Blanket Weed

[Haveagojoe]

Ive got a major problem in my pond and was hoping that some one can help me out, so here goes.
I've a small pond 8ft x 4ft x 2ft deep and over the last two years been plagued with blanket/silk weed so I bought this http/www.fishkeeper.co.uk/latestoffersdetails.aspx?id=304
It kills it but the problem is the dead weed covers everything in the pond with a horrible green sludge, it smothers the light to the other plants so they die and in two years my lillies have not flowered once, I have to clean the filter out at least once a week the sponges are absolutley clogged with the stuff, and the the blanket weed grows back and the whole thing starts again.

I treated the pond two weeks ago and today I took out all my plant baskets because all the plants were smothered in this green slime, the water is crystal clear the uv is doing its job and I'm at my wits end with it I really feel like filling it in.

Ive tested the water and the nitrite level is 0 so I cant understand why the blanket weed grows so well, the fish are healthy Iv'e never had a fish loss in all the time the pond has been there, I just seem to throwing money away on plants because all they do is die covered in a green sludge.

Do you think it would be better not to treat the pond and just let it try and balance itself out or continue treating it and hope that eventually the horrible stuff will go.

Help please...........

 

[Haveagojoe]

No Ideas

 

[fluttermoth]

No, never had to deal with blanketweed, I'm afraid. I'm probably tempting fate now, as I have a new pond

Just posting to let you know you're not being ignored!

 

[Haveagojoe]

Thanks for that I did think I was being a bit ignored, I hope you dont end up with the same problem but blanketweed is pretty common in new ponds, having said that mine is 5 years old now.

 

[fluttermoth]

I know, I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Luckily I got the filtration system from my mum's old pond (she was moving house and didn't want to dig a new one, so needed somewhere for her goldies to go) and it included a UV filter, so I'm hoping that keeps it at bay

 

[Haveagojoe]

In fact a uv filter makes matters worse, you never see blanketweed in green water, the clear water that comes with using a uv filter actually encourages the stuff to grow but who wants a pond full of green water.

 

[fluttermoth]

 

[Sbatty]

Try the TAP algea pad. We had this problem last year when we first came across this pad. My OH was cleaning the filter every other day until we got it under control but it is worth it.

Don't fill in your pond!

 

[Cazgar]

I have a small pond, & the first year it was set up, I had loads of blanketweed.
My local pond place told me to plant it quite heavily, & have at least a third of the suface covered by floating plants.
I also threw in a net of barley straw for good measure.
My pond is now 5 years old & I've never had blanketweed since "touch wood"

 

[Haveagojoe]

I try to plant the pond up but they get smothyered bt the horrible dead algae that the uv produces, Ive just installed another filter this week to see if that will help to filter out the dead stuff, its the Hozelock ecocel 2500 but after a week I think I might need to put another foam sheet in it the one in there is stuffed already.I think I am becoming a bit OCD about this though

 

[Cazgar]

I'm ashamed to say I don't have a filter, just a solar powered air pump.
I didn't know anything about fish keeping when I built it.
The water is clear & all the fish are doing well, they even survived the -15 degree winter we had