which really applies new Rainwater Harvesting technology to a life-and-death situation technology

2. In the near future I will have a blog discussing Aquascape’s rainwater harvesting systems as it applies to the homeowner as well as in larger installations such as this school in Columbia..

Troubleshooting Pump Problems

We have been getting a lot of questions about reviving dead pumps as many of you in the North are trying to start up your ponds for the spring.

In this Aquascape Video, Dave Kelly  – The Tech Guy –  brings up some great tips on steps to go through to bring your pump back to life.

The major things to check are:

1. Make sure water level is high enough to get to pump (Duhhh – but sometimes easy to miss) (Hint – Use AutoFill systemto keep water level constant)
2. Check and Clear Skimmer Debris net or basket – If this is clogged, not enough water is getting to the pump causing it to run dry.
3. Check Skimmer Filter pad and clean it with hose.
4. Pull pump out – Unscrew from Check Valve assembly (Turn off pump first!)
5. Use screw-driver to make sure nothing is clogging impeller and impeller moves freely.
6. Check Ground Fault Protection (GFI) – push button to turn power on . If trips again, water has worked it’s way through the seals - pump is probably shot
7. Check for broken parts (Volute, etc) on pump and call us to replace broken part.
8. If still dead, call us at 805-241-0141 – we can have a new pump to you in 1-2 days as we ship from 8 locations throughout the country. Keep in mind that there have been some pretty dramatic improvements in the energy efficiency of waterfall pumps. Check out Aquascape’s Aquasurge pump if you want to reduce your power consumption.

Winterizing the Pond

Just received this common question regarding winterizing the pond:

Question:

“I do have a problem and I am hoping you can help.  I live in Columbus, Ohio and my pond is approximately 10′x10′ and 2′ in depth with a waterfall/stream.  I am having difficulties keeping the pond from freezing over and/or keeping a whole in the ice.  I have tried multiple solutions like:

1) Running the pump/waterfall through out the winter hoping the moving water would prevent the freeze. This works for a period of time but eventually the pond freezes over.
2) I have placed a “Thermo Pond 3.0 De-Icer ” (100 watts and 3-4 years old) and it does not keep a whole in the ice.  I am not sure if it is broken or not robust enough to keep a whole open based on the size of my pond
3) Placing a 50 gph pump in the pond in an attempt to keep the water moving. This works for a period of time but eventually an ice dome forms over the pump thus enclosing the pond.

Do you have any recommendations for a different approach or a better de-icer?”

Answer:

You are on the right track but some of your equipment is a little under-powered. See our Winterizing Kit.

1. You have an approximate 1400 gallon pond. You should probably go with at least a  1250 or  Aquascape 1500 watt de-icer for your zone and size of pond (see attached chart). The 100 watt de-icer you have  is too small.

2. Your pump is way too wimpy too. We usually recommend the AquaForce 1000 to be placed at an angle tilted sideways breaking the surface of the water to help keep a hole in the ice. A 50 gph pump is way too small to be effective in a climate like yours.

3. As a final measure to make sure the hole stays in the ice, we recommend an Aquascape 4-stone aerator which also provides oxygen for the fish.

And please remember if you hammer at the ice with an ax or shovel, you risk killing the fish with the shockwaves!

General Winterizing Tips

Preparing Your Garden Pond for Winter

Although the real cold weather is a few weeks away, pond owners need to turn their thoughts to winterizing their ponds. Fall is the time of the year when your soon-to-be dormant fish build up fat reserves for their semi-hibernation over the winter. Ponds that contain fish have to be readied for the winter, at the latest when the water temperatures falls below 50 degrees farenheight. In order to prepare for the cold  weather ahead, the metabolism of your fish slows down. At this point, the fish are no longer able to digest high protein fish foods. Pond owners should switch to a low protein/ high fiber food (such as a wheat germ based fall fish food) as fall approaches in order to avoid undigested food remaining in their system once the real first cold snap occurs.

