We get the same question over and over again...  How do I get rid of this algae?  Then we have to follow with the question, What kind of algae is it?.   There are several kinds that fall into one or two categories.  Algae Bloom is "green water" and String Algae is algae that you can actually touch.  You can't get rid of both the same way.

Algae bloom is free-floating algae and either requires balancing the system (patience is needed) or a UV system (no patience needed).  We’ve written several article about algae bloom. A good one to read is “The Principles of Crystal Clear Water.”

String algae is the algae that hangs from rocks in the waterfall, attaches to plants or simply hangs on the surface of the water (then called Blanket Algae).  Do not confuse string algae with the soft, velvety, jelly-like coating that forms on the sides of the pond.  This is good algae.  The fish like to eat it and it contains beneficial bacteria.  When your pond has this kind of algae, generally, it is balanced.  String algae can be brought in by water plants so pull off any stringy algae you see on new plants before introducing them into your pond.  It has been surviving the winters here in Georgia though I can't remember it being that cold tolerant in the past.  Perhaps it has become more hardy.

I like to sit and pull string algae from the plants and sides of the pond and play with it while I talk with customers.  It's a substitute for something to do with my hands since I quit smoking 15 years ago.  It looks like lace when you pull it apart.  It has tensile strength and I wonder if there is a way to further process it for some useful purpose.  I can see it now -- algae lace curtains...  ...Okay, enough of that!

It used to be that pulling it off was the only way to get rid of it.  If you use a herbicide you'll kill all your plants.  Algaecides can kill your fish.  So, what is a string-algae-sufferer to do?  String algae used to be tough to get rid of but not so much these days with the invention of new water treatments. 

You can kill what's there with a product called AlgaeFix.  This product was introduced only about 5 years ago but caught on quick!  We LOVE this product.  Just thinking of it makes me have warm feelings all over...  ...Okay, enough of that too!

AlgaeFix only kills what's in the pond at the time.  The string algae will turn black, die and fall to the bottom of the pond.  It is a great idea to use AlgaeFix a couple of days before a thorough pond cleaning.  You can easily blast off the black, dead algae from the rocks in the waterfall and suck its remains up with a wet vac.  Whalah!  The string algae is gone and the rocks on your waterfall no longer will resemble singers from ZZ Top.  But, oh my gosh, it's back within a week and your pond is singing "Tush"!!

That's when barley comes into the picture - in the form or barley bales or barley extract.  Basically, barley emits natural enzymes that thwarts the growth of string algae.  Although the directions will say that you can simply throw the bales into the pond we've found that it's more effective if placed where the pond water will run through it and distribute this bacteria.  Barley extract is more expensive but easier to use and faster.

Barley will do nothing to any existing algae - that's why you still need the AlgaeFix.  It will only help prevent the algae from reproducing.  Like any treatment, if you don’t have enough of this chemical in the water, it will not be effective.  One barley bale pack per 1000 gallons is recommended by the manufacturer to do the job for 6-8 months.  Don’t expect immediate results, even if using barley extract.  It takes a couple of weeks to get started.