Ways to Get Rid of Lake Algae
It is quite common for algae to be found in lake water. Algae is actually pretty healthy for a lake in a moderate amount. However, it starts to become more of an issue when an excessive amount of algae starts to gather and clump together inside of the lake. They are capable of reducing the oxygen levels inside the lake and becoming harmful to fish and waterfowl.
There is even a chance that harmful bacteria may start to build up. This bacteria will be able to kill fish and do harm to anyone who comes into contact with the lake. To keep algae from building up too heavily, you will have to routinely remove the algae from the lake. Restore your lake and clean up lake algae with Karina Lakefront Maintenance. Cleaning the lake will help keep the ecosystem happy and healthy. Here are a few simple ways that you can get rid of lake algae.
Getting rid of lake algae
Identifying the Algae
Identifying the type of algae that is in the lake is the first step in knowing how to get rid of it. Understanding the different types of algae will help you find out how you can reduce the number of excess algae. Some types of algae and bacteria can form and enter lakes from other outside sources. You can either remove the algae from the lake or handle the problem at the source. Once you have identified the algae or bacteria, you can do the necessary work to eliminate them.
Algae usually require carbon dioxide, sunlight, water, inorganic nutrients, or sugar to grow in a lake. Different types of algae require different methods of removal. You will want to effectively remove the current excess algae while also taking measures to prevent future issues.
Balance the algae
It will be totally impossible to get rid of every single bit of algae in a lake. However, you can
make sure that the lake has a healthy balance to keep the ecosystem clean. To balance the algae, you must first identify it and know how it grows. You will then be able to treat it
accordingly while also possibly controlling the source.
You can balance the algae by adding plants to the lake or administering treatments to the lake water. Both methods are highly effective and will likely prevent the invasion of harmful bacteria. Everything in nature needs a healthy balance, and algae in water sources are no exception.
Giving water treatments
Water treatments will help eliminate algae problems if they have already occurred. You will have to administer the treatment as often as necessary to get the highest level of effectiveness out of it. Treatments are excellent for controlling string algae and green water algae. Be sure to reapply the treatment as per the instructions and monitor how much treatment you apply each time. Also, make sure that you only administer the amount of water treatment as stated within the instructions.
Feeding the fish
Giving the fish that live inside of the lake a healthy diet of high-quality fish food can surprisingly work wonders for the ecosystem. Feeding them will allow them to digest properly and pass nutrients into the water through the fish. This will help reduce the growth of algae and allow the lake to receive the essential nutrients it needs to stay healthy. This is one of the most natural methods used to reduce algae buildup, second only to adding plants to the lake. Plants Sometimes all a lake needs is more plants to be added in order to regulate the flow of nutrients.
The nutrients that are released by fish can be absorbed by plants, allowing them to divert
nutrients away from algae. This will effectively prevent algae from building up even more by starving them of essential nutrients. If a lake does not have enough plants in its ecosystem, the algae growth rate will quickly increase. Adding your own plants will be an excellent solution to this problem.
Sometimes it will take a lake a bit of time to adjust to the plants you add to its ecosystem. You may notice a bit of green water occurring within the lake, but it will fade pretty quickly with time.
Creating a plant filter will be beneficial for helping the plants grow effectively. The plants that are placed inside of the plant feeders will take nutrients away from the algae and store them for themselves. Pea gravel should be lined inside of the plant filter to store beneficial bacteria that will help the plants stay healthy.
Using ultraviolet clarifiers
Ultraviolet clarifiers are effective in eliminating green water algae. The UV lights from the
clarifiers cause the algae from reproducing and spreading further around the lake. It is important to keep them out of the sight of human eyes since they can be harmful to look at. It is recommended to store them within dark areas where they would work most effectively.
The algae that are exposed to the ultraviolet clarifier’s fluorescent bulbs will be sent through the inlet tube to be eliminated. The dead algae will start to come together and leave the filtration system. Once that clump of algae is gone, the lake will be as healthy as ever.
While the UV clarifiers are highly effective against green water, it will not do much of anything against string algae. Reserve the UV clarifiers for green water and remove string algae by hand. You can also use a net or a garden hose to clean algae off of different surfaces around the lake.
Conclusion
A buildup of algae can cause great harm to a lake’s ecosystem as it can reduce oxygen levels and prevent nutrients from the sun from being absorbed by the lake. Getting rid of the algae inside of a lake will take a lot of time and effort. However, it will be worth it to keep the ecosystem healthy. These few simple methods will allow you to eliminate and prevent algae buildup. As a result, you will be able to maintain the lake and keep fish and other forms of life around the lake healthy.