Here are some other tips and steps you can take for winterizing your pond:

Plants: Cut back all aquatic plants by 3/4’s leaving tender new shoots intact. Inspect plant containers for root bound plants and plan on which plants need to be repotted in the spring. Move all hardy water lilies and lotus to the deeper section of the pond. Some marginal aquatic plants, like cattails, iris and pickerel rush can be left on your plant shelf. Move tropical plants indoors. Store tropical water lilies inside. Remove all water hyacinths and lettuce and discard.

Pumps: Remove the pump from the pond to avoid damaging the rubber or plastic seals in the pump. Many manufacturers recommend storing pumps in a bucket of water in a frost free area. Biological filters can remain outside, but ultraviolet lights should be cleaned and taken inside for the winter. Aim the pump at an angle so the flow breaks the surface.

Aeration: We have seen fish kills in ponds that have had only a de-icer that was able to keep a hole in the ice. In these cases the gases were still concentrated enough despite the hole in the ice to affect the fish. Using an aerator helps keeps the surface of the water unfrozen as well as provides valuable aeration for your fish.

Pond Netting: Cover your pond with a net to keep the leaves out of your pond. Leaf buildup can crate unsafe conditions for your plants and fish.

Keep a Hole in the ice: To safely keep fish in your pond throughout the winter you must keep a hole in the ice. This can be done with a pond de-icer, air bubbler or solids handling winter pump. A build up of gas under the ice can be very toxic to your fish. This gas needs to have a way to escape. Never break the ice that forms on your pond as this can be detrimental to the health of your pond fish.

Thermometer: Get a thermometer! When the POND temperature drops under 55 – 60 degrees, discontinue your normal Bacteria and enzymes and switch to Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria which will be effective to 45 degrees. At 55 degrees, discontinue feeding your fish regular fish food. They may continue to eat but they will be unable to fully digest the food which may be harmful. Switch to a Cold Water Winter/Spring Food (usually containing easily digestible Wheat Germ)
Following these steps will prepare your pond, aquatic plants and fish for the winter months ahead and make for a stress free pond opening when the weather turns warm in the spring.

Winterizing Urns: We recommend that you drain the urn, pump out the basin, and bring the pump inside. With the urn, you can either turn it upside down and put a tarp over it or bring it inside a garage or shed. Aquascape also suggests using a grill cover over the urn.

Troubleshooting Leaks from Aquascape

We received a question from one of our Facebook fans tonight on finding a leak in a pond. We would like to share with you a document from Aquascape produced for Contractors to help them locate a leak in a pond. Keep in mind that this is geared towards Aquascape ponds with Skimmers and BioFalls but the basic principles are fairly universal.

Troubleshooting Leaks by Aquascape

Step 1: Does The Pond Actually Have A Leak?

Often, the new pond owner doesn’t realize how much water can evaporate from a pond during the dog days of summer. 

• The midwestern states typically lose 1” to1 1/2” inches of water each week. 
• Contractors down in the hot, arid southwest, such as Arizona, have reported evaporation levels in excess of 3” a week. 

 Remember, these are averages.  Some ponds may not experience evaporation levels this high, while other ponds with large pumps pushing high volumes of water, and/or ponds designed with multiple waterfalls with a lot of cascades and splashing, may have evaporation rates much greater than these. 

Step 2: Look For Low Edges

After you’ve talked to the pond owner and determined there is a leak, the next step is to visit the pond. 

• Here’s a little secret.  99% of all leaks are not due to a hole in the liner, but rather water making its way over the edges of the pond, stream, or waterfalls.
• Look for any low edges.  Settling at the pond’s edge is the most common cause of a leak, especially in a new pond.
• Typically, the low edges are found around the stream and waterfall where settling may have occurred after a few rainfalls.  These areas are usually built up during the construction of the pond using the soil from the excavation, and are prone to some settling. 
• Look for signs of a low edge.
  • Wet mulch along the edge of the pond or stream.
  • Wet gravel along the edge of the pond or stream.
• You may need to move back the gravel in certain areas to find the low edge.  

