A Gre­­­­­en Monster in your Water Feature?

by Patrick Simmsgeiger, Founder of DWI

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Is there a green nasty monster lurking in what used to be your lovely water feature?  That monster in your water feature need not to be such a pain.  Any Golf Course Superintendent can tell you just how quickly the green monster can grow and become your biggest nightmare.  Specialized lake and pond maintenance to prevent this monster may not seem necessary until you are overwhelmed with an unsightly green mess or the terrible stench that can be a result of neglect or poorly managed water health.  Let’s face it; you don’t want your clients avoiding a feature attraction because it has become a lurking nasty monster.

Who is this lurking green smelly monster?  Typically it is algae and aquatic weeds.  Something as simple as your grass cutting methods may have innocently created that monster in your pond or water feature.  All your efforts to keep your greenery and turf beautiful have a ripple effect inside your water feature.  Those chemicals and fertilizers are feeding those green monsters algae and aquatic growth.  Tree trimmings and leaves may seem to be an unsightly annoyance to be easily skimmed off the top of your water feature, however once there – they have already given that monster a wonderful snack.

How can you eliminate algae in your pond or lake?  This is where it can seem complicated.  An aquatic problem can’t be fixed by making one change or by using some instant fix-all solution.  Over-watering, runoff, grass clippings and positioning of trees will simply guarantee the monster will rear its ugly head once again without ongoing proper care for prevention.  Using the wrong chemicals can either kill everything which is rarely a good idea, or using the wrong product can be a waste of time and money.  That is when you need an aquatic expert to help you restore balance and maintain your feature attraction, protecting your investment and preventing that monster from haunting your establishment again.

Time to get Technical

Biological contamination of all types of water features (including lakes and ponds) is cyclical, meaning it is a recurring event or simply put—will happen again without proper care.  Biological contamination is the natural reaction to all those grass clippings, leaves, fertilizers and runoff which breathes life into algae and aquatic weeds becoming that smelly green monster.

Since this is a force that must be dealt with on different levels, our main focus is to create and then maintain a balance.  It can be tempting to depend upon a single solution but be aware that this tactic can simply cause another problem, and then another.

A customized approach is best to use; one that focuses on prevention and slows down the occurrence of biological contamination and the many other issues that may be present.  Stagnant water creates health issues as it is a breeding ground for mosquitoes that in turn breeds concern about the West Nile Virus.  By manipulating the pH (acidity and alkalinity) we make sure additives block contaminants and our next line of defense is in circulation and filtration.  Design also plays a huge part in overall success.  A water feature’s depth, shape and surrounding plant life has an important impact on how easily that green monster can rear its ugly head and how we fight it.

Use the Correct Weapon for the Problem

Circulation and Filtration are often the weak point in a solution.  Keeping the filter systems clean and in working order is important.  A big issue with filtration, circulation and aerators is the fact that ideally they should be on all the time but because of energy conservation that often does not occur.  We typically suggest they run at least twelve hours each day.  Even an excellent aerator properly placed has its limitations.  Almost every problem is affected by proper circulation, filtration and aeration.

Here are a few common issues that all water features typically face:

Clarity:

This problem can be caused by many things.  Silt-small particles floating in the water, some forms of algae, dead organic matter, clay mud or dirt to name a few.

Solution:

Flocculent/Clarifiers latch onto floating or suspended contaminants like magnets, then group them together making them collectively heavier and then they fall to the bottom where aerators,  filters and circulation step into action.  Good bacteria can be purchased that will enhance water quality, clarity and digest some of the bottom sludge.

Algae:

Nutrients and conditions which are always present create the world which algae blossoms within any water feature.  They are unavoidable but they can be controlled. It is important to note that often there is life which we want to encourage such as fish and some plant life.  Proper concern about products which will simply kill everything—typically undesirable—should be avoided in favor of a safer product for the environment.

Solution: 

Again circulation, filtration and aeration are concerns, and then application of the proper product to control/eradicate algae is the next step.  Enzymes can also be used to boost algae control but only after making sure that there is no compatibility issues.

Foam:

Unsightly foam is usually caused by soaps and dead organic matter.

Solution:

Defoamers are very effective and application depends upon the amount of foam. Chlorine reduces the effectiveness of defoamers.

Color:

Yes, everyone wants that fabulous water feature to be beautiful—and proper dyes can help create that image.

