Blue/Green Algae

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Shrek

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Went to fish at my club lakes on Saturday afternoon and couldn't as they are both contaminated with Blue/Green Algae.

Does anyone know how long it can take to clear this up so fishing can continue as currently both lakes are a NO GO zone.
 
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Baz

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Not sure of the time span Adrian,but my club has airiators in some waters(usually shallow) to help relieve the problem.

It would be interesting and helpfull if some of our more knowledgeable friends on this forum could give their views on the correction and causes of blue green algae.
How good is barley straw etc? One of the things we do, is to place tubes of the straw around lake perimeters.
You will have seen these machines for wrapping christmas trees up in, outside garden centres, this is one of the things that we use.
 
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Baz

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Plant life, types/amounts of baits,and invertabrates, play some part in water quality. The list must be endless.
Hopefully Phil Hacket or Monk will be able to give us some answers.
 
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Shrek

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Forgot to say, these are trout lakes so "bait" isn't an issue.......or at least I hope it isn't!!!!
 
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Baz

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That's interesting Adrian.
If the trout are still being fed with pellets,I think it was Woody who said the oil content can be as much as 40% on another thread (carpwater). It is a percentage of this oil content that the fish cannot utilise, which in turn adds to the problem of water quality.

I won't even try and go into it in depth, but the amount of feed going in is only part of the problem.
 
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Shrek

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No, they are stocked trout and aren't fed anything, other than the natural insect life that they find.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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Who closed the lake, Adrian? The EA?

Not all forms of blue-green are dangerous and even then you have to ingest it in a substantial quantity, maybe a couple of mouthfuls to really upset you.

What Baz suggests is right, barley straw loosly packed, but it needs to have been in there for months. It's only when it's really rotting down that it works well.

If the EA are treating it with chemical it might be open again in 6-10 weeks, but it's likely they will take a more longer term view so don't hold your breath.
 
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Rodney Wrestt

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Good adice from the lads above, Ed said that barley straw takes a few months to work, sometimes about a full season before it even starts to work effectivly as the straw has to decompose, this allows the required bacteria to bloom, this will prevent the algae getting hold the following season but as Bully stated if it's already there then another tact is required, try using hay instead of barley straw, it breaks down and starts working faster.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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Where's Ed? Who Ed?

Getting your birds mixed up Rodney. Ed's the flashy turquois and orange ball of fluff with the Scouse accent. :eek:)

All of you right though. By now it's too late. I saw a woodpigeon land on a private lake once that had a really bad dose of blue green algae, thought it was a lawn perhaps and just drowned. Couldn't do anything to help it.
 
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Rodney Wrestt

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Jeff, sorry mate, done that twice recently, gotta get a prescription monitor 'cause I'm too young for glasses :eek:)
 
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Shrek

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Wasn't the EA that closed the lakes, the club committee have.

They have used Barley Straw in the past to try and combat this to good effect so this year they decided to start spraying early to try and prevent it. Looks like that didn't work so the straw will have to go in.
Shame as I was just getting to grips with the place.

Suppose I'll have to go and get a few out of Draycote instead :))

Cheers chaps and birds
 
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