Summer’s long days and sultry nights can mean more time to enjoy your pond or water feature. But the warmer water temperatures also create a perfect environment for an outbreak of every pond owner’s number one headache-algae. There are two types that are commonly found in home water gardens. Suspended algae are made up of millions of microscopic plants floating through the water. It makes you pond look green. Filamentous, or string algae, forms long hair-like strands and attaches to rocks, gravel and other surfaces in your pond.

There are a couple of treatment options that the Garden Center offers. The one you choose will depend on how much algae your pond has developed. If the algae level in your water garden is minimal, or non-existent, we say, “Lucky you.” But you shouldn’t rest on your laurels. The high temperatures that we’ve experienced for last week can quickly turn your crystal clear water into pea soup. So treat proactively with Aquascape’s two-pronged defense-Beneficial Bacteria for Ponds and SAB Stream & Pond Clean. Beneficial Bacteria contains bacteria and enzymes that will effectively balance your pond’s ecosystem. SAB, or String Algae Blaster, helps to breakdown and reduce debris.

Is algae already a problem in your water feature? Aquascape’s EcoBlast Algaecide is one of the fastest ways to eliminate algae from waterfalls, streams and fountains. Sprinkle this granular product and watch the algae disappear. We also recommend Algaecide, an easy-to-use water conditioner that quickly controls existing blooms and string algae. It is very effective at keeping pond water clean and clear. All of these treatments are safe for plants and fish when they are used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pond owners who are also lovers of gadgets might want to check out Aquascape’s IonGen System, which electronically controls algae, drastically reducing pond maintenance. It almost eliminates the need for any traditional treatments and costs less than a dollar a month to run. And how does this too-good-to-be-true thing work? The system releases a calculated mixture of copper ions into the water that kills string algae, keeps water clean and clear and is safe for fish and plants when manufacturer guidelines are followed.