How To Remove Fountain Algae

If you have a dynamic water feature in your garden then at certain times of the year you may have to deal with the problem of fountain algae. Algae love water that is slightly warm, full of nutrients, and stagnant. A garden pond and fountain would be the perfect environment for algae to grow and thrive. To remove the problem temporarily is not that difficult, it is when searching for a permanent solution that a deeper understanding is required.

Before you can bring your pond's fountain back to its original condition you will need to get hold of the right equipment and supplies. This would include such items as non iodized salt, white vinegar, a bucket, scrubbing brush, protective gloves, as well as a small bottle.

Prior to initiating the cleaning process you will need to drain out the water from the fountain and perhaps the pond itself. Always remember to ensure that any fish are moved to a different water body or temporary storage facility before beginning the cleaning process. The same should be done for any precious plants.

Once you have drained out the water you will notice that a large amount of algae has also been flushed away. Let the waterfall and the pond dry out in full before moving on to the next stage. Take a moment to examine the pond and fountain without any water present. If there are long and dark hair like strands of algae clinging to the pump and sides and bottom of the pond as well as the fountain itself then you have an infestation of filamentous algae, otherwise known as string algae.

Take some non-iodized salt and sprinkle it liberally on any algae that cannot be physically removed easily. Allow it to sit for a few days and it will dry up and fall off any objects that it was attaching itself to. Whilst wearing the protective gloves, remove as much of the algae as physically possible. It is likely that not every strand and stain will disappear so easily.

You will probably need to take a scrubbing brush and dip it into a bucket that contains white vinegar. Then you should scrub any remnants of plankton and algae that was too hard to remove by hand. Make sure you clean every nook and cranny in the fountain and pond as it does not take much for the problem to resurface at a later date.

Before you can restock the pond with fish and turn back on the fountain you should flush both the features out fully with fresh clean water. Do this a few times to ensure that no traces of vinegar or algae will remain.

When placing pumps, filters, and other effects back into the pond keep a close watch for any algae that you may have missed. If any plant pots, rocks, or other objects do have an algal coating, scrub them thoroughly with vinegar in the same way that you did the pond and the fountain.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6281579

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