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Pond dyes, tints, shading…call it what you want but if you go looking around, you’ll find quite a few options.
A question I get quite often is, will pond dye help with algae control?
The best answer for this is yes, it can help, but there are a couple of points to keep in mind. There is, in my opinion, a better way to apply the dye than what the instructions on the bottle may tell you and there are particular ponds where it may be more useful.
Play the video below to get all the details.
[youtube width=”425″ height=”355″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXXNKtRxPS0&feature=youtube_gdata[/youtube]
As mentioned above, dyes are now available in blue, black, and combinations of those colors, giving a pond owner a few good options depending on their tastes and needs. Black and blue/black in particular provide a bit more natural looking appearance based on the feedback of some pond owners.
No matter what, choices are a good thing!
To look over all the options visit our pond dye page.
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What are your thoughts on using hydrogen perioxide to control algae in a pond used for human consumption.
Hi Ruth,
Hydrogen peroxide would be a good use for this and is worth a try. It’s thought that barley straw actually produces a light form of this as it decays. In that light I would say it would probably work best as a deterrent.
Mark
aeration,aeration,aeration can cure a lot of problems if you are using a rubber disc producing very small bubbles and a good air pump.
I currently have algae problem and have drained pond considerably as to add chemical to rid algae. I am going to buy a 1 1/2 horse power submerge pump and will add a weighted 6 ft. stick of 1/2 inch pvc with holes drilled in for aeration. Do you think this will work to put oxygen in pond. If it does, I will then add dye and keep maintained.
Mark,
If you have the proper amount of pond dye, will the water still appear clear? I have a large pond and rescently purchased a “biosphere” and the blue black dye. The sphere appears to be REALLY clearing up the water clarity and working on the bottom sludge, but I now am not sure if the water is too clear and needs more dye tinting?
Hi Bob,
Two things I should mention…one a submerged pump will of course pump water and not air. It will help some with circulation but that’s about it. The type of tube you describe as well is not going to produce fine enough air bubbles to do much. Typical tube or stick diffusers have a rubber membrane on them with very small holes which helps them work better. They are also run by a land based pump that drives air through this.
Keep in mind what you need to do for proper aeration is to disrupt the surface somewhat to increase oxygen transfer there. Even a fountain will help some in a smaller pond. But what you describe is not really aeration to speak of. Also please keep in mind that aeration is one part of the plan for dealing with algae. It’s intended to help maintain and support a healthy level of aerobic bacteria which will do most of the cleaning and nutrient management. Between these two things most ponds will improve greatly and of course as you mentioned, dye can help as well if the pond get’s a lot of sun.
Hope this helps a bit.
Mark
Hi William,
Yes I would say the proper amount of dye (in my opinion)should only tint the water, which means you can see through it pretty well. Some folks, either on purpose or by mistake, put way too much in and create a look that you can’t see through at all, and it looks terrible to me. So I suggest dosing with less to start with and working up to a point that you like and provides shading affect…it’s a bit of a trial for a time but you can get the hang of it and see what works best for you.
Take care,
Mark
I have battled a hair algae problem all spring and have finally got rid of it with 80% water changes , and barley and at the same time keeping the chemical balance in check but I almost used the dye a friend has used it with great results we both live in So. Cal and the ponds see light all but just shorter duration in the winter..
Hello Mark They admit that there is more oil on land to last us for thousands of years at less than thirty cents a gallon but choose to get the expensive oil from the oil sands and our water ways. See you Rene PS I received an email months ago about this if I come across it I will send to you if you want. Rene