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drh1_gw

String algae removal in deep areas in your pond.

drh1
13 years ago

I've dealt with a bit of string algae off and on with good success using the usual things: floaters, brushes, occassional hydrogen peroxide addition, etc. But in the deepest part of my pond (approximately 3 - 31/2 feet) there is usually a small patch that I've tended to ignore. Since I don't always leave things alone I decided to "go after the patch". The question in my mind was once I'd removed as much using a brush how to get down there? Adding hydrogen peroxide around the edge of the pond didn't seem to get the problem solved since by the time any made it to that area it was too diluted or used up. So I tried using what I guess you could call a hydrogen peroxide "blow gun". I had a 10 foot section of 3/4" plastic, electrical conduit. I rinsed it out well. Stuck one end of the tube right into the area where the string algae was growing, added about a pint of hydrogen peroxide and then put my mouth over the other end and gently blew until a bubble appeared. Voila! It worked like a charm! The bubble coming out of the end caused the fish to go away (they came back a few seconds later since they were very, very curious). Blowing the H2O2 into the exact spot created a sufficiently high concentration to wipe out the algae in an area about 3 feet in diameter. Since H2O2 is more dense than water it tended to concentrate in the area but still mixed quite rapidly as it reacted with the string algae. These reactions are extremely fast (over with in 10-15 seconds at most). I wasn't worried about getting any in my mouth (it can, if need be, used full strength as a mouth rinse - not saying it would taste great but...). And most importantly, no problems with the fish! It's not something I would do on a regular basis but it does offer me a way of specifically targeting on area in my pond without having to add lots of H2O2 trying to go after a small area.

---David

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