barley straw extract for string algae

15 years ago

I had a problem last year with string algae (I guess everyone does) but just pulled it out by hand and didn't try any products to combat it. What has everyone tried and what do you find that works the best? Does barley straw extract work? Is there something better that is not an actual algaecide? I remember people mentioning a product called Pond Balance which I think is salt; does it work better than barley extract?

I'm looking forward to starting my pond up for the season, but don't want to spend the summer battling string algae! I have a UV light for the other kind so I'm good there. The pond is small, as you can see in this pic from last summer, only about 1000 gal. The good news is that I see most, if not all, of my fishies swimming around so I may not have lost any over the winter. Frogs are another story; I scooped out 4 dead ones yesterday.

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Comments (5)

nkm56
15 years ago
I have only had limited success with barley of any kind. I did have some luck with hydrogen peroxide, but I'm a little squeamish about using it and it is a bit controversial. Some people get very hostile about it, but I must say the algae disappeared pretty quickly after using it. I used one bottle per 500 gallons. The barley releases hydrogen peroxide as it decomposes, but it must be in smaller amounts.

I ended up erecting one of those picnic tents over the pond to shade it from the sun. This has been the only thing that has really worked for me, other than the multitudes of tadpoles chowing down on it, LOL. I started looking at the advertisment flyers for the sporting goods stores, and found one cheap.

This may not be an option for you, but here's a pic so you can see what it looked like. I used it during the hottest part of the summer. I have a koi pond "hybrid", rather than an actual watergarden. All my plants are in bog pockets at the pond's edge, but I usually put one Blue Beauty water lily in a sunny corner of the pond because they're so gorgeous.

{{gwi:188510}}
oppalm
15 years ago
My pond is in Kansas zone 6 and I have never had any luck with Barley straw or the extract for string algae. I just pick it out with a brush. Not very glamorous but it works. I only get the string algae early in the season when my water lillies have not yet leafed out and shaded the pond. a canopy of some kind will help tremendously, nice idea.
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I have 3 large metal stock tanks. Over the years I have never had any problems with string algae until last summer. My oldest stock tank that is over 20 years old started growing lots of string algae. That sort of surprised me since it had never happened before? I have often wondered if the zinc in the metal prevented the growth of the string algae in some way? Neither of my other stock tanks had a problem with algae at all. However, I have changed this older tank somewhat. A couple of years back, it developed some small holes in the bottom of it. So I painted the bottom with swamp cooler tar, completely covering the metal. So a lot of the surface metal was covered over and there was less zinc to get into the water. Now I don't know if it was the zinc or not, but something is preventing the algae grow in the two newer stock tanks. Have any of you that have metal stock tanks noticed not having a problem with string algae or do you have a problem with it?
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The basic problem is nutrients in the water. The way to remove nutrients are: reduce the number and/or size of the fish, add marginal plants to remove the nutrients, and add a veggie filter to remove the nutrients. The barley straw will prevent the algae from growing but not kill it. I use it very successfully along with lots of marginal plants. The ramshorn snails eat algae and plants. Hence they are a detriment to the filter plants and marginal plants. I use trap door snails since they eat more algae and less other plant material and also do better getting through the winter. Many consider them the ideal snail for ponds since they reproduce slowly, do little harm to plants, and can survive water temperatures down to right above freezing. I bought 6 large ones and they gave birth to hundreds. That was 4 years ago and they have maintained a strong presence since then. Snails also eat dead plant material and help keep the pond clean. Clay is a temporary fix that uses adsorbtion to remove some nutrients. But remember it is like throwing mud into your pond. I may help in one area but may make the water cloudy and add sediment to the bottom of the pond. Another tool in reducing algae, is shade. Water lilies will help in this area. Some fish are real plant eaters, so depending up on your fish, this may be an option. The real fix is marginal plants or filter plants that will remove the nutrients from the water.
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A pond in balance is a terrarium. Snails eat dead matter and secrete it in a way that plants can use it. Bacteria decomposes dead matter and convert it into a substance that plants can use. Lilies and Azolla caroliniana create shade that prevents algae. Barley straw releases chemicals that prevent algae. Plants consume the nutrients that cause algae. Fish eat insect eggs preventing the pond from becoming an incubator for insects. The fish create nutrients. The plants utilize the nutrients. The more food you put in the denser the fish population the more nutrients you get and the more out of balance the pond becomes. Less food, less fish and more balance. Oxygenator plants such as anacharis add oxygen to the water so the fish can survive. The problem comes when there is a fish overload and you lose your plants. In this case you need two ponds, one for the plants the fish would devastate and one for the fish and the plants they don't eat. Since I have Golden Shinner minnows I don't have this problem. My pond has no filter, no UV, and no problems.
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You do not want string algae, because they don't help the pea soup. Get anachris, and more plants to crowd out the pea soup algae and barley straw (I buy it by the bale and stufff the bags that come with it). As that rots it clears the algae without hurting any plants or fish.
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pompeii
Original Author
15 years ago
I hadn't thought of a canopy. I'm sure it would really help with the problem, but then my plants probably wouldn't do as well in the shade. I see everyone say that the algae will only be a problem until the plants get established, but my biggest problem was on the waterfall rocks. I had a hard time keeping up with it by hand. So plants wouldn't help there.

Another ponder I know (my sister, actually) suggested the Clean Green stuff along with Microbelift. Has anyone had luck with that?
always_outside
15 years ago
I have a 1,000 gallon pond and I will never go another spring/summer without barley straw. I used the pellet form before, but didn't like it as much. I use the kind you can buy at Petsmart. It's in sheet form, bound by string. It works best in an area that gets a lot of agitation and sun. I keep mine in the weir, where the water flows right through it. It takes about 2 wks for it to start to work (it works via decomposition). I swear by this stuff! I used to be a slave to string algae, but never again thanks to the barley.
sleeplessinftwayne
15 years ago
Hydrogen peroxide is a product of decomposition of barley straw. The usual dose of Hydrogen Peroxide is one pint to 1,000 gallons applied slowly where the water is agitated.
I was just cleaning out the car and I came across a publication from the DNR that says the barley straw in any of its forms is pretty useless. Sandy

barley straw extract for string algae

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nkm56

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barley straw extract for string algae

Comments (5)

nkm56

oppalm

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pompeiiOriginal Author

always_outside

sleeplessinftwayne

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pompeii
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