How To Fix A Low Edge

Low edges can be built back up by simply back filling and compacting soil beneath the liner in order to raise the edge of the liner above the water level. 

Step 3: Look For Obstructions In The Stream And Waterfalls

• Check to make sure nothing is causing the leak by restricting the flow of water down the waterfalls or stream.  The pond owner may have adjusted some of the rocks in the waterfalls in order to improve the look of the falls, inadvertently causing some of the water to be diverted over the liner.  We’ve actually had customer’s kids relocate rocks in the streams in order to create a battlefield for their army men.
• Water can also make its way over the edge due to excessive plant or algae growth in the stream or BIOFALLS®.  The water simply gets backed up from all of the plant growth.  Plants and algae should be maintained by trimming them back in order to let the water pass freely.  
• All in all, these leaks are extremely easy to fix.  You can save yourself some time down the road by spending a few extra minutes with new pond owners at the time of installation teaching them how to identify and fix minor leaks such as these. 

Step 4: Shut Down The Pump

You’ve spent 15 minutes or so following the suggestions listed above and you still can’t find the leak.  What do you do next?  Well, we now have to go one step further and try to narrow things down a little more. 

• Turn off the pump and leave the pond for a period of 12 or more hours.
• Revisit the site after 12 hours, or ask the homeowner to call the next day and let you know if the water level has dropped.  

What Does This Determine?

• If the customer calls and says the water level has dropped then we know the leak is in the pond. 
• If the water level remains the same in the pond then it is assumed that the leak is in the stream.

*This procedure helps us save time by narrowing down the source of the leak.

If The Leak Is In The Pond

The pond owner calls and states that the pond’s water level dropped while the pump was turned off.  We now know that the leak is in the pond.

• When our crew goes out to fix the leak, they concentrate their efforts on looking for the leak in the pond and completely ignore the waterfalls/stream. 
• Before rushing out to visit the site, wait until the water level stops dropping.  This may take a few hours or a couple days, but will help determine the height of the leak.  Have the homeowner call back when they notice the water level is no longer dropping. 
• Visit the site and concentrate your search around the perimeter of the pond at the level that the water has stopped dropping. 
• If the water level stopped below the bottom of the skimmer face plate you can rule out the skimmer and concentrate elsewhere. 
• If the water level is above the bottom of the face plate you should investigate the skimmer.  It may not have sealed correctly, but don’t tear apart the skimmer face plate.  

If The Leak Is In The Skimmer

• Investigate the skimmer face plate without disassembling it. 
• Simply move a few rocks around the front of the skimmer and slide your hand behind the liner.  Feel for wet soil around the opening of the skimmer. 
• If it’s bone dry, it’s most likely not the skimmer.
• If the soil is saturated, then the face plate may have not been installed properly and might be the source of the leak. 
• Remove the face plate, clean all of the old silicone off the liner, and refer back to the instruction manual on proper procedures for sealing the skimmer face plate to the skimmer.  Hopefully, you’ve solved the leak  

If It’s Not The Skimmer

• Investigate the liner for small punctures around the perimeter of the pond where the water level has stopped.
• Unfortunately, the only effective way to find this type of leak is to start moving rocks and gravel and search for the leak by hand and eye. 
• The leak, once found, can be easily fixed using Aquascape’s EPDM patch tape. 

