Phosphorous Feeds Algae - Stop It With This!

A good beneficial bacteria will target all the various kinds of nutrients that feed unwanted growth and it will work much of the time to help clean a pond up.

But sometimes these good microbes simply may not be enough to reduce the phosphate levels down low enough.

When you have a stubborn algae bloom that you can't seem to bring into line, then consider checking the phosphate levels in your pond.  Even low levels can stimulate algae.

If you choose to target them a bit better, there are several types of products that can help.  All of them work to bind up with the phosphates and make them unavailable to feed algae.  Alum is a common chemical that works on phosphates, but it comes with some risks to fish.  The pH of your pond water must be relatively neutral to use it safely.  This is why we rarely if ever use Alum exclusively.

Fortunately there is another solution.  We have a non-chemical, natural calcium based product that works very well to bind to phosphates without affecting pH to a great degree.  It works a bit more slowly than Alum, but is a viable option when safety for fish is your highest priority.

Plus there are other benefits...

• Provides around 70 beneficial trace minerals to the pond (great for fish!)
• Buffers the pH of the water.
• Provides some minor flocculation or settling of suspended particulates (clearer water!)

Dosage rates are approximately 3 to 5 pounds per acre foot.   Research shows the best results can be obtained by treating at the appropriate dosage, every two weeks, 3 or 4 times in succession.  

Higher dosages or repeated applications may be necessary if phosphate levels are particularly high, or the pond is being infused with an ongoing supply of phosphorus from source waters or runoff.