Where’s my pond algae?

[RCW]

I'd be interested to know exactly what you have been using as we have a terrible filimentous algae problem in our pond since last year. I think at least a little bit may be due to the water table around here getting pretty low in recent years (the pond is spring fed) so not as much water is passing through and out the creek.
Also starting last year, we have the little larvae (?) that cause swimmer's itch! So no more floating in the pond. And pulling the algae out by hand is a little less appealing! Someone told us to get lily pads in there. Okay... meanwhile??

Tipper - -

Nitrogen, phosphorus, recharge rates and temperatures can all encourage a bunch of plant life to grow. in a pond

Small algae up through lilly pads and a bunch of invasive species.

Plant life can also attract certain waterfowl....do you have ducks or geese on your pond? Some duck and geese are herbivore grazers, eating plants primarily, often by "dabbling" to grab subsurface plants by tipping themselves down with their tails sticking straight up.

A type of human swimmer's itch is caused by a waterfowl parasite. Can't recall the name now.

The parasite can bore into the ducks or geese skin to parasitize them (cardiac? don't recall), but fail when trying to bore into human skin and die off. They cause one heck of a rash.....ask me how I know....

When I said algae I was referring to stuff that turns the water green, but is not really a solid that can be pulled out or even touched, other than seeing it...did I use the wrong term?

Henro --

Algae are a vast Family or Genus of plants. They have many forms, colors, and habitat.

Heck, there's algae that will grow well in a water/diesel interface of your tractors fuel tank, if allowed.

My exposure to their taxonomy was a long, long time ago. Guessing you guys are probably talking similar organisms, just maybe cousins.....

 

[Tipper]

When I said algae I was referring to stuff that turns the water green, but is not really a solid that can be pulled out or even touched, other than seeing it...did I use the wrong term?

Perhaps. I believe filamentous refers to the kind that forms dense mats of algae that are made of long strands - filaments. No harm done! Other than getting my hopes up for a cure to MY algae problem...

 

[Tipper]

Tipper - -

Nitrogen, phosphorus, recharge rates and temperatures can all encourage a bunch of plant life to grow. in a pond

Small algae up through lilly pads and a bunch of invasive species.

Plant life can also attract certain waterfowl....do you have ducks or geese on your pond? Some duck and geese are herbivore grazers, eating plants primarily, often by "dabbling" to grab subsurface plants by tipping themselves down with their tails sticking straight up.

A type of human swimmer's itch is caused by a waterfowl parasite. Can't recall the name now.

The parasite can bore into the ducks or geese skin to parasitize them (cardiac? don't recall), but fail when trying to bore into human skin and die off. They cause one heck of a rash.....ask me how I know....



Henro --

Algae are a vast Family or Genus of plants. They have many forms, colors, and habitat.

Heck, there's algae that will grow well in a water/diesel interface of your tractors fuel tank, if allowed.

My exposure to their taxonomy was a long, long time ago. Guessing you guys are probably talking similar organisms, just maybe cousins.....

Yup - lots of ducks passing through. I read that the little waterfowl parasite crawls into your skin's pores when you start drying off - where they die and cause an allergic reaction. Supposedly drying off with a towel immediately can prevent them entering. My husband had that "heck of a rash" too. Yikes! Looked terrible!! So now I don't dare let my grandkids dabble in the creek water coming from the pond.

We did copper sulfate multiple times over the last year. We have an aerator in there... but it's just overrun with algae and water weeds (I think maybe duck weed is one of them?). It did so well the first year we lived here! Wish I knew how to rehabilitate it.