Example of a shutdown procedure where the leak is in the waterfalls/stream

• The pond owner calls and states the ponds water level has not dropped over the past 12 hours.
• This immediately tells us that the pond is not the source of the leak.  So, in other words, do not waste your time looking in the pond or the skimmer for the leak…it’s not down there.  The leak is somewhere upstream! 
• Turn the pump back on and get the waterfall flowing again. 
• First, double check that all of the edges are high, and any stream liner overlaps or liner seams are done correctly. 
• Secondly, check to make sure the seal on the lip of the BIOFALLS® was installed correctly and is watertight.  
• Don’t tear apart the BIOFALLS® lip!  You can investigate the BIOFALLS® lip without completely disassembling the waterfalls. 
• Move a few rocks around the side of the BIOFALLS® and/or remove some soil from the side of the BIOFALLS®, allowing you to slide your hand behind the liner.
• Feel for wet soil around the BIOFALLS®. 
• If it’s bone dry, it’s most likely not the seal on the BIOFALLS®.
• If the soils saturated, or you feel water leaking, then the lip needs to be resealed.
• Important Note:  A few things could have caused the leak at the point of the BIOFALL® seal.  Either the seal was done incorrectly, or the liner was stretched or pulled too tight while setting rocks for the waterfalls.  Make sure to give yourself liner slack along the front of the BIOFALLS® to prevent stress on the BIOFALLS® seal.
• Reseal the BIOFALLS® by removing the BIOFALL® Lip.  Clean all of the old silicone and waterfall foam off the liner, and refer back to the instruction manual on properly sealing the BIOFALLS® lip.
• If you have still been unable to find the source of the leak begin to investigate the rest of the stream and the waterfalls.
•  At this point it is most likely a hole that you should be searching for. 
• If the waterfall is right off the side of the pond, or only 5’ back from the pond, the most efficient method is to remove the rocks and gravel in the waterfall area and search for the leak by hand and eye. The leak, once found, can be easily fixed using Aquascape’s EPDM patch tape. 

Narrowing Down The Leak On Long Streams

• Leaks can also be narrowed down on waterfalls and streams by performing the “pipe test.” 
• The pipe test will take a few days to determine the location of the leak, but it will be well worth the effort. 
• The pipe test consists of a section of pipe laid on the ground.  The pipe is connected to the pump in the skimmer. The pump is turned on and the end of the pipe is then set at the lowest point in the waterfalls/stream. 
• We then either travel back to the pond the next day or have the homeowner call us to let us know if the water level in the pond has dropped. 
• If it hasn’t dropped we move the pipe 10 feet further up the stream.  We do this process until we notice the water drop in the pond.  We know that once the water drops, the leak can be found within 10 feet of the pipe.  We can then move the rocks and gravel to search for the leak by hand and eye. 

Tips From Team Aquascape: 

Tip 1:You can sometimes determine if the seals on the skimmer and BIOFALLS® are water tight by temporarily moving a few rocks around the front of the filter allowing you room to feel for wet soil behind the liner. 

Tip 2: You may want to save yourself some time down the road by spending a few extra minutes with the pond owners teaching them how to identify and fix minor leaks such as low edges and excessive plant growth. 

Tip 3: It’s difficult to find a leak if the ground is wet from recent rainfall.  Wait to look until dry weather. 

Try an In Pond Skimmer!

Do you have a pre-formed pond or cement pond and having a problem with leaves and debris sinking to the bottom of the pond? Or do you have a dead area in your pond where water is not circulating but cannot fit a skimmer into because of your landscaping.? The new OASE In-Pond AquaSkim or it’s smaller cousin the OASE SwimSkim may be the answer!

I had a dead area in my 6,000 gallon pond where the pull of the skimmer at one end of the dogleg was not able to pull debris coming from the end of the opposite dogleg.  Leaves and other debris would sink long before they reached my single skimmer. The debris would sink to the bottom and provide great food for the algae besides looking unsightly and clouding the water.

I placed one AquaSkim about a foot from the shore at the end opposite of my Aquascape Grande Skimmer so I could reach it easily to empty the Debris Net. The AquaSkim takes a 1600 gph to a 4,200 gph pump. I selected the 3,200 gph PondMaster Pro HyDrive Submersible pump , removed the casing and attached it with a very short 2″ Flex pvc pipe to the AquaSkim. I connected another 2″ flex pvc hose to the discharge of the pump and sent it up to one of the holding troughs for my waterfalls.

See full size video on YouTube

I put another AquaSkim closer to the center of the pond but still about a foot from the ledge and sending it up to a trough as well. I could also send the discharge through a Pressure Filter which I am considering now.

