
When air temperatures reach into the mid-90's and beyond, water temperatures are not far behind, and this can have a major impact on the health of your pond. The first changes you will probably notice in your pond during the dog days of summer are a decreased water level and increased amounts of algae. The drop in your pond's water level is due to high evaporation rates, and there's not much you can do about it besides providing more shade and adding cool, fresh water.
(Note: If you are adding/replacing more than 20% of the total water volume to the pond, you will need to add de-chlorinator to the water to neutralize the chlorine in your tap water. You can buy a kit to test chlorine levels here.)
Click 'Read more' down on the right to see the full article...
A gentler way to treat your pond during an algae bloom is with flocculant. This works well on planktonic algae by binding it into clumps that your filter is able to remove. For the best results, place a fine filter pad in the skimmer or on top of the pump to catch the smaller clumps and particles. Check the filter pad regularly to make sure it isn't caked with muck. If so, just rinse it off with the hose and put it back. When the water has cleared and the pad is staying pretty clean you can remove the filter pad and put it away.
This same method can be used with SAB Stream & Pond Cleaner. This stuff has a mixture of enzymes, beneficial bacteria, and phosphate binder, and is designed to break down organic debris and minimize algae growth. It will also reduce nitrites and ammonia in the pond.
If you have an Aquascape Automatic Dosing System in place, the solution is simple. Hit the x2 button and it will infuse additional beneficial bacteria into your pond to naturally deal with the algae the way nature intends. If you do not have such a system in place, you can still add beneficial bacteria by hand.
There are a few other helpful tools we use to deal with algae: The IonGen will infuse copper ions into the water to safely combat excessive algae. Read more about the IonGen here.
The UltraKlear UV Clarifier is another tool used to combat algae without harming fish. These systems are pretty simple in action, but they need to be installed and set up correctly for the best results. Click here to watch a 4-minute video about the UltraKlear UV Clarifier.