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Help!! Pond algae\weed

andrewjnichollsandrewjnicholls Posts: 21
in Problem solving

Hello, have just put a pond in - my first  - and some form of algae\pond weed has nearly covered the surface. I cleared it 2 weeks ago and it's come back! Does anyone know what it is exactly? It starts green and turns brown and each bit of if has little tentacle like things underneath. Any advice as to what it is and how to get rid of it would be very much appreciated. I'm currently getting in the pond with a colander to remove it and it's taking hours and hours! Many thanks, Andrew

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  • andrewjnichollsandrewjnicholls Posts: 21
    Hello, have just put a pond in - my first  - and some form of algae\pond weed has nearly covered the surface. I cleared it 2 weeks ago and it's come back! Does anyone know what it is exactly? It starts green and turns brown and each bit of if has little tentacle like things underneath. Any advice as to what it is and how to get rid of it would be very much appreciated. I'm currently getting in the pond with a colander to remove it and it's taking hours and hours! Many thanks, Andrew
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Any chance of taking a clear close up of a piece of the weed for ID? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • andrewjnichollsandrewjnicholls Posts: 21
    Thank-you so much for the delay in getting back to me - any help in identifying what it is and how to deal with it will be much appreciated! Please see the photos. Many thanks.
  • WallflowerBryWallflowerBry Posts: 81
    I think that is mosquito fern.  If you Google it you'll find ways of controlling it.  
  • andrewjnichollsandrewjnicholls Posts: 21
    Thank-you very much for that. Does anyone else have any views as to what it might be?
    Many thanks.
  • WallflowerBryWallflowerBry Posts: 81
    Here it is;

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/water-plants/mosquito-fern/mosquito-fern-plant-info.htm
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    I am also very sure it's azolla.

    What I'm not at all sure about is what is recommended to eradicate it. Here's an interesting website: https://www.cabi.org/projects/azolla-control/. Its worthwhile having a google now that you know what it is, see if it turns up a less mechanical means than constantly taking it away!
  • andrewjnichollsandrewjnicholls Posts: 21
    Thank-you very much. It's a nightmare. Has taken over the pond and grows back so quickly - I can hardly keep up with it!
    I have no fish in the pond so am happy to use something that would kill it for good?!
    Would a pond vacuum help?
    Any suggestions\ideas greatly appreciated!
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    I suspect even a trace of it still in the pond will quickly multiply so I'm not sure even a pond vac would do. I suspect it'll need chemical control or to be completely outmuscled by other plants. Someone will know better than me but there must be a native fish partial to it?
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