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Remember, All Water Gardens Have Algae, But It's Easy To ControlAlgae Growth (Photosynthesis)Normally, Koi and other fish ponds are what is known as "closed" pond systems, or closed recirculating aquatic systems. What this means is that unlike natural ponds with streams flowing through them, garden ponds don't have a fresh-water flow-through source. So in order to keep the water clean and able to support fish, a closed aquatic system relies on filtration to re-oxygenate and purify the pond water on a continuous basis. Outdoor garden ponds are also subject to seasonal algae growth due in part to the temperature, sunlight, and the buildup of nutrients and carbon dioxide, which creates an almost ideal environment for algae growth. Planktonic Algae Planktonic algae are waterborne single-cell algae, and they are commonly referred to as Green Water. This is the algae that turns your pond water a pea-soup green color in the summer. As stated above, this algae is usually the result of high levels of nutrients and carbon dioxide in the water. This type of planktonic algae can be controlled by shading the water from direct sunlight, by using aquatic plants, chemicals, or ultraviolet sterilization. The use of shade to control algae building is only available only if foliage or a shelter inhibits the pond’s exposure to sunlight. Using aquatic plants as an algae control will require that a number of mature plants are added to the pond to compete with the algae for the available nutrients and carbon dioxide. Chemical treatments, on the other hand, can also be effective, but chemicals are expensive, and they tend to be a temporary fix, and can harmful to plants and fish. Which leaves ultraviolet sterilization as the best means for controlling algae over the long term. UV sterilization has a lot of advantages, the most important being it is a physical treatment, so it won't change the water chemistry of the pond. Another advantage is that UV treatment takes place outside the pond, well away from your fish and plants. And UV filters are also inexpensive and easy to install, and you won't have to keep investing in more chemicals every season. Please see the UV and clear water pages for more on topic. |
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