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Author Topic: Blanket weed  (Read 5889 times)

mersey dave

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Blanket weed
« on: June 15, 2012, 03:23:45 pm »

Hi All, can anyone tell me if there is anything safe that can be added to a lake to get rid of Blanket Weed.

Regards Dave.

HawkEye

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2012, 03:53:02 pm »


Hmm. blanket weed is a form of alge that loves warm sunny water, once the spores are present it will grow rapidly consuming the waste products of fish etc. Easy enough in a pond just remove the nitrates and phosphates but in a lake which I assume is populated with wildlife must be nigh on impossible unless you care to introduce a lot of water plants to balance the ammonia content of the water.

Barley straw is fairly safe,takes time to work but you would need loads of it in a lake, commercial "killers" would be far too expensive - perhaps a dingy and a net ?  :}

HawkEye
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Bob K

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2012, 04:48:08 pm »

A lot depends on how big the 'lake' is.  I have a large Koi pond where blanket weed used to be a real problem especially after long periods of sunshine.  I was given a good tip by a top Koi expert, Water Cress.  I have a small top pool that feeds the main pool via a large waterfall.  Since I have grown water cress in this top pool the blanket weed has almost dissapeared.  Some chemical marker that disrupts the weed without harming the fish.  Has to go in the top pool otherwise the ravenous Koi would rip it apart.   Six years on, virtually no blanket weed even after long hot spells.

PS:  This is model boat related, the pond is also now my submarine test facility  {-)
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Rottweiler

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2012, 04:55:26 pm »

we have tried allsorts on our lake,the best is manpower. We use couple of 3 metre lengths of 3"X3" with 6" nails hammered through at intervals,thus forming a giant rake, attached by ropes to a small rowing dinghy,and towed through the weed bringing it to the edge of the lake,where helpers armed with lawn rakes,scoop it out onto the side of the lake.Barley bales if used must be fresh,not old,but do not work well in a lake.They do however,make an interesting obstacle course to maneouvre around!
Rain will beat the weed back underwater,but as soon as the sun comes out,it comes back up.We have had it so thick,that ducks could walk on it and swans found it very difficult to make any headway.Best suggestion...spend the time in your workshop!
Mick F
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Jerry C

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2012, 05:22:33 pm »

A month ago or thereabouts we fitted a much larger pump which feeds a fountain and a filter(coarse foam) / bio / UV lamp box. 1st 10 days I thought "what a swizz" cos the algae went bonkers but now it's all gone and pond is crystal clear. Theory is you fit the kit but don't switch the lamp on until the bio bit colonises. When it is, switch on the lamp which kills the algae by destroying its cell walls. The bio bit then digests the dead algae.  My pond is 3000 litres.  Works well.  Have a look on tinterweb and find out the implications of scaling up.
Jerry.

wullie/mk2

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2012, 05:35:08 pm »

You can use copper.i.e. scrap copper pipe,strategically placed in the pond,the reaction with water gives off copper sulphate, which kills of the algae,to see the effect that copper has, all you have to do is look at a slate roof that has a copper vent pipe coming from the hot cylinder thats in the loft,if there is any green moss on the slates, there will be no moss directly below the vent pipe, as this is where the rain washes the sulphate down,..up here in Scotland there is a company that sells copper ridge for houses,,...No moss on these roofs,
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mersey dave

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2012, 05:42:09 pm »

It looks like it has to be a lot of man power, copper pipe would be no good , it would find it's way in the scrap yard faster than we could put it in. {-) {-)

Regards Dave.

Circlip

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2012, 06:07:14 pm »

And Copper Sulphate is pretty effective at killing fish off. <*<

   Regards  Ian.
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wullie/mk2

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2012, 06:38:26 pm »

And Copper Sulphate is pretty effective at killing fish off. <*<

   Regards  Ian.
If that was the case then,the little fishies in my tank should be all floating on the surface years ago, asthere has been a copper minature divers helmet all covered in verdigrease, lying on the bottom of the tank,...but anyway i don,t have any fish in my pond,
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malcolmfrary

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2012, 08:49:29 pm »

