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Without doubt, koi pond algae is probably the greatest thorn in the side of koi fish keepers… not only because of the stench and unsightliness it creates… but because of an even more insidious reason – algae will actually cause sickness and eventually death to their fish if not eradicated quickly!

Yet the reality is you can prevent algae amassing quite simply and get around the problem… controlling algae is straightforward, if you know how to go about it the right way!

And on that note, here are some useful tips that will assist your efforts to get koi pond algae under control.

Typically there are two ways to control algae – with chemicals or by natural means.

This article discusses natural means. Chemical methods will be reviewed in further articles.

It is worth mentioning however, that natural pond algae control is preferable as it does not disturb or upset your pond’s ecology. That said, there will still be times that chemical treatment is necessary and this is acceptable on the proviso it isn’t the sole method of algae treatment.

So first let’s look at the key reason koi pond algae is life threatening and then we will look at preventing it.

The number one reason is that dead and rotten algae produces ammonia, and excessive ammonia quickly depletes the oxygen supply… and it almost goes without saying that koi fish lacking oxygen are like humans that have no air… they just can’t breathe, so they get sick and die!

But here is the good news… with a little smart planning you can completely slow down the growth of algae, stop dangerous ammonia buildup and remove your koi from risk.

In light of that… there are two things that algae require to live – good sunlight and nutrients. If you cut off the supply of these two key ingredients you almost totally restrict it’s growth or even eradicate it completely and that is why smart planning is essential.

Restrict the amount of direct sunlight on your koi pond

This is not to say that you can’t have any sun on the pond because of course it needs it, but what you need to consider is the method for keeping as much sun off the bottom of the pond as able, because that’s where algae mainly grows.

If you’re thinking about building a new koi pond, consider making as many areas as feasible no less than four feet deep… the deeper the better, because sunlight has a hard time penetrating further down than this depth.

You will no doubt need a small number of shallow areas about 18-24 inches deep, so for these places give thought to using plants with plenty of large leaves that make plentiful amounts of shade.

Water lilies create lots of shade with their broad leaves and they also look really nice and spice up the appearance of the pond.

For those who already have an existing pond that is difficult to change depth wise, why not consider planting lilies and also installing some overhead shade cover. Maybe a framed “lean to” with shading cloth fixed over the top… you have many alternatives and it’s something you can soon come up with… but you get the idea right?

If you are able to get 70-80% under shade… you’ll be amazed at how rapidly the koi pond algae growth diminishes.

Eliminate the nutrients that the algae needs

Just as important as restricting sunlight is removing all the essential nutrients that algae needs to live… take away it’s food and starve it to death!

Always clean out:

• Fish waste
• Rotting fish food
• Decaying algae
• Dead or dying fish (yes they do die on occasion)
• Decaying leaves and debris
• Specific types of phosphates and tap water nitrates

Yes this will mean regular skimming and vacuuming your koi pond, coupled with excellent water filtering and circulation, however the gains you make are worth the effort. Because as spoken of above, you’ll actually be starving the koi pond algae to death!

Plus… a good clean pond reveals the care you have for your koi.

So use these two easy treatments and you will be amazed at how rapidly plankton algae starts to diminish – then you can get on with the real fun stuff – like growing vibrant koi!

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