String Algae

• 1). Remove all of the string algae that you can with your hands or a garden tool.
  
  
• 2). Place a liberal amount of the pond water into a fish tank or heavy duty fish bag. Remove any fish that are in your pond and place them into the container.
  
  
• 3). Remove any decorative rocks, pond plants and the pump, if your pump is submersible. Clean any string algae you see from the rocks and the pump.
  
  
• 4). Drain the pond and turn off any waterfalls you have connected to the pond.
  
  
• 5). Sprinkle kosher salt into the pond bed. Allow the salt to sit for three days, at minimum.
  
  
• 6). Rinse the gravel, pond bed and liner thoroughly and drain the excess water from the pond. You do not want your pond water to have a high salt content when you reintroduce plants and fish.
  
  
• 7). Replace any items you previously removed from the pond and refill the pond with water. Replace your fish when you are certain the water has reached the right temperature.
  
  
• 8). Treat the water with barley straw. Barley straw can be purchased from your local pet supply store and releases an enzyme that is safe for fish but creates an environment difficult for string algae to grow in. The amount of barley straw you need to add depends on the size of your pond. If you are not sure, your local pet supply store can inform you of the right amount.
  
  

Plankton Algae

• 1). Clean the pond by vacuuming the bottom and removing any dead leaves and plant matter at the bottom of the pond and floating on the surface.
  
  
• 2). Provide shade for your pond. Algae thrives on sunlight. By reducing the amount of sunlight your pond receives, you can significantly reduce the amount of algae capable of growing in the water.
  
  
• 3). Treat your pond by adding beneficial bacteria to fight the algae. Beneficial bacteria are harmless to fish and aquatic plants, but deprive the algae of the nutrients necessary to grow and thrive. Microbe-Lift is one type of product that introduces beneficial bacteria to your pond.
  
  
• 4). Keep your pond aerated. Adding oxygen to the water prevents further algae growth by "feeding" the beneficial bacteria. Aeration can be achieved by added a small fountain or mechanical aerator to your pond.
  
  
• 5). Clean your pond frequently. Matter that accumulates at the bottom of your bond can breed algae no matter how much beneficial bacteria you add or how well the pond is aerated. Making a cleaning schedule and sticking to it will ensure that further algae does not have the opportunity to take over your backyard pond.