And Copper Sulphate is pretty effective at killing fish off. <*<

   Regards  Ian.
Depends on the concentration.  Have a look at the fish medicines in your local pet shop - most have copper sulphate as the active ingredient.  But a lake would probably need a heck of a lot of copper pipe to be effective.
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Bryan Young

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2012, 10:54:03 pm »

We, at Tynemouth, had this problem. At times it looked thick enough to play cricket on. Ducks would drown.
This horrible stuff was encouraged to grow by people "feeding the ducks" with not just little bits of bread but with whole thick slabs of the stuff. What the birds don't eat (most of it) just gets water-logged and sinks to the bottom. And there it sits and festers. Then along comes the sun and it's whoopee time for the algae.
We basically lost 2 years of lake use because of this.
The Lake is Council owned, so after much lobbying by TMBC, RSPB and general members of the public, action was taken by the Council. To mixed applause.
But what does seem to work is an electronic gizmo that sort of radiates some impulses that makes the algae think again before growing. Haven't a clue how much it cost...but if it's a public lake then it seems to be worth it. BY.
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mersey dave

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2012, 11:15:30 pm »

We, at Tynemouth, had this problem. At times it looked thick enough to play cricket on. Ducks would drown.
This horrible stuff was encouraged to grow by people "feeding the ducks" with not just little bits of bread but with whole thick slabs of the stuff. What the birds don't eat (most of it) just gets water-logged and sinks to the bottom. And there it sits and festers. Then along comes the sun and it's whoopee time for the algae.
We basically lost 2 years of lake use because of this.
The Lake is Council owned, so after much lobbying by TMBC, RSPB and general members of the public, action was taken by the Council. To mixed applause.
But what does seem to work is an electronic gizmo that sort of radiates some impulses that makes the algae think again before growing. Haven't a clue how much it cost...but if it's a public lake then it seems to be worth it. BY.

Thanks mate, would you be able to get some info on the electronic gizmo, maybe our local council will have a look. :-)) :-))

Regards Dave.

Neil

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2012, 11:22:20 pm »

Thanks mate, would you be able to get some info on the electronic gizmo, maybe our local council will have a look. :-)) :-))

Regards Dave.


Hi Dave...they had the same problem at Fleewtood a couple or four years back and installed some sonic impulse gear and we've not had weed since..........worked a treat.........cost Wyre Borough Council about $1500 quid to install............give them a call on Monday and ask for Parks and Gardens or Environmental Health and they will posibly be able to tell you about what they installed.......their number is 01253 891000

good luck, and be assured it does work.
neil.
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mersey dave

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2012, 11:29:57 pm »

Hi Dave...they had the same problem at Fleewtood a couple or four years back and installed some sonic impulse gear and we've not had weed since..........worked a treat.........cost Wyre Borough Council about $1500 quid to install............give them a call on Monday and ask for Parks and Gardens or Environmental Health and they will posibly be able to tell you about what they installed.......their number is 01253 891000

good luck, and be assured it does work.
neil.

Hi Neil, i will give them a call on monday, thanks mate. :-)) :-)) :-))

Regards Dave.

wullie/mk2

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2012, 11:53:36 pm »

There was an article in the paper whilst the Chelsea flower show was on,regarding the eradication of weed from ponds,it said that during the winter months when the weed is lying on the bottom of the pond,there is a liquid additive that can be added to the water, that cuts out sunlight to weed, and without sunlight no weed will grow,..a bit like putting weed control black liner over ground weeds,this liquid is harmless to fish,and wild life, i,m sure if you check it out you,ll be able to find out what it is,
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malcolmfrary

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #15 on: June 17, 2012, 12:29:48 am »

The Fleetwood Lake is 300 yards by 100 yards (paced out while taking a boat for a walk) and a max of about 4 feet deep (from observing the local marine Cadets wading).  So that gives an idea of how much volume and surface area of water can be treated for the price.
There was an identical problem experienced by a neighbouring club to mine (Boaters Landing, by the Lifeboat Station at St Annes) where the ultrasonic gubbins was fitted and worked.
At "My" lake, touch wood, the "Do not feed" notices have worked, and the rabid idiot bird feeders  have stopped turning up each with four bags of bread with three loaves in each bag in small platoons, and the birds are now eating the weed.  Like nature intended. 
Very few Canada Geese in Canada eat bread, due to the lack of bread shops in Labrador. 
Hopefully, we will not need artificial algae suppression at Fairhaven, but "Don't feed the birds" notices can help, apart from the Brownie Leaders who think that notices are for lesser beings.  The more explicit ones at the Fleetwood lake are probably better at explaining the problem, but important people still won't read them.
Even if the birds eat it, it only stays with the bird a scant few minutes, and the resulting matter (tech term, guano) is basically, algae nutrient.

