Float algae | How to control floating algae and what can you do about murky or green pond water?

It is the fear of many a pond owner: the clear water in the pond turns green due to algae formation. If you don't find this out until late, the pond water can already be quite murky and bright green. The culprit is floating algae, a single-celled algae that can multiply at a rapid rate because it needs very little to grow. High time to address the problem of green water and fight floating algae. Want to know how? Then read on quickly.

All about sweat gallows

• What is floating algae?
• What does floating algae look like?
• How do floating algae form?
• What can I do about floating algae in the pond?
• How do you get clear pond water fast?

What is floating algae?

Float algae, also called phytoplankton or water bloom, is a type of algae that can occur in all types of ponds and can turn the water a murky green color. These algae float freely in the water and can multiply rapidly under favorable conditions, such as warm weather, plenty of sunlight and nutrients in the water. When they grow excessively, they can turn the water cloudy and green, preventing sunlight from penetrating the water properly. This can lead to lack of oxygen in the water and health problems for pond fish and other pond animals. It can also stunt the growth of aquatic plants. To prevent or reduce floating algae, it can help to limit the amount of nutrients in the water, maintain adequate water circulation and oxygen levels, and use plenty of aquatic plants that remove nutrients from the water.

How do floating algae form?

Float algae don't just appear in your pond. The biological balance that is supposed to be there is disturbed, and that provides an opportunity for these and many other types of algae such as filamentous algae. There are several factors present in the pond that need to be in balance with each other. If this is not the case, the clear water turns into an opaque green mush. This often occurs in improperly or newly constructed ponds, where the balance has not (yet) been found. The most important factor to keep an eye on if you want to control and prevent floating algae is: Oxygen plants. Make sure you plant enough growing oxygen plants in the pond. They absorb nutrients from the water, preventing floating algae from using them and thus preventing their further development and eventual death.

What can I do about floating algae in the pond?

Aquatic Plants

Introduce enough_CO2 into the water. You do this by placing different types of aquatic plants, which release_CO2 into the water at night. Think pikeweed or yellow iris. And also choose plants that take_CO2 from the air, such as water lilies and marsh plants. Another option is to add, say in spring, good pond bacteria that promote the amount of_CO2 in the water.

Sufficient oxygen plants 

Ensure you have enough oxygen plants in your pond. These absorb many nutrients from the water, keeping the pond water clear. To literally give oxygen plants good soil, the use of pond substrate is indispensable. Top this up and check every now and then to see if your oxygen plants are still growing (or continuing to grow) well. If they do not, this may indicate floating algae in the water.

Pond substrate

Make sure your aquatic plants can take root and perform their function optimally by adding pond substrate as the foundation of the pond. Substrate is made of coarse, porous grains of stone to which pond bacteria and aquatic plants can attach. With substrate, you create a natural and maintenance-free pond that does not require pond pump systems and pond filters.

Removing floating algae

To speed up the process of floating algae control, you can use our biological algae remover Pond Block, which also tackles thread algae. However, this does not prevent new algae from growing once the remedy has worn off. The natural balance in the pond will have to be restored first.

How to get clear pond water quickly ?

For fast and clear results, it is important to add pond bacteria to the pond water. Bacta Clear contains 2 different types of bacteria that ensure that the pond water becomes and remains clear. This is also important for the start-up of the pond. Simply add Bacta Clear 2x a year to the pond water by pouring the bacteria directly from the bottle into the pond.

Frequently asked questions about floating algae