Some Basic Kinds of Algae
Algae is natural in your pond. And it is beneficial. But to
a point. As noted by Kasco Marine, there are several basic
kinds. Planktonic algae are essential, single-celled plant
forms occurring worldwide. A healthy pond needs this form of
algae as a food source. Filamentous algae is typically found
at the surface of ponds in "greenish mats." This kind of algae
has little if any value to your pond and looks scummy. The
third major kind of algae is attached-erect algae. The fourth
kind to be mentioned here is blue-green algae, probably the
worst when it comes to pond scum.
Costs and Benefits
Algae is beneficial to ponds, as it provides a food source;
in fact, pond owners who desire to raise trophy bass sometimes
fertilize their ponds to keep planktonic algae production
high. But algae poses several problems, too. For one thing,
too much of certain kinds of algae is plain ugly. For another,
too much algae is unhealthy. Photosynthesis requires sunlight,
and algae blocks it. During the photosynthesis process when
plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce food, they
give off oxygen. Photosynthesis is a good process for your
pond. The plants are using carbon dioxide and giving off
oxygen which is needed for your fish, the decomposition of
organic matter, and other processes within your pond. However,
photosynthesis only occurs when there is sunlight. As the sun
goes down, plants turn from oxygen-producing organisms to
oxygen-consuming organisms. Therefore, the more aquatic plants
and algae you have in the pond or body of water, the more
oxygen they will give off during the day and the more they
will consume during the nighttime hours. As the night goes on,
the oxygen levels continue to decrease. The lowest levels of
oxygen will be just before sunlight in the morning before the
algae and plants start producing oxygen again. If your pond
has too much plant life, the oxygen levels can decrease to the
point that large fish struggle to live.
The Problem of Algae Blooms
An algae bloom is a rapid reproduction and spreading of
algae when conditions are right. Algae blooms typically occur
during the hot, sunny, calm part of the summer. When an algae
bloom occurs, your pond can be covered with algae in a very
short period of time. The major problem with an algae bloom is
the algae die off. Often even quicker than the bloom itself,
the algae die off can create major problems. A die off of an
algae bloom can be caused by a cloudy day and lack of
sunlight, a cold front, storms, etc.
When the algae bloom dies off, it adds a large amount of
dead organic matter to your pond. This organic matter is decomposed
by micro-organisms at the pond bottom. With the added organic
matter load on the pond, the total amount of decomposition
occurring in the pond increases and the decomposition process
uses up oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide.
This causes two problems. The first is lack of oxygen. When
the oxygen in the pond is used to decompose the dead algae, it
is not available for fish and other aquatic life. A die off
can be so severe that most of the available oxygen in a pond
can be used up in the decomposition process and your fish and
other aquatic life will start to die off. The larger the
organism, the more oxygen it uses. Therefore, your larger fish
that have been in your pond for several years will be the
first to die when oxygen is taken up.
The second problem with a large die off and increased organic
matter is nutrients. When the algae die off and are decomposed
the carbon dioxide and nutrients are released back into the
pond and is available for the next generation of plant
material. The carbon dioxide and nutrients help to begin the
cycle all over again.
How to Help Your Pond
There is hope for your pond, though. Aeration can protect
your pond and your fish during an algae bloom and die off.
Adding an aeration device, such as a Kasco Pond Aerator or
other brand of aerating fountain will provide added oxygen to
the water and help buffer the effect of an algae die off. When
the algae die and are being decomposed, the added oxygen
allows the decomposition process to occur properly and also
provide oxygen for the fish and other aquatic organisms. By
splashing the water in the air, the aeration device is not
only adding valuable oxygen, it is also helping to vent gases
such as carbon dioxide which is being produced in large
amounts from the decomposition process.
Using a pond aerator or aerating fountain will also help
prevent an algae bloom in the first place if it is installed
before there is a major problem. As discussed above, the added
oxygen will help the decomposition process and actually make
that process occur quicker. It will also vent the extra carbon
dioxide. This means there will be less available for the algae
to use, which is one of the key components to blue-green algae
problems. Adding an aerator or circulator will also create
surface agitation in the pond or body of water. This is
beneficial in a few ways. First, it helps eliminate the still
stagnant water areas and mimics natural wind. As stated above,
algae and algae blooms typically occur in the hot, calm, sunny
times of the year. The agitation at the surface that
eliminates the stagnant areas decreases the areas algae have
available to them to thrive. Just simple movement of the water
will help limit the amount of algae present in the pond. Just
think, when's the last time you've seen a lake that always has
ripples or a river covered with algae? Algae do not like
moving water or surface agitation.
Surface agitation is also beneficial because it helps to mix
up the algae that is already present within the water column.
Algae is not able to sit at the surface of the water and soak
up all the sunlight it needs for photosynthesis and it cannot
survive without large amounts of sunlight. The agitation also
helps to destratify the pond by mixing up the water and
limiting the negative effects of turnover. With water that has
been thermally destratified, the pond is now more hospitable
for desired plants and algae species and creates a better pond
ecosystem.
Other Ways to Help Your Pond
There are many other ways to help the ecosystem of your
pond, including using herbicides, bacteria and microbes, dyes,
ultraviolet sterilizers, barley straw, copper, skimmers, fish,
peroxides, and aluminum sulfate, To find out more about algae
in detail, we recommend that you read about aerating fountains
and algae at Kasco Marine, Inc. If you are looking to purchase
a floating fountain or aerator, you might also go to
Fountain
Mountain.
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