Algae Control

Aeration • Algae Control • Biological Control • Chemical Control• Dissolved Oxygen • Fish Health • Oxygen Depletion • pH Levels • Temperature/Shading • Pond Home

While the primary focus of this page is the management of algae and aquatic vegetation, it is important to acknowledge that water-dwelling plants serve many essential functions in the aquatic system. Plants are part of a healthy ecosystem and are a natural component of the environment. Just as on land, aquatic flora utilizes sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, to photosynthesize and create oxygen and new plant tissue. The new biomass takes the form of either a microscopic plant or larger called macrophytes. Each serves a primary role in the environment.

Microscopic plants , also known as algae or phytoplankton, are the base of the aquatic food chain. Algae are fed upon by zooplankton (microscopic animal plankton), zooplankton by small fish, small fish by large fish, and so on up the food chain to humans and other large predators.

Macrophytes , the larger algae and flowering plants, form a habitat for fish, fish food organisms, waterfowl, and other wildlife. They also provide food for insects, waterfowl, and mammals such as beaver.

Problems caused by excessive aquatic vegetation:

Unfortunately, aquatic plant growth can get out of hand and actually hinder the aquatic ecosystem. When algae grow in overabundance, the cycle becomes disrupted by the amount of oxygen required to breakdown the dead algae and vegetation. This could result in oxygen depletion , which effects both aquatic flora and fauna .

 Excess vegetation usually occurs due to the fact that most bodies of water tend to be shallow, allowing sunlight to penetrate to the bottom and support photosynthesis. In addition, water tends to be rich in nutrients (nitrate and phosphorous), which plants need for growth.

Here is a basic list of problems associated with vegetative overgrowth:

• Excessive growth can lead to fish stunting and overpopulation. The excess amount of vegetation/habitat prevents effective predation of small fish by large fish.
• Excessive growth plays a role in fish kills. A depletion of oxygen usually occurs due to the fact that plants are using most of the oxygen for respiration. During the day, plants create oxygen, during the night, they consume it. A large amount of plants could potentially use all of the oxygen in the water, stressing the fish for air.
• Aquatic weed growth provides quiet water ideal for mosquito breeding.
• Weeds impede water flow in drainage ditches, irrigation canals, and cause water to back up.
• Certain algae can cause foul odors .

 How to reduce algae:

By reducing the amount of runoff that enters the water, we become one step closer to controlling algae and aquatic life overgrowth. Enviro-Culture® Shock is a biological water treatment that can help reduce algae naturally!