String Algae

Algae are a sign of a healthy pond. The conditions favorable to string algae are limey water with a high pH.  Run off from concrete slabs, cement, soil and even lime in tap water if you top off the pond frequently. Topping off the pond with tap water also feeds it the nitrates and the phosphates which are a great food source for algae.  Phosphates also come from water running off of surrounding soil. String algae can grow at much lower temperatures than most of the competing plants in the pond and so it gets a head start on all of them. If you don’t have the proper plant coverage, the products in this category in conjunction with products in the Routine Pond Maintenance Category can help get a handle on the problem of string algae.