Where’s my pond algae?

Henro

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Been warm, and usually algae takes over, and offers the gold fish some protection from the blue herons.

This year not so. Still no algae and almost no gold fish either. The pond is about 80 feet by 50 feet. Spring fed. I think the herons just about cleaned out the gold fish. Pond is not deep and actually less deep than 20 years ago due to accumulated sediment.

Nothing changed here as far as I know.

Why no algae? It’s been more than warm enough for it to take over. Puzzle at this end…

edit: Also seems there are less frogs too.
 
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jyoutz

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Been warm, and usually algae takes over, and offers the gold fish some protection from the blue herons.

This year not so. Still no algae and almost no gold fish either. The pond is about 80 feet by 50 feet. Spring fed. I think the herons just about cleaned out the gold fish. Pond is not deep and actually less deep than 20 years ago due to accumulated sediment.

Nothing changed here as far as I know.

Why no algae? It’s been more than warm enough for it to take over. Puzzle at this end…

edit: Also seems there are less frogs too.
Deepen the pond and add some rocks and other cover in the deep areas for the fish. IDK why no algae; usually that’s a good thing.
 

Bmyers

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My guess, the price of fertilizer.

Across the board it has seen huge price increase so many are forgoing or reducing the amount being used. As such, there is less to run into the streams, ponds, etc. so then there is less nitrogen for increasing the algae blooms.

If everything else is the same, that is the only thing that comes to mind that has been known to influence growth.

Yet, I did not sleep at a Holiday Inn and I am not a scientist of any kind. Although my wife does tell me that I'm a smart ***
 
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bikerdib

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Lucky you, I've been fighting filimentrious algae (horsehair algae) in my 3/4 acre pond since March. Pond dye, Cutrine, cottonseed meal and beneficial bacteria are slowly bringing it under control
 

Ridelght

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Lucky you, I've been fighting filimentrious algae (horsehair algae) in my 3/4 acre pond since March. Pond dye, Cutrine, cottonseed meal and beneficial bacteria are slowly bringing it under control
Captain helped me with that crap last year.
 

Ridelght

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Been warm, and usually algae takes over, and offers the gold fish some protection from the blue herons.

This year not so. Still no algae and almost no gold fish either. The pond is about 80 feet by 50 feet. Spring fed. I think the herons just about cleaned out the gold fish. Pond is not deep and actually less deep than 20 years ago due to accumulated sediment.

Nothing changed here as far as I know.

Why no algae? It’s been more than warm enough for it to take over. Puzzle at this end…

edit: Also seems there are less frogs too.
I have a acre pond, about 3 hours from your profile location. No algae but huge increase in Frogs and the like. Seems like easy winter aided i. Bigger bugs too and more snakes.
 

Henro

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Where my pond sits, little chance of getting fertilizer in it due to run off, as I don’t use any and probably all run off that gets into the pond is from my property.

Also noticed a lot less frogs this year than usual.

Only fish are/were gold fish and some others that ended up in there, maybe from eggs carried on duck or geese feet. No clue there. Used to be maybe 1,000 or more gold fish in there. I’m sure they were fished out this winter/spring by the herons. Now very few Remain.

It will be interesting to see if the algae takes over in the coming weeks.
 

Vlach7

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When the water warms up its hard to stop, I put in a nighttime bubbler, sand filter, UV light and Citron, but I know it's only time before it warms up. Yes, it is a small pond, 40ft.
 

skeets

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You might think about a floating mat or something for the fish to hide under and give then some shade
 

Henro

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You might think about a floating mat or something for the fish to hide under and give then some shade
Strange, I just got a notice that I was ignoring Skeets, which I am not as far as I know, especially since we are local to each other somewhat, and I assume native born Western Pennsylvanians...so at least distant cousins.

What's up with that I don't know. I had to click on the post Skeets made to view it. Never saw that before...
 

skeets

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OH NO I AM BEING ignored,,, LMAO I been married 2 times so being ignored is second nature to me ;)
 
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Henro

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OH NO I AM BEING ignored,,, LMAO I been married 2 times so being ignored is second nature to me ;)
LOL. I guess I should ask the wolfman what is happening...same thing when I viewed the last post by Skeets...said I am ignoring him, but I ain't...not intentionally anyway...
 

Dieseldonato

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LOL. I guess I should ask the wolfman what is happening...same thing when I viewed the last post by Skeets...said I am ignoring him, but I ain't...not intentionally anyway...
Click on his name, unblock the ignore button under his name
 

Bmyers

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On the top right, if you click on your icon next to the envelop, it will open a menu. Go down to Ignore and click and it will bring up th elist of who you are ignoring.
 
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Henro

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Click on his name, unblock the ignore button under his name
OK, amazingly to me, I could not find any posts by Skeets. I did a search, and it came up with pages of posts, but nothing appeared but blank space...

Then I did come up with a thread that showed Skeets name, and did the cancel ignore issue, which I assume will put things back to normal...

Thanks for the help!
 
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johndeerebones

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My guess, the price of fertilizer.

Across the board it has seen huge price increase so many are forgoing or reducing the amount being used. As such, there is less to run into the streams, ponds, etc. so then there is less nitrogen for increasing the algae blooms.

If everything else is the same, that is the only thing that comes to mind that has been known to influence growth.

Yet, I did not sleep at a Holiday Inn and I am not a scientist of any kind. Although my wife does tell me that I'm a smart ***
Right on. Neighbor (uphill) had a septic issue ~2yrs ago. Opposite problem now. Can't hardly fish for over bloom now. So bad thinking a fountain and copper crystals. Maybe real heavy dye to restrict light. For the op. Is draining an option? Dig it out and rock part like said. Old tree tops make good cover to. An extended reach trackhoe could dig a lot of it out without draining. Could just dump rocks in. Big ones. Like 6" clean or larger.
 

Tipper

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Lucky you, I've been fighting filimentrious algae (horsehair algae) in my 3/4 acre pond since March. Pond dye, Cutrine, cottonseed meal and beneficial bacteria are slowly bringing it under control
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??
 

Henro

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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??
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?