Do You Have The Dreaded Blanketweed ... At Last A Solution Found

No I unfortunately do not have a simple definite solution for you. I am not going to suggest you add anything to your pond although it is probable that some concoctions do work some of the time. I used to sell a natural UK product called Bioclear some time ago. It did work some of the time. However regular addition was necessary.

Let me explain what influences the growth of blanketweed (also called string algae) so that you can go some way to helping yourself hopefully overcome the problem or decrease the voracity of it. It is called string algae because if you look under a microscope you will see that the strands are actually algae cells all joined together in a straight line, and the string gets longer and longer.

Before giving you some food for thought let me mention that most people who have blanketweed have crystal clear ponds because other algae types just cannot compete with the string algae for nutrients in the water.

Main nutrients required for string algae and other plant life are ... Phosphates dissolved in water and Nitrates dissolved in water

In simple language these are fertilizers. If there was none of these in the water there would be no blanketweed.

However this is wishful thinking since many water supplies over recent years have become "rich" in nitrates and phosphates as a direct result of run-off from farmlands and the farmlands had been fertilized over the years with nitrates and phosphates.

This means every time you fill up the pond you are adding these nutrients. Some geographical areas would be far worse than others. You should be able to get information on your water supply analysis from your local municipal office.

Detergents are also rich in phosphates so the growth in dish washing machines and the like have also contributed to the real problem of waterways contamination.

Apparently this contamination is happening in a massive way in the Everglades region of the USA resulting from intensive sugar cane cultivation.

Other main sources of these nutrients which satisfy all algae and all other plants is fish food and fish waste .... remember the final products of the biofiltration process are soluble nitrates.

It follows that if you do NOT feed your fish then you will have less nitrates and phosphates in your pond water. Fish in most ponds can survive very happily with far less human intervention when it comes to supplying food.

• Here then is the first part of minimising the problem .... REDUCE or even ELIMINATE feeding AND use high quality fish food

• The second partial solution is to plant your pond with aquatic plants which will compete with the blanketweed for the (hopefully) diminishing nitrate and phosphates.

• The third partial solution is not to use pond fertilizers unless you feel you really really must ... they probably all contain phosphates. If you have blanketweed you definitely do not need more nutrients.

Over time the problem of string algae may go away ..... take note may go away is what I said.

If not at least enjoy the clear water and decide you are bound to live with it. Keep fishing it out with a pole (attach a sturdy piece of "curly" steel to one end to help the removal). Put the stuff on the compost heap.

The Final Solution ...

I only became aware of this product in 2005. I have created a website dedicated to this ... go and solve your string algae problem here