NANFA-- hair algae / pond questions

Prizma_at_aol.com
Mon, 4 Sep 2000 22:45:51 EDT

maybe some of yall can offer some advice...
ive got a koi filled 25,000 gal cement pond... at least 8.4 ph... very alky.
( i believe this is a result of the ancient concrete pool's sides and bottom
and the addition of new concrete materials for plant shelving ). i have a 50
gal plastic pool sitting on the pond's edge which draws water up from the
cement pond's deep end and thru a reverse pea graveled ug filter... and
eventually back to the cement pond via a pvc spigot. in this 50 gal mini pond
i want to establish a mass of plants to aid in filtration and as a nursery
for interesting fish fry i would like to get established. swamp hibsiscus and
cattails are thriving. however hair algae is overtaking water lettuce,
parrots feather, hycyida, anacharis and water lillies.
today i took out a pot of very algae hairdified vegatation/anacharis and put
it in the cement pond proper. within several minutes the koi were sucking
down the hair algae like spagetti... cleaning up the plants within several
hours. awesome. however eventually i wish to have all natives, no koi. i need
a native that will do this as well... any suggestions?
i believe stone rollers are hair algae eaters... i wonder if they would make
it in the minimal flow? miniature native carp/ red horse? what about a herd
of least killies or sailfin mollies... both vegatarians.
this pool has minimal flow... been running about 80 degrees even during the
95 degree air temp. its pulling water from the deep end of the cement pond. i
plan on eventually bringing the ph to 7.0 proper via a complete water
change, muck removal and aging of the new cement materials. the pool has not
had a water change in many, many years. ive also added a couple of burlap
bags filled w/ peat to help nutreulize the alkalinity... and ive heard of
adding vinegar. ??? however iris' are thriving in this alky water... looking
very lush. some other plants are yellowing tho.
the pond did freeze over once last winter... but that will be very rare. i
live in chatt tn so have fairly mild winters.
my eventual goal is to have the water very clear, lush w/ vegatation, and a
waterfiltering high pool waterfalling to the waterlevel lowered cement pond.
in the lowered shallow end i will establish a 12" deep 8' wide 18' long
gravel bed for plants and sunfish spawning. i also plan on setting up a
swimming pool sand filter in the deep end to further aid in filtration...
once ive done the major muck removal and complete water change hopefully this
spring.
my main question is what local native will eat hair algae? any other advice
would also be appreciated!
casper

/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org