No More Koi Pond Algae… Here’s How To Kill It Completely!
There is no doubt whatsoever that koi pond algae is probably the number one nemesis of koi fish keepers… not just because of the stench and unsightliness it creates… but because of an even more insidious reason – algae can in fact kill their koi if not eradicated quickly!
Yet the truth is you can prevent algae buildup quite readily and avoid the problems… controlling algae is easy, if you know how to go about it the right way!
And on that note, here are some worthwhile tips to help you quickly get koi pond algae under control.
Typically there are two ways to control algae – with chemicals or by natural means.
This is all about controlling with natural methods. Controlling with chemicals will be reviewed in the next few articles.
It is worth mentioning however, that chemical free control is the preferred method because it won’t disturb or upset a pond’s environment. Of course after saying that, there are going to be occasions that chemical treatment is necessary and it is ok to do provided it isn’t the solitary type of algae treatment.
But first it’s important to understand why koi pond algae poses a threat and then we will look at how to eradicate it.
The main reason is that decaying algae produces ammonia, and excess amounts of ammonia will soon diminish oxygen in the water… and needless to say, koi fish lacking oxygen are like humans lacking air… they get sick and eventually die!
But here is the good news… with some smart planning you will be able to completely slow down the growth of algae, prevent harmfulhazardous ammonia buildup and remove your koi from risk.
Therefore to kerb it these are the ingredients algae must have to live – plenty of sun and plenty of nutrients. If you limit these elements you severely hamper it’s growth or even totally destroy it and that is where some smart planning comes into play.
Limit the amount of sunlight on your koi pond
This does not mean that sunlight on your pond is bad because it does need some, but what you need to consider is how to avoid as big an amount of sunlight off the bottom of the pond as able, because that’s the fortress of algae growth.
If you’re thinking about building a new koi pond, endeavour to dig as many sections as possible at least four feet deep… if you go deeper fine, because sunlight has a difficult time going further down than this depth.
Of course you will still want a few shallow regions around 18-24 inches deep, so for these places consider deploying the use of plants with plenty of large leaves that make plentiful amounts of shade.
Water lilies create lots of shade with their large foliage not to mention that they look really nice and enhance the appearance of the pond.
For folks with an existing pond that can’t be altered depth wise, you may want to think about planting lilies and making some shade cover that is built over the pond. Perhaps an open pergola with shading cloth fixed over the top… there’s numerous options and a little imagination will go a long way here… but you get the idea right?
If you are able to get 70-80% under shade… you’ll be amazed at how quickly the koi pond algae growth diminishes.
Get rid of the nutrients that the algae needs
Just as important as restricting sunlight is removing all the nutrients that algae needs to live… eliminate it’s food source and starve it to death!
Get rid of all:
- Fish waste
- Rotting fish food
- Dead and rotting algae
- Decaying fish (yes they do die on occasion)
- Decomposing leaves and debris
- Particular phosphates and tap water nitrates
It does involve frequent cleaning and skimming of the pond floor, as well as good filtration and water circulation, however the advantages far outweigh the small amount of extra work. Because as spoken of above, you will in fact be starving the koi pond algae out of your pond!
Not to mention… a good clean pond reveals the care you have for your koi.
So use these two easy methods and you will be amazed at how rapidly plankton algae starts to become less of a problem – which allows you to get on with the real fun stuff – like raising healthy koi!
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