moss on the pond

larry@stinescorner · Jul 10, 2013

Is there a way to get rid of moss on the pond?

Nancy Howell · Jul 10, 2013

Yes, but the chemicals can be expensive.

Ask your county ag agent to recommend one.

oj · Jul 10, 2013

i have heard that a bale of barley straw will clear out algae from water... has to be barley straw though... having said that i've never tried it or seen it

Anonymous-0 · Jul 10, 2013

I heard or saw somewhere that if you put a pump and nozzle in a pond and pump water into the air it will control the algae. What size pump and nozzle? I don't know, but in our area I see the set up quite frequently.

Fred

Sparktrician · Jul 10, 2013

Barley straw

Russ from MN · Jul 10, 2013

Copper sulfate, but it's not cheap and it will kill fish.

Larry NEIL · Jul 10, 2013

If anyone near N.E. Illinois has any barley straw, I would be interested in trying some myself.
Got 2 ponds with aerators, but with all the rain the algae is vicious this year and I"m afraid it"s blocking so much sun that it"s going to kill my bass and bluegills.
e-mail should be open. thanks.

greygoat · Jul 10, 2013

"Blains Farm-Fleet", in Onalaska Wisconsin (was)
selling small bales of Barley straw.

Ray · Jul 10, 2013

Not true,it might help a little by keeping the water moving,but the algae will clog the pump.I've fought algae for 40 years.Already put 60 pounds of copper sulfate into my pond.It will kill what's there,but new will grow the next day.
Karmex, will last longer,takes longer to kill the algae, and is more expensive.I get a lot of run off water in my pond and don't like to use it because if I get a good rain it gets washed away.
The hot humid weather here in ohio makes it worse.I saw on the news that some lakes in ohio have been having big trouble with it.Barley straw will work in a small pond,but rots up and smells as it decays.

Bill(Wis) · Jul 10, 2013

Copper based algaecide. Costs about $100 per 2500 sq ft of pond surface if you do it yourself.

Hay hay hay · Jul 10, 2013

I had the same concerns a few years ago. Then I learned that pond growth is very complex. Things like algae bloom and temperature inversions can be quite complex. Pond changes are not like managing a concrete driveway. i suggest you talk to your state DNR. You will have a new respect for the complexity of the situation. It ain't just a matter of dumping chemicals in the pond to make it purtty.

Zachary Hoyt · Jul 10, 2013

Aeration may help as well as increasing water flow-through, if there is any in your pond. I found a great book called Earth Ponds at the Salvation Army last fall, it lays out in detail how all of the systems interact in a pond. As I understand it algae is caused by warm water and excessive nutrients in the water, and low oxygen levels. I am starting this year to clean out the bottom of our 55 year old pond and in places there is over a foot of muck and debris on the bottom. I am forking it out by hand into a wheelbarrow, which limits me to working in areas with 5" depth or less, but in a dry year the pond may go down enough so that I can get out into the middle where it is 8" deep. It will take time since I can only work on it a bit at a time with the other things that need to be done, but I can see a difference already.
Zach

Yukon3639 · Jul 10, 2013

After years of trying everything, I found the solution.
TRIPLOID grass carp. Dec Permit is needed in NY. Four to an acre pond.
Toss in six Peking ducks and you have a very healthy pond.
Gets so clean I had to put in some pine trees and boulders for breeding structure for the bass.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 10, 2013

What kills the fish is the dying algae using up all the oxygen in the water. Need to start treating before it gets bad.

Roger in Iowa · Jul 10, 2013

You can buy barley straw extract at a store that sells ornamental yard ponds. It is expensive!

Steve in IL · Jul 10, 2013

I have barley straw in the Peoria area if you"re interested. It works ok, but nothing like a harsh chemical. On the other hand, it"s a natural way to control algae that also feeds the fish.

showcrop · Jul 10, 2013

I hayed the field behind my multi-millionaire neighbor's house last week, He has recently put in a fountain and his pond in the middle of my field is much cleaner. I managed to keep all my bales out of the pond this time, LOL.

Bob in Oakboro · Jul 10, 2013

I have a one acre pond that is usually about 5 foot deep. I put about 15 pounds of copper sulfate (granular) in once a month during the warm months (about 8 months of the year here in NC) I also use 1 gallon of aquashade per month. It costs me about 100 dollars per month but it keeps the pond clean. I also have about a half dozen sterile triploid grass carp in the pond. I have not had any fish (bass, bluegill) die from this and I have been doing this for 6 years.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 10, 2013

i have a pond or lake that every year it starts to get covered with moss i use copper sulfate at about 14.00 dollars a bag i broadcast by hand 1 bag usually goes half way around the pond usually see a difference in 2 to 3 days i have fish in the pond and have had no problems yet good luck

mick in il. · Jul 11, 2013

I use copper sulfate, just like hillbilly says not real expensive, but efficient. You do need to broadcast in a few application because it will kill the fish if you use too much.

Richard G. · Jul 11, 2013

A year or 2 after I built my pond in 1985, it would get so nasty with algae and a viney weed that you could not fish. Tried copper sulfate and had a little luck. Bought 4 sterile grass carp and have had no more problems. Every 3 or 4 years, I add 2 new small carp and never had a problem. When the old carp get huge, they get lazy and don't eat as much, or they die out.
Richard in NW SC

TonyIN · Jul 11, 2013

Larry...

We use an encapsulated copper sulfate product "Cutrine" - there's probably some good equals out there. Not inexpensive (maybe $40/gallon - you may need a couple gallons depending on acreage of pond) but does the job for the green floating mats of algae. Tractor Supply sells it as do others.
I put it on with a garden sprayer from the bank. With the amount you have now, probably should only do 1/3 of the pond each week. Once you get it all cleared up, just watch for it next time. treat it when it first starts to appear and it will be easy and a lot less cost. A good portion of my pond banks are wooded, so it gets plenty of nutrients to cause the growth.
As for the grass carp - they work best on aquatic weeds. I put some in the first year of the pond and didn't see much change in the algae. From what I have been told by the experts, they prefer weeds and will eat algae only when there's nothing else left to eat.
So, try something like the Cutrine - I mix it in a 9 parts water to 1 part Cutrine ratio.
For what its worth - I do use the aquashade in February at half the recommended strength to help keep bottom based weeds under control. Once a year is about all that I need. In addition, I did install a bottom based aeration system several years ago which helps considerably. One more thing - we do eat the fish out of here. Eveything I use is ok for that.
Good Luck
Tony

Wheat Farmer · Jul 11, 2013

My pond is 60" dia, 10" deep. Pump out of it into irrigation side rolls. Can not us the copper because of Alpacas, but a bale of Barley staw works great.

moss on the pond

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