What makes algae grow in ponds

Filamentous algae will typically grow around the shoreline of a pond or lake because this is where the shallower water is.

You typically will not see filamentous algae growing in the middle of a 20 foot deep water body because that is too deep for the sunlight to penetrate. Turbidity is a measure of how clear or cloudy a body of water is. These particles usually come from suspended solids, such as clay and sediment from the bottom of the lake that shifts naturally during animal feeding or heavy rain. Solid particles can also be remnants of dissolved materials, like dirt and debris from runoff or animal waste.

This turbidity impacts light exposure, and ultimately, the temperature of the water. The more turbid the water, the warmer the water will be, allowing algae to grow quickly. As algae forms, the water becomes increasingly turbid, which fosters an even stronger environment for algal blooms to thrive.

What causes algae to grow in ponds and lakes is generally a combination of factors. Before you waste valuable time and money attempting to tackle algae on your own, talk with the experts at Aquatic Environment Consultants. Without a food source, the bait fish and fingerlings will struggle and not thrive in your pond. Often times, pond owners who are managing their pond for trophy bass production will fertilize their ponds to keep the planktonic algae population very high.

This serves to provide more food for zooplankton, bait fish and fingerlings and also blocks much of the sunlight from reaching the bottom of the pond. In turn, other aquatic plants struggle which decreases the areas for bait fish to hide and gives the bass a much easier meal to come by. This can be effective, but also risky when managing against some of the harmful aspects of algae abundance. Often the most frequent complaint about algae is aesthetics. A green pond covered with algae is unsightly and is an eye sore.

The enjoyment of the pond or water feature is diminished when algae has taken over. Algae poses a problem to your pond health when you have too much algae overall and during algae blooms. During the photosynthesis process when plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce food, they give off oxygen. Photosynthesis is a good process for your pond.

The plants are using carbon dioxide and giving off oxygen which is needed for your fish, decomposition of organic matter, and other processes within your pond.

However, photosynthesis only occurs when there is sunlight. As the sun goes down, plants turn from oxygen producing organisms to oxygen consuming organisms. Therefore, the more aquatic plants and algae you have in the pond or body of water, the more oxygen they will give off during the day and the more they will consume during the nighttime hours.

As the night goes on, the oxygen levels continue to decrease. The lowest levels of oxygen will be just before sunlight in the morning prior to algae and plants producing oxygen again. If you have additional questions about how to prevent an algae bloom in your pond, don't hesitate to reach out to our team of experts for assistance. All Rights Reserved. Call We do our best to avoid errors in pricing and products, but we reserve the right to correct them.

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Accept Recommendation. Preventing Algae Blooms in Ponds. Problem: Too Many Fish Solution : As it turns out, one of the primary causes of algae in fish ponds are the fish.

There are basically two types of pond algae: Green Water: These single-celled organisms—which remain suspended in water—are so tiny, they pass through even the finest filter. They eventually tangle together, forming thick, unsightly mats that can double their weight within 24 hours. Add Plants In a natural setting, fish produce nutrients that are absorbed by plants, leaving very little for algae.

However, many garden ponds do not possess enough plants to handle all the nutrients produced by the fish.

This causes an excess buildup and produces an ideal environment for rapid algae growth. This is perhaps the simplest, long-term solution to keeping water clean and clear. Floating plants, such as lilies and lotus, provide shade and reduce direct sunlight in the pond to control the growth of algae. As a guide, one bunch of six to seven strands of oxygenating plant can be added to every two square feet of water surface, and submerged by tying to a rock or planting in a soil container.

All aquatic plants also absorb nutrients and starve the algae.