I am lucky enough to have our pond situated under 3 huge California Pepper Trees (think Weeping Willow) that are unique in that they are one of the few trees to shed 365 days a year! Since installing these two AquaSkims, the amount of debris reaching the bottom has been minimalized. The only downside is that I have to empty them and shake them out once a day but I view that as a positive!

I also tried the OASE SwimSkim as well but it was a bit too small to have any impact on my large pond. It comes with a self-contained 535 gph pump and a small Filter pad and Debris Basket.  It would provide a nice skimmer for a pond under 800 gallons    Check out the  SwimSkim video SwimSkim Video as it could be a nice additional skimmer filter for a small water feature.

Aquascape's IonGen - Say goodbye to Algae forever!

Aquascape introduced the new IonGen Electronic Clarifier on September 1st of last year. I was so excited that I had mine installed in my 6,000 gallon pond by Sep 6th. It took me about 15 minutes to install it. I love it!

The IonGen drastically reduces pond maintenance and provides crystal clear water without the use of chemicals and completely eliminates the need for Algaecides. A microprocessor inside the IonGen control panel causes the outermost atoms of copper, silver, and zinc to lose an electron, creating a positive ion. The positive ion attempts to flow from one of the Probe’s bars to the other and is swept away by the flow of water where the ion can begin to treat the water. The IonGen Probe is self cleaning, using reverse polarity to prevent scale and debris build-up on the Probe’s bars. One IonGen unit is sufficient for up to a 25,000 gallon pond.

Aquascape has been testing it for three years and gave it to a number of their employes to test last summer. Everyone that I talked to was blown away. They say that you no longer need to use algaecides to control the algae but you will still have to use the Beneficial Bacteria – Dry (or the Liquid or Cold-Weather Bacteria). The probes should last about 1 year. A red light on the control panel comes on when the probe is used up.

They emphasize that this is very different from a UV light that “fries” all the bacteria – good and bad. The IonGen only takes about 1 watt to drive the electronic control panel unlike a UV which can require as many as 80 watts.

Scott Rhodes, Director of Product Marketing for Aquascape, Inc, assured me that their is no impact whatsoever to the fish. They have done a number of dissections on fish that have been exposed to the IonGen and show no traces of copper, zinc or silver.

Please take 10% off the already discounted price on our site by using the Coupon Code – blog10 – in the Coupon Code box at Check-out.

Iongen Algae Control

more…

Pond Vacuums - Are they worth it?

I just got my first question of the season concerning pond vacuums for cleaning out fountains and ponds. Some of them can be very helpful in cleaning the muck from the bottom of the pond after a long winter. Personally I like a complete clean-out in the spring but vacuums definitely have their place. 

There are definitely some pieces of junk out there that cause more frustration than benefit. We have had to remove three products off of our site due to the ridiculously high return rate. Virtually every one of the motor-driven Matala Muckbusters were returned. These retailed around $250. The manufacturer’s response was always “It’s the customer’s fault” and refused to take them back sticking us – the retailer – with the product. (Anyone need a really cheap Muckbuster? We still have a returned one in the warehouse.) 

The AquaQuik Pool & Spa Vac and the Ulti-Vac from Python were very inexpensive but as many were returned as we sold so we finally quit stocking them as well. These two products were driven by water pressure from the hose or hand-pumping to create suction. 

The Muck Vac has been around for a million years and is great for fountains, very small ponds or spot clean-up. It costs $87.33 for the unit and I would strongly recommend the 10′ extension hose for the discharge. This works off of water pressure (50 psi minimum) so the greater the pressure, the greater the sucking action. It is a bit clumsy to use and you cannot see how much muck you are getting out unless you view the discharge tube but it will clean a small pond or fountain.. 

