Algae Control Methods

Different algae control methods vary in effectiveness, cost, and impact on the environment. Identifying the dangers that algal blooms bring into your water reservoir, and understanding the different treatment methods are essential in choosing the option that is best suited to your specific dam or fish pond algae control needs.

EnviroSonic offers ultrasonic algae control systems that are:

  • Fast-acting and effective

  • Easy to install

  • Cost-effective

  • Environmentally friendly - no chemicals, no sediment

Freshwater bodies are at the highest risk for algal proliferation. Up to 8 groups of algae thrive in Australian lakes and ponds. They also occur naturally in the environment. In low numbers, they do not pose a problem for water clarity and the overall freshwater ecosystem consisting of fish, plants, and other aquatic organisms.

But during algal blooms, they deplete the available dissolved oxygen in the water and lead to fish kills.

      1. Blue-green algae, also called cyanobacteria, are microscopic single-celled organisms that aggregate to form clumps with diameters of 1 - 2 mm, resulting in the pea soup-like appearance of the water body.
        The proliferation of blue-green algae, such as Microcystis, Anabaena, and Aphantiomenon in nutrient-rich and warm water bodies sometimes results in harmful algal blooms and subsequent release of toxins capable of harming people and animals.

      2. Green algae are also common in Australian freshwater. They appear as green and silky substances that can easily be held. They are usually immotile, although some exhibit motility with the aid of a few strands of flagella.

      3. Diatoms have spherical holes in their transparent, silica-made cell wall. They typically grow between 20 to 200 micrometres in length and exhibit spine-like cells that increase their resistance to water currents and rapid sinking.

      4. The highly motile dinoflagellates are known for their 2 dissimilar flagella, which they use to swim in freshwater reservoirs. Their anterior flagella are responsible for the forward movement, while the other is wrapped along the centre of its body and is responsible for its twisting motion.

      5. Euglenas have a bright green appearance with 1 long flagellum extending from its posterior. They exhibit both plant-like and animal-like characteristics, improving their resilience in the environment.

      6. The golden-brown algae, named for their golden appearance in the environment, are less common in Australian freshwater as compared to other algae types. However, they are worth including in this list as some golden-brown algae species cause fish kills in rivers and lakes.

      7. Cryptomonads are bean-shaped microscopic organisms with two non-congruent flagella. They are also not as abundant as other algal groups but remain common in freshwater ecosystems.

      8. Lastly, charophytes are relatively large algae that thrive at the bottom of shallow freshwater reservoirs. They are green in colour and can grow beyond 30 cm in length.

Black beard algae are a common source of headaches in the upkeep of planted tanks. They smother aquatic plants with their brush-like structure, block light from penetrating their leaves, and make it nearly impossible for the plants to make food through photosynthesis. They are not however typically a problem in freshwater lakes and ponds.

Why Is Algae Pollution Dangerous?

When there is too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water, algae can quickly proliferate. Algal blooms eventually lead to oxygen depletion and partial or total fish kills.

The harmful effects of algal bloom to fish and plant ecosystem include:

      • Oxygen depletion,

      • Disrupted organ function or death from direct consumption of toxic water with high algal biomass, including blue-green algae, and

      • Difficulty in finding food due to water turbidity

Timely as well as fish-safe and livestock-safe algae control techniques is critical in maintaining a healthy freshwater environment.

The Best Algae Control Methods

With more than a handful of methods promising efficacy in controlling algal growth. However, the best algae control methods must embody at least three main features:

These qualities ensure that you implement both an optimal and non-toxic algae control process.

Customizable settings

Different water bodies contain varying types of algae. To implement effective algae control in dams and ponds, owners need algae control systems that they can personalise according to the specific:

      • Size and dimensions of the site

      • Location of the site, taking into account availability of electricity/power source

      • Species of algae present

      • Purpose of the body of water

The customisable settings also equip owners with control over algae control price, paying only for the treatment that they need.

