How does barley straw work in ponds

As the barely straw breaks down, it releases compounds that keeps algae from growing, especially string-type algae. Although it will stop the growth of algae, it will NOT kill it.

Killing algae will need an additional UV filter or chemical additives. Barley straw is the safest algae deterrent available for koi ponds. Adding barley with a UV light will take care of the bulk of your algae problems. Most products involving barley come in three forms: hay bales , pellets or liquid. The hay bales should be kept in a mesh bag to keep the individual straws from floating into your filtration. Pellets are usually compressed hay in shorter lengths.

Both the full bales and pellets will take weeks to start being effective. Alternatively, you could first clean the current algae and then add a non-toxic pond water dye. Water dyes block a large proportion of sunlight, and can help slow the growth of algae. Most barley straw products intended for pond use have been treated and made safe for aquatic eco-systems. Pond dyes will work to absorb a good chunk of UV light, so the effectiveness of barley may indeed be reduced. Whether barley straw would be considered effective in this situation would probably depend on the average depth of the pond, the concentration of water dye, and how much sunlight you get on a daily basis.

The less dye, the more light, and the shallower the water so more sunlight penetrates , the more effective the treatment. Would barley straw work in a pond that is indoors if the area gets only a small amount of sunlight?

However, if you have enough light indoors for algae to grow, you should technically have enough for barley to work to some degree. Hello I live in Ottawa, Canada, and close my pond for the winter no fish , and bring all my supplies fertilizer, beneficial bacteria etc. Are there any specific products that start working in colder water so I can get the best start at prevent summer-heat blooms?

Similar to straw products, liquid extract should last a long time if properly stored in a cool, dry, dark location. If the packaging does not have a date, you could contact the manufacturer to confirm, as the shelf-lives of products probably differ depending on the composition.

In regards to the efficiency of barley, it works the best in highly-oxygenated, warm waters, with plenty of sun exposure and active bacteria — most if not all of which are usually absent in winter. Your best bet would probably be supplementing the pond with a cold water bacteria treatment which would help boost numbers going into spring. Hi Is it safe to use Barley Straw in the plastic net that it was bought in? Is it safe for tadpoles and newts? Assuming you purchased barley straw intended for pond use, the net should indeed be safe.

I have a Koi pond with a few tench and goldfish, will the tench be okay with the bail barley straw option? As I know tench are quite sensitive? Yes, barley should be fine with tench. Hi Chris, I live next to a 39 acre lake with an island that is fed by a creek that comes from larger bird sanctuary lake.

As you can imagine, we have water quality problems and frequent algae blooms during the hot summer months. Do you guys do consulting? Thanks for the information. Well done! Assuming most weed management methods were legal in the area, and if having a professional on scene was not an option, I think the only way to manage such a large area of algae would be a mix of powerful aeration in the worst usually stagnant areas, aquatic algaecides to kill off the blooms, and then regular application of pond dyes to reduce future growth.

If you use the lake to swim, you could also check into muck blowers which you can mount to docks to help keep a wide area free of algae, weeds, and bottom sludge.

Best of luck with the lake! If the pond is smelling, then definitely not! Adding more organic matter to a smelly pond will simply worsen the smell and further reduce water quality. Just curious, everything I read about the use of Barley straw talks about ponds. Is there any information out there about canals. I work for any Irrigation district with about miles of canals ranging in flow from about 80 CFS to. Would the water come into contact with the decomposing straw long enough to be effective.

The study showed slow, but very promising long-term results, with no obvious negative impact to the environment. Can i use microblift with barley straw liq. I have a gal pond. It has been pea soup green since spring. Have small koi and goldfish. Have been using nualgi with no change.

Removed a large amount of water plus gal and retreated with nualgi. It is in full sun till late afternoon so put shade netting over half. Treated today for first time with liq barley. Yes, mircoblift is essentially a beneficial bacteria product and barley straw actually requires this kind of bacteria to become effective efficient decomposition of straw is key to see good results. However, barley straw is meant as a long term solution and will not be able to clear green water without plenty of time to become effective.

Many times you will not see the results of barley until the next summer, and even then, it may not be able to remove all algae if your blooms are particularly severe. What are your thoughts on using hydrogen peroxide at the 2 ppm dosage mentioned in the article?

You could get an exact measurement and not have to worry about the rate or effects of the side reactions. As Verne advises below, keep the straw in the netting and place in a shallow location with plenty of sun exposure. For best results, placing it close to a source of aeration fountain, waterfall, outtake will ensure the bacteria are getting optimal levels of oxygen for efficient decomposition.

Sarah, leave the Barley Straw in its netting and place it just under the water in sunlight. However if you have the availability of Liquid Barley Straw Extract it works so much better and not as messy, Of course if you are not treating a huge pond then the actual straw is better.

Although I have not personally used barley straw for algae reduction in sources of drinking water, the literature on this does seem to indicate there should very little issues in-fact, the water could taste better!

Did the straw smell like rotten eggs before placing it into the pond? Or has it only started smelling after being in the pond for some time? There could be two possible reasons here:. The solution to this would be to increase overall water flow, remove the smelling straw, and then replace it with a fresh batch but make sure to spread the straws more so water, oxygen and nutrients can reach the maximum amount of surface area.

My hunch tells me that the grains would become moldy in the water, potentially encouraging algae growth and damaging water quality. Will barley straw affect iron bacteria? I have it in my stream and it is nearing the entrance to the pond. This is because it typically comes from man-made sources piping, oil drilling, improperly maintained metal equipment , and can be difficult to remove. Barley straw tends to work best on naturally occuring bacteria and algae, and iron bacteria can be especially stubborn due to oxidation even when it occurs from natural sources.

Your best bet to keep it out of the pond would be to make sure that the stream and pond are not connected at all. Is it safe to use farm-sourced barley straw in my koi pond? If so what size bales should I make? The pond is approximately litres. How could I use Barley Straw in a container which is about 24 inch in diameter and 18 inch deep? I have a small bale and was wondering how much I could cut off and place in a mesh bag.

Most barley straw is dosed at one pound of straw per 2, gallons, or one bale per half acre of water surface area. Barley straw does not reduce the growth of other aquatic plants. In fact, in some cases aquatic plant growth has increased after barley straw applications because algae are no longer present to compete with the aquatic plants. Barley straw is most effective when applied early in the year prior to the appearance of algae fall through early spring.

In any case, barley straw remains effective for approximately six months after application. The most common application is about two to three bales per surface acre of pond or about 10 to 25 grams of straw per square meter of pond area. The depth of water in the pond is not important. In ponds that are frequently muddy or those that have a history of heavy algae growth, two or three times this recommended dose may be required for the initial treatment.

However, overdosing the pond with barley straw may cause fish kills because the straw deoxygenates the water as it decays. This is especially a problem if the pond is overdosed with straw during a prolonged warm spell. The straw is most effective when applied loosely in cages or netting.

It is best to anchor the straw packages to the bottom, but provide a float to keep the straw near the surface of the pond where sunlight and oxygen are more prevalent. Apply the straw at several locations around the pond and especially near the water source if a spring or stream feeds the pond. In small garden ponds, small nets or nylon stockings can be used to hold the small amounts of straw needed.

Finding a local supplier of barley straw can sometimes be difficult. You might consult with private and government agencies that work with local farmers, such as farm supply companies, extension offices, and Conservation District offices, to determine if barley straw is locally available. In addition, several suppliers are available online just type "barley straw" in your favorite search engine.

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