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THE BENEFITS OF ALGAE IN THE POND
You might be surprised to find out that it is ALIVE and swims in
the water. One type, Philodina, (a Rotifer which
removes harmful bacteria in the pond) looks exactly like flukes,
even being the same size! With the modern pond owners having such
high-tech conveniences, such as state of the art microscopes, I can
see how we can get ourselves into big trouble if we identify a
parasite which is a plant and treat the pond accordingly, can even
contribute to pond “crash” and dead fish. I already knew the koi’s
worst enemy is its owner, but this brings us to a whole other level.
The focus needs to be on the internal ecosystem of the pond, rather
than any single threat. Algae, comprised of several types, are the “good
guys” in the pond. Today you should be able to really understand
the process of going from “new pond” to established ecosystem for
the health of your koi. For instance, if Fluke tabs were to be used
on Philodina, it would destroy the Philodina population and a short
while later you would see Aeromonas as the koi’s immune system drops
precipitously.
 The basic types of Algae are Filamentous (the hated
string algae which actually acts as a “nest” for beneficial bacteria
to become established). It serves as an intricate support structure
for your fish. It can be considered a “perennial” alga as it dies
back in winter, except for the “holdfast” cells that secure it to
rocks and other pond structures. It is from these holdfast cells
that the new strings will emerge in spring. Cladaphora
is the Blanketweed that NOBODY wants. This is a fairly new focus for
many of us in the hobby, but all of us have fought against algae at
one time or other. Many of us make a full-time pursuit of removing
algae from our ponds. We have UV lights to destroy algae, but that
would only be the next type of algae: the single-celled
Planktonic algae. Although it serves a purpose and is not
harmful to fish, it is unsightly and more commonly known as “pea
soup algae.” A less known alga is Cyanobacteria (brown
algae) and is not actually algae, but a bacterial colony which is
most easily recognized as the brownish slime that grows on anything
that is immersed in water for a while. (That’s the same stuff I have
to clean out of my canary’s bath and water dishes!) Then there are
Diatoms which cause brownish or cloudy pond water. And
lastly, Mougeotia is the short velvet-green algae that
grow on the rocks.
*Something you might not know- algae’s “food-of-choice” is
ammonia! It absorbs nitrites, reduces nitrates and phosphates, and
creates “structure” in the pond. When someone calls me for help with
an algae problem I always ask them, “What color is the water?” It
could be a problem with the filter instead of the pond itself. It
could be a bloom of diatoms, particularly in colder water.
*Some of the negative aspects of algae in the pond are oxygen
consumption by the algae during the night (or sunless days) causing
acute hypoxia and dropping pH rapidly. If you test for pH at 7:00am
and 4:00pm, you will see if the pH is stable. Algae can affect the
pH and Alkalinity levels adversely when not producing oxygen. This
can be especially harmful in August when water temperatures are
usually highest and a power outage could then be disastrous as the
oxygen levels drop quickly. The best emergency treatment at a time
like this is to spray fresh cool water on the pond to cool it down
and the addition of Sodium Bicarbonate. (Did you know that Long
Island well water has a natural pH of 5?)
Some think the use of concrete will stabilize pH in the pond.
However, it works briefly, until the algae covers the surface, and
seals it. Concrete actually increases the variability of pond
chemistry. It leaches hydroxide and the pH will be too high in a new
pond. Calcium Hydroxide in our water supply doesn’t last long- we
need some sort of carbon (carbonate, as in sodium bicarbonate). It
isn’t the high pH that causes stress to fish. It is the fluctuation
of high/low that is not tolerable. The Total Alkalinity may be the
most important test kit to have in your cupboard.
- Carolyn Weise (information gained from the
research of Dr. Julius Tepper, DVM)
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