When Algae attacks!!

Algae is the most common problem we come across in water features. I believe the reason for this is a misunderstanding that water features maintain themselves. This is not at all true. Right after a clean out in the spring when your feature is looking it's best, it's hard to imagine it full of algae. But it can and will happen. Every feature, big or small, will require treatments and maybe even a little manual labor to keep it looking top notch.

Another critical thing to realize is that every feature has it's own ecosystem. There are different levels of bacteria, amounts of sunlight, aquatic life and maybe even a different climate that affect your feature. So there is no one treatment fits all program to eliminate algae. It will take a bit of trial and error to see how your feature responds to different treatments. 

We do have a suggestion for you to start out with and that is either Algaway 60 or Microbe-Lift 5.4 (Algaway 60 if you have no fish, Microbelift 5.4 if you do have fish) with Microbe-Lift PBL. The 60 and 5.4 are algaecides that kill the algae. Microbe-Lift PBL is a beneficial bacteria that dissolves the algae as it dies. When the algae are well established it may require some manual scrubbing on the feature to get rid of it. 

For some people, this may seem like a huge time consumer and they may want to give up on their feature. Don't give up just yet! For those that are very busy or those that are away on trips, Professional Ponds offers a maintenance program where we come and take care of your pond for you. Keep in mind, if you let it go without maintenance for too long there will likely be nothing we can do except a full clean out. When algae and sludge get built up no amount of treatment will fix it. The feature will need to be drained and power washed. 

I personally handle all of our maintenance clients, and it is a privilege to see the variety of water features you have. I greatly enjoy doing my best to keep them running smooth and looking good. I also find great joy in battling algae and winning. It does take time, maybe even a few weeks of treatments and scrubbing, but if it's not too far gone, I greatly enjoy seeing a green feature turn back into clear running water.