Garden Ponds Problems - Fish | Plants | Ponds

Firstly, find out the cause, then try one of these cures. It is almost certainly a case of too much nutrient in the water. Blanket Weed or Algae are the main culprits, and need different approaches to control. Basically, there is a nutrient imbalance in the pond. Find out more...

Green Garden Pond Water

The Imbalance of Nutrients in the Water

There are a kind of a few different causes, it can one, two or a combination of all.

We are looking at the food chain and an imbalance of one or two items in the food chain. All will be explained, but first what is or why does the pond water turn green.

The green colouration in your water is Algae, microscopic floating Algae. Microscopic, you say, why can i see it, because there are literally millions of them. Algae can build very quickly if it has no deterrents, especially in the summer where the conditions are perfect and the nitrates and phosphate levels are high.

String Algae looks similar to blanket weed. Basically, there is a nutrient imbalance in the pond. Find out more...

String Algae in your Pond

Filamentous Algae is commonly known as String Algae, Blanket Algae, Pond Moss or Blanket Weed. Whatever you commonly call it, it is Filamentous Algae.

Filamentous algae are colonies of microscopic plants that link together to form threads, very fine, hair like, threads. They mass together to resemble flowing hair, if submerged, and like a dumped clumped blanket, if it is surfaced. These Microscopic plants have no roots and bind themselves onto almost anything in your pond. In flowing water it can look good. When it gets too heavy for its host, it breaks off and floats to the surface and clumps and mats together to form the blanket. This really does not look good.

There are only 3 types of Heron which mainly live, feed and breed in Great Britain. They are the 'Bittern', 'Little Egret' and the most common 'Grey Heron'. Other Herons like the Great Blue Heron do visit Great Britain frequently.

A Grey Heron in your Pond

The Grey Heron is one of Britain's largest birds, stood tall, it can reach about 1 meter and and it has a wing span just short of 2 meters.

It has very long and thin legs, which helps it wade through marsh lands and shallows in its search for food. It has a long but powerful neck with a long and pointed beak, its powerful neck can thrust its dart like beak deep into the water to catch its prey.

Herons can be called 'Stalkers', they can stand in the shallows, motionless for hours, waiting and watching for their prey to come to them.

Herons nest and feed in numbers, they like to nest high trees usually in remote rural areas, cross species can nest together in 5 to 10 nests. They are happy to travel long distances to their regular feeding grounds, the flock can be in numbers as high as 70 or 80 birds in flight. One quick swoop and you could lose your whole fish stock.

A Ramshorn Snail

There are only 3 types of Heron which mainly live, feed and breed in Great Britain. They are the 'Bittern', 'Little Egret' and the most common 'Grey Heron'. Other Herons like the Great Blue Heron do visit Great Britain frequently.

The Grey Heron is one of Britain's largest birds, stood tall, it can reach about 1 meter and and it has a wing span just short of 2 meters.