Harmless to livestock, fish, and aquatic ecosystem

The primary goal in removing algae from water bodies is to enhance water quality, benefitting aquatic plants and animals that would suffer otherwise. Hence, treatment technologies that target algal blooms must be benign to aquatic life. Key things to consider include:

      • Short and long-term effects of algaecides such as copper and other metal-based treatments

      • Impact of noise on fish and aquatic ecosystem

Chemical-free

Some control methods introduce chemicals such as copper sulphate into the water. Eventually, copper sulphate will fall to the bottom of the lake, leaving toxic sediment.

Previous findings on the long-term effects of metals suggest that they disrupt the normal organ functions of aquatic organisms. Hence, the best way to go when it comes to controlling blue-green algae blooms (and other nuisance algae) is to opt-out of all chemical-intensive techniques.

Chemical-Free Pond Algae Control Products and Treatments

The good news is there are multiple chemical-free strategies that help naturally eliminate algal bloom. For instance, algae eaters such as catfish and live-bearers consume green and hair algae, respectively, reducing the total algae population in the reservoir. Floating plants including lotus and water lilies also prevent sunlight from reaching the algae, depriving them of nutrients for growth.

These aquatic organisms may have some impact on your blue-green algae but can not be guaranteed - they also may not be appropriate for your water pond and its functions. Other proactive, chemical-free techniques to improve water quality include:

Bacteria and Enzymes

Introducing bacteria and enzymes do not kill algae per se, but their competitive nature helps them outperform algae in taking up nutrients, leading them to starve and reduce algae presence in the water. They may however have other adverse effects on pond life including fish, zooplankton and insects.

Air Circulation

Besides proactively introducing bacteria into the pond, air circulation helps aerobic bacteria thrive. Hence, owners can tap the potential of pond aeration to reduce algal growth. It can also be coupled with other treatment strategies for optimal performance. A downside of this is that fountains can be energy-intensive, requiring mains power and leading to high energy bills. They are also noisy and are not completely effective, particularly in warmer months and over larger bodies of water.

UV light

Ultraviolet sterilizers take less than a week to kill the cells of green water algae that are typical in pond water. Blue-green algae and hair algae are resistant to UV, though. So while UV light is chemical-free, it is not capable of killing many other important algae types, including the critical blue-green algae.

Ultrasonic Waves

Water bodies can also benefit from ultrasonic waves to control algal bloom. Like air circulation and bacterial introduction, ultrasonic technology is easy to couple with other water treatment techniques. EnviroSonic’s proprietary technology has been tested and refined over more than 20 years in applications around the world.

Ultrasonic Algae Control Systems Benefits

Besides being chemical-free, ultrasonic technology is packed with many other benefits that make it an attractive alternative to traditional treatment techniques like copper dosing. Ultrasonic algae control has major advantages including:

      • Non-introduction of chemicals, meaning no toxic sediments and significant cost savings

      • Easy implementation and monitoring

      • Selectivity - only harmful biomass is impacted

      • Proven safety to surrounding organisms

      • Long-lasting, ongoing benefits (with the ultrasound on)

      • Quiet

Why Does Ultrasound Impact Algae Buoyancy?

Exterminating some algae species can be tricky. On sunny days, for instance, blue-green algae move up the water column to make food via photosynthesis. At other times, they travel down to scrape off nutrients that settle at the bottom.

The crucial role of buoyancy in algae’s survival makes it a good parameter to target when treating algal bloom. For this reason, ultrasonic algae control device breaks down the gas vacuoles that allow algae to float, effectively taking away their means to absorb sunlight.

How does ultrasound technology selectively kill algae?

Different ultrasound frequencies are required to break different algae species apart.

When the specific algae present are known, ultrasound settings are programmed to specifically target these particular species.

Our Algae Pollution Control Products for Ponds, Lakes, and Dams

EnviroSonic offers effective algae control systems that suit both large and small freshwater reservoirs and penetrate the entire depth of the water column to ensure comprehensive algae control.

Clients can also choose between solar and non-solar operating mechanisms, and benefit from a technology that has:

    • Simple installation

    • Cheap and easy operation 24 hours a day

    • Remote monitoring using our mobile technology

    • Light-touch maintenance requirement

    • Effective against a wide variety of algae species

    • Harmless algae control methods on surrounding aquatic organisms

    • No chemicals, and no sediment

    • Compliance with Australia and New Zealand-wide safety and emissions regulations.

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