Follow the below steps for the greatest chance of eradicating blue-green algae from your dam for good
Background
Understanding Blue-Green Algae
Blue-green algae isn’t actually algae. It’s a type of bacteria called cyanobacteria, which grows by using sunlight and nutrients in the water for energy. Some cyanobacteria can produce toxins that pose risks to people, animals, and aquatic life, but some others are harmless.
It's important to stress that if you have spotted any signs of blue-green algae in your water source, you should avoid entering it, and don't use it for livestock or irrigation, until you have determined whether toxins are present. Blue-green algae toxins can cause gastrointestinal problems, issues for the nervous system, even death.
Identification
Signs You Have Blue-Green Algae
Blue-green algae will often appear as a blue-green or brownish scum on the surface of your water that appears like an oil slick. Below are some other identifying characteristics:
- Green water
- Oily sheen
- Slimy or mucilaginous texture
- Dead wildlife or fish
- Foul or musty odour on sunny days
- Foaming across the shoreline
First block access to your water body. Then test to see if you actually have blue-green algae.
If you are quite certain you do have blue-green algae, you can jump to Step 2, after cordoning off the water body.
Step 1
Test for blue-green algae using one of our DIY testing kits
This easy-to-use test detects 11 hepatotoxins common in blue-green algae in a single test. Samples can be taken and tested at home or in the field by anyone (no expertise needed) in just 15 minutes. No need for a lab.
Like a pregnancy test, the test will display one line or two depending on whether toxins are detected.
Watch how it works
To start treatment, we recommend you follow Steps 2 and 3, and wait 6-8 weeks for results.
These methods are 100% natural and tackle the cause of the blue-green algