[Need Advice] How to control algae in fountains....

[miamipanda]

Grumpy, thanks so much for taking the time to look up information on the UV lights, and to even get me some product reviews on the one in the link. You are awesome!

Aravenschild, so these nerite snails really work to keep the algae at bay? How many would I need for this 40 gallon fountain?

Slimjim, I'm so glad to hear that the UV filters have worked well in getting rid of algae, and also in keeping your Koi heatlhy. 17 year old Koi, those must be some fish, and that must be a large pond!

BC, the fountain is on the northeast corner of the house. There is a narrow walkway to it's left, and then my neighbors yard....... when the sun comes from the east, I don't have a way to shade it. It is partially shaded by the wall (from the south), and the house shades it when the sun is west.

BFG, since this fountain is attached to the house...... it was an old box planter attached and built with the house. The back wall was there as well, partially obsuring the front yard from the side of the house. So I put in the wall fountain. Anyway..... I can't move it. The waterlilies are dwarf, and they are dormant in the small pot..... I've removed most of the pebbles from the bottom in one attempt to clean them.

At one time I had painted the basin of the fountain with a type of waterproof sealer paint, but it started to bubble, and I was afraid the fish would eat the paint so I removed it.

When I had fish, I never changed all the water at one time.

[aravenschild]

Barefootgardener....
Comets are common goldfish , they are just bigger versions. Are you sure your not thinking of Fantails?
As for painting the tank, I wouldn't, paint tends to peel and can be toxic

Maimipanda....
Mary at SweetAquatics can tell you for sure how many you would need, but I can tell you this, I put three in the 3 gallon tank my betta is in (you couldn't see him for the algae) and in less then a week all the algae was gone. If the pan for your fountain holds thirty gallons I would try at least a dozen.
Something else to think on, did you add the goldfish because you liked looking at them or mosquito control? If you added them for mosquito control try guppies, they stay small, are cheap, hardy and will eat their weight in mosquito larva every day.....

Oh, and UV sterilizers for ponds only kill the free floating algae, it won't affect they algae growing on plants and tank walls.

[BarefootGardener]

Barefootgardener....
Comets are common goldfish , they are just bigger versions. Are you sure your not thinking of Fantails?

No, I meant comets. They are one step up the 'fancy' ladder from the common goldfish, but I find them to be must pretteir, more graceful, and much move active. See



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_(goldfish)

[aravenschild]

The only difference between a comet and a common, is the length of the tail. You can get both in the same spawn and they are both sold mixed together as feeders in most pet shops............