Solution:

Water dyes act like sun block, which decrease the amount of light which would helps algae to grow. Used properly these dyes are not a threat to fish, waterfowl, other living organisms or humans.  While dyes are not necessary, they can assist you in making your water feature a beautiful attraction.

Call a Professional

An aquatic professional’s specialty is to maintain the delicate balance between natural aquatic organisms and your valuable water features.  All bodies of water, ponds or other water features, should be an attraction enjoyed by your clientele.  nature demands the daily skill of a knowledgeable professional to maintain lakes, ponds, and streams by attempting to preserve and maintain that delicate balance.   Let us assist you in accomplishing that goal.  Don’t wait for that green smelly monster to arrive, but if you do–Call a professional!

Chelated Copper vs. Standard Copper Sulfate

By Patrick Simmsgeiger, Founder of DWI

Copper has been used for centuries to make the waters of our world easier, and cheaper, for us to handle. In the Age of Sail, when ships were made of wood; copper plating was an innovation used to control the buildup of mussels, worms, and aquatic plants. In that era and before, people recognized the ability of copper to control aquatic life through contact. Jumping ahead to the modern era, copper is still prevalent, and it is still incredibly useful in handling aquatic organisms.

 In the aquatic management industry, a major debate now seems to be whether to use copper sulfate, or chelated copper sulfate compounds. Some question the point of chelated copper products, stating that it is just a new name for the same thing, and that the benefits touted by chelated copper manufacturers are exaggerated. This conversation is ongoing, and just as the aquatic environments companies treat are incredibly varied, so are the opinions of the people involved.

From here I am going to explain why I believe chelated copper sulfate is a superior formulation to standard copper sulfate.

Before really getting into the benefits of chelated copper, I think chelation deserves a short explanation for those unsure of what it actually is. The following is by no means a full explanation of the chemistry involved, but this will hopefully give an idea of what chelation is, and why it is relevant. Chelation is a process that utilizes molecules called ligands. These are molecules that specifically bind to metal ions, in this case, copper. These ligands form around the central copper atom, surrounding it, and in a sense protecting it from the environment for a time. There are many chemicals of varying strengths and solubility’s that can be used as ligands, and the selection differs by product. Translating this to algaecide effectiveness, ligands can increase the algaecide time of effect from a single day to a few weeks by allowing the gradual release of copper as the protective covering is slowly dissolved.

Now to get into the benefits behind chelated copper sulfate. As mentioned, the extended release time of the copper is one of the biggest advantages. Copper Sulfate crystals dissolve in solution, are sprayed on the target macrophyte or algae, and kill whatever they touch. However, this is as far as they go. Whatever isn’t in the direct application area can survive, and only the organic matter present at the time of application will to suffer the effects. Copper Sulfate is highly soluble, and without something to slow down the release process, the product has commonly worked to its’ full effect within 24 hours. Chelated copper sulfate has the massive advantage of not being immediately exposed to solution due to the ligands, and copper sulfates natural solubility is countered for a time.

Building on this, another benefit becomes clear from the release rate difference between the two. With chelated copper sulfate, you can apply metallic copper in smaller quantities, and less frequently. This makes sense when you consider the fact that non-chelated copper sulfate has generally run its course after a single day, and along with that, is really only affecting the areas of application as it descends through the water column. Chelated copper sulfate is also going to follow this similar path of descending to the bottom, but the difference is again made by the ligands. These compounds allow the product to stay suspended in solution for weeks at a time, releasing copper into the water column as the bonds are broken down. This allows for less applications as the copper is staying active longer, and has the chance be circulated around the application area. Instead of algae being killed for one day, algae will be affected for a longer duration as copper circulates through the system.

My final point is this; chelated copper sulfate lets you do more with less. No matter what your stance on copper products is, I think we can all agree that in a perfect world, we would never want to put heavy metals into our water. Some of you may have noticed, however, that we do not live in a perfect world, and copper is oftentimes a necessary tool to handle the problems aquatic environments face, be they natural or manmade.

When we use copper, applying the lowest amount for the greatest effect should always be the goal, and careless application is not acceptable in this day and age when so many resources are available to increase applicators knowledge and efficiency. By responsibly using chelated products we can make that much smaller of an impact on application sites and take less of a toll on the ecosystems we care for. Your sediment is not going to turn into toxic copper sludge from applying at recommended levels, but it is easy to figure that the less copper we introduce to the environment, the better. Chelated copper sulfate makes this option more realistic and is the product choice that I think should be made for those who work to preserve our waters.