Muck Vac in a fountain

The top-of-the-line is the Pondovac 3 by OASE and sells for $379. This has a powerful electric motor that sucks the muck from the pond, fills up one chamber, spews out the muck through an extension tube and then fills up the second chamber. This one really works and is great because there is a clear handle where you can actually see how much muck you are getting so you can move on to the next area when the water becomes clear as it comes through the handle. This is pretty strong so you have to be careful if you have very small pebbles in the bottom of the pond. The suction hose is 16′ and the discharge hose is 8′ so you have plenty of room to maneuver the machine which has wheels like a canister vacuum cleaner. It comes with a fine mesh filter bag so you can trap the dirt as it is discharged. I would recommend this for a small to mid-sized pond and any fountains. 

Pondovac 3 in action

One quick note. Please DO NOTdo as the PondMeister did. We have a sparkling pool and spa next to our pond. I spent 2 hours intensely vacuuming our 6,000 gallon pond sending a bunch of muck into our drainage system in the backyard which carries out to the street (probably not a great idea). I was amazed at how much muck was being sucked through the Pondovac’s handle. Nearing completion, I stepped back to admire my handiwork and the pond looked awesome. And then I looked at the “sparkling pool”. Whoops – our drainage system had backed up with all the muck and was all routed into – you guessed it – the pool! Ugh – what a mess! I had the prettiest pond and the most disgusting pool ever. Had to drain the whole pool and start over. The moral of the story is – make sure you know where you are directing all the muck too – it makes great fertilizer…but not in a pool! 

Snails and Algae in the Pond

Just got this question from a customer:  

“I live in Green Bay so right now my 1200 gallon pond is mostly iced over except where the heater and fountain is. I have an extreme amount of string algae growing this winter. We have 11 Koi ranging in size from 10″ to 16″ and 2 comets about 10″ long. We also have about 8-10 baby comets and 2 dozen baby Koi,all 2″-4″ long. We plan on getting rid of all the babies this spring. We had heard that  Japanese trapdoor snails could help control algae, and have tried introducing about 200 of them last summer. The snails didn’t control all the algae last summer, but some. The problem I now have is I need to find an algae control product that is also safe for my snails. Many products that I read about are not safe for crustaceans, which I assume to be snails also. Do you have any products that would work for me? Also, any tips for controlling algae in winter?    Thank you.  

I have never heard that about snails but as for me, snails leave as much waste behind as they devour. I know you ask 10 different pond people the same question, you will probably get 15 different answers but I would use AlgaeFix with a Beneficial bacteria product like Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria (Water temp between 45 and 60 degrees) or Beneficial Bacteria – Dry by Aquascape (when the water warms under 60 degrees) to combat the string algae rather than snails. AlgaeFix and EcoBlast by Aquascape are NOT temperature sensitive so they can be used in cold water.”  

ThePondOutlet Response:

I have never heard that about snails but as for me, snails leave as much waste behind as they devour. I know you ask 10 different pond people the same question, you will probably get 15 different answers but I would use AlgaeFix with a Beneficial bacteria product like Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria (Water temp between 45 and 60 degrees) or Beneficial Bacteria – Dry by Aquascape (when the water warms under 60 degrees) to combat the string algae rather than snails. AlgaeFix and EcoBlast by Aquascape are NOT temperature sensitive so they can be used in cold water  

Also, Snails are NOT Crustaceans. See below:  

Snails

Clams, snails, and crustaceans are invertebrates. Clams and snails are in the phylum Mollusca. Mollusks have soft bodies usually enclosed in a thin hard shell made of calcium. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses the generic term “clam” to refer to clams and mussels, but there are physical and reproductive differences between the two creatures. In general, mussels are larger than clams and have an oblong lopsided shell, as opposed to the round symmetrical shell of the clam.  

Crustaceans are a large class of creatures with a hard exoskeleton, appendages, and antennae. This class includes lobsters, shrimps, and crabs  

Snails belong to the class Gastropoda of mollusks. Snails typically have an external spiral-shaped shell and a distinct head that includes sensory organs. Snails inhabit terrestrial (land), marine, and freshwater.  

I pulled the info below off of PondCare’s website.  

Hope this helps,  

Richard

AlgaeFix