Algae in barrel pond

[RedFish]

I have one of those barrels with a bubbler fountain in it.    It will be sunk into the ground but right now is still on my patio.
The water is getting quite green - and this will never have any plants or fish in it.   Having read about the dangers of blue-green algae to anyone drinking the water (read "dogs"), I am trying to find a natural algicide that won't harm my dogs - they like to use it as a water fountain which I am not sure is a good idea one way or the other!

The birds like my fountain though too, yesterday there were several sitting on it, drinking the water, and sticking their heads in the flow!

So which is worse, the algae or an algicide, do I leave it green or do something about it!

Signed,
Confounded in Kanata.

[babblefish1960]

Dear Confounded in Kanata, I believe this is a precondition for actually residing there, however, as for your water, the blue/green algae that your read about is not actually algae, but cyanobacteria, this is not what you have, you have green water, green water is just free floating algae, the real kind. It is fine, do not use an algaecide or any other sort of chemical, just enjoy the richness of the colour and imagine you are at Pink lake in Gatineau park.

It won't harm the ducks, or the dogs, or any fish that you happen to put in your barrel, with such a small pond sitting in the sun, you are bound to have this condition, embrace it and put in a lily.

[beowulf]

I agree it might be nice to add one or two small flowers and fish which should clear it up a little but likely not completely.

[RedFish]

How comforting your comments are to me.  While I do not doubt the purchase of a lily  may help the pond, it will not help my purse, other than to lighten it.   So perhaps the addition of common greens from my aquariums will do the trick?  Can it hurt to try?

With the barrel sitting in the sun, I would not think it would be a kindness to put fish in there?   Then come fall, the fish may have nowhere to go, unless I put in fish that forum members would take from me later?

[babblefish1960]

If you don't put any fish in it, it will just be home to mosquitos, and they aren't nearly as interesting. Even something as small as white cloud mountain minnows or guppies or swordtails would enjoy the space provided.

If you would like to keep the contents of your purse intact for now, there are many plants from your aquarium that would do nicely, just be wary of letting them wander away into the local scenery to invade and take over.

The barrel in the sun isn't as big a deal for the fish as you think, water is a wonderful heat/mass storage unit that fluctuates slowly, and most of the fish I mentioned would take the changes in stride.

[beowulf]

If you don't put any fish in it, it will just be home to mosquitos, and they aren't nearly as interesting. Even something as small as white cloud mountain minnows or guppies or swordtails would enjoy the space provided.

If you would like to keep the contents of your purse intact for now, there are many plants from your aquarium that would do nicely, just be wary of letting them wander away into the local scenery to invade and take over.

The barrel in the sun isn't as big a deal for the fish as you think, water is a wonderful heat/mass storage unit that fluctuates slowly, and most of the fish I mentioned would take the changes in stride.

Would the swortails not also enjoy munching on some algea?

[babblefish1960]

Yes indeed the swordtails would enjoy munching on algae, as well as mosquito larvae and whatever else come into range. Plus they look pretty for little money.

[Sue]

I notice your avatar is a Betta... A lone male Betta would have one heck of a summer vacation out in a barrel eating live food. 
I have Najah grass, pennywort, and hygro outside and it does well.

[beowulf]

I notice your avatar is a Betta... A lone male Betta would have one heck of a summer vacation out in a barrel eating live food. 
I have Najah grass, pennywort, and hygro outside and it does well.

My worry would be the temperature, can they take the constant changes?  I had thought about them.

[rockgarden]

Redfish:  Don't worry about the temperature.  My outdoor aquatic adventure sits on my deck in full sun and houses goldfish, Whiteclouds, Platties, Yellow Labs, some other African Cichlids, etc. and they all are doing fine. I throw in a bit of fish food from time to time and assume that they survive on bugs that land on the surface the rest of the time.  One water hyacinth will normally suck enough nutrients out of the water to take care of the green algae problem. I'm in Kanata.  If you want to arrange a time to drop by and take a look send me a PM.

Ron