When suitably intoxicated, I tend to recommend watchtowers fitted with MG42's and guards recruited from the Stazi.  Whether for the birds or feeders is a subject for discussion.
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polaris

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #16 on: June 19, 2012, 09:57:27 pm »


Dear All,

This is an interesting subject.

There are a few solutions (pardon the pun).

Copper Sulphate is not as silly as it sounds. Malachite Green is use to 'sterilise' fishponds of fish fungus growth, and I have used it very effectively... at far higher doses than recommended out of desperation, and it has caused no problem. If there are no fish present, copper is not a bad idea, and to stop people pinching it, just cut it small and throw it about... far too much trouble for them to go fishing for it! Smaller it is, the more the more worthless the task in retrieving it... and the more likelyhood they will get caught!

Next. Whether fish present or not, salt could work. In the past, I have used salt to cure my own and others Coy of fungus... a kill or cure situation, but I have proved it to work, and am not afraid of using it. Raising the salinity % to quite high levels acts as an antiseptic, and, surprisingly does not cause distress to fresh water fish if done in a controlled way. Again, I have found this out in practice and out of desperation for a cure, and it has worked very effectively.

Can suggest more if wanted?

Regards, Bernard
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scout

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #17 on: June 23, 2012, 10:24:52 pm »

We have a lake 100yds x 50yds and use a product called dyofix lake shadow a consentrated food dye safe for all lakes even have a calculator on their site dyofix.com or dyofix.co.uk hope it helps Yours Scout
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davidjt

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #18 on: June 24, 2012, 01:35:59 am »

hi,

i have noticed on trout lakes that they have aireaters which pump water around just below water level like a fountain whith out the spray. this works by a continuous movement of water which comes on at regular interval's  ( thus preventing algea forming), it doesn't like oxygen so keeps water fresh just a thought don't know what they cost :-)
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hmsantrim

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #19 on: June 24, 2012, 10:19:05 am »


 Hi Dave.
               this is a product used for garden ponds bought some to use this year but not required it as weather has been kind lol
               (no prolonged period of sunshine) and not produced the algae bloom.  environment friendly according to the blurb

                had barley straw b4 did not work where I was may be wrong kind of weed ducks loved it though places to roost on..

              http://www.aquaplancton.co.uk/application.php

                  Frank..
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Norseman

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #20 on: June 24, 2012, 11:44:33 am »

I think my problem is called Duckweed
It usually grows at a phenomenal rate, but this year it hasn't been so vigorous.
I just scoop off what I can - a real pain in the gluteus maximus



Dave
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mersey dave

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #21 on: June 24, 2012, 09:45:53 pm »

Thanks all, you have been a great help. :-)) :-)) :-))

Regards Dave.

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Re: Blanket weed
« Reply #22 on: June 25, 2012, 01:08:18 am »

Just to add , what we goolies did to our pond .
We also had a problem with weed , the stuff that almost grows in front of your eyes . We used a chemical which worked reasonably well until the goverment banned it , and the replacement was useless and expensive, we would drag the pond almost daily as the weed would be back the following day , to help with controling it i made a pond friendly rake about 5 foot long with guards on the ends to protect the clay bottom,
Each drag would recover enough weed to fill a wheelbarrow ,we were going to try colourents to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the bottom (the pond is only 18" deep) but there were concerns about members having coloured bottoms (their boats) .
In the end we have successfully kept any weed at bay with salt , initially we used grit salt but now we dose up with food grade salt , and a 12.5 kg bag is sufficient for our pond.
Some times the simpliest solution works , it has for us .
daz
Oh and if your worried about wildlife we have a large healthy population of fish ,cod, haddock, skate {-) no realy roach perch etc, i have even thought about putting a rod in.
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