Picture of a Pond with an Abundance of Algae.

Q: I’ve treated my pond for algae with one of you Algae Defense, it works great although I have to do it almost monthly. Do you offer anything that would offer longer lasting results? – Jacob of Michigan

A: Algae Defense is meant to be used as a reset button providing quick results. Algae Defense is a great tool to get your pond under control especially during those hot summer months. The disadvantage is that the results are generally only short-term, because it only addresses the result of a problem and not the actual problem itself. To get the long-term results you’re looking for, you will have to take a different approach.

Think of it this way, you only use chemicals, when weeds and algae become a problem. This is a “reactive” approach. You need to think of your pond’s health proactively. Being “proactive” means treating for the problem not just the result of the problem.

Algae and pondweed growth are promoted by two basic things, sunlight and nutrients.

Sunlight can only be controlled by shade trees, surface structure and/or plants or by adding a pond dye such as Nature’s Blue or Black DyeMond.

Nutrients: Nutrients can come from many things such as, grass clippings, twigs, trees, fish waste, yard and farm fertilizers, runoff, etc. The majority of nutrients, especially those that have come from organics decomposing, are found at the bottom of your pond in what is known as black “muck”. The rest of the nutrients are free floating in your waters column sometimes causing murkiness.

Nutrients can be greatly reduced by eliminating “point source problems” such as:

#1 - Leave a buffer area around the pond when you fertilize. Use fertilizers low in phosphorus and/or organic ones.

#2 – Rake your pond using a Pond & Beach Rake removing dead vegetation, leaves and other organics that will eventually decompose on the bottom.

#3 - The next best thing is to introduce an aeration system to your pond and following our proven 4-Step System.

Want to get rid of the Muck FAST? Use all natural, Pond-Clear Pellets. These pellets accelerate the decomposition of “muck”. Depending on the amount of nutrient intake your pond receives, Pond-Clear Pellets can eat up to 5 inches of “muck” per year.

ClearPAC - Season-Long Pond Care in One Convenient Package

Q: Is there any one product that I can use to get my pond cleared up? I have tried numerous products from my local feed store with little to no success. Please help! – Jason of Indiana

A: One of the best ways to maintain your pond all year long is to get a ClearPAC. The ClearPAC is a collection of products that come in one package designed to make the maintenance of your pond as simple as possible. The following is a list of the products that are included within the ClearPAC and what their purposes are:

Algae Defense – The Algae Killer*: Algae Defense is an algaecide that once sprayed onto algae, within hours the algae is dead. It is very fast acting. If algae is present in your pond, we recommend using Algae Defense to kill off the algae before starting the rest of the package.

Pond-Clear – The Natural Bacteria: Pond-Clear is one of the best products used in the market today to help keep your pond clean and clear. These easy-to-use water soluble packets, once toss into the water, go to work immediately to breakdown muck, remove excess nutrients and eliminate noxious odors. Pond-Clear will naturally improve a pond’s water clarity by attacking suspended organic waste. This powerful bacteria can breakdown as much as 5 inches of muck per year! We recommend using Pond-Clear every two weeks throughout the season when water temperatures are above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nature’s Blue – The Pond Dye: This super concentrated pond dye works great at giving your pond a long lasting natural blue color as well as filtering out sunlight. This quart is so concentrated that it is equal to many other pond dye gallons out on the market.

Nutri-Defense – The Eco-Enhancer: Nutri-Defense works to bind up excess nutrients and sinks them to the pond’s bottom to make them unavailable as a food source for algae. Nutri-Defense also helps stimulate the Pond-Clear natural bacteria. Once Nutri-Defense has settled the nutrients to the pond’s bottom, Pond-Clear goes to work to break them down further. Pond-Clear and Nutri-Defense are a fantastic “one-two punch” to keep your pond clean and clear.

The ClearPAC is a great way to keep your pond clean, clear and healthy all season. We always recommend to add an aeration system to help further enhance the performance of the ClearPAC. (Click here to read more about aeration). The ClearPAC comes in two different sizes, the 1/4 Acre ClearPAC and the 1/2 Acre ClearPAC. There is enough product to treat the ponds for up to 6 months!

*Algae Defense cannot be shipped to the following states: California, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New York and Washington. Algae Defense will be omitted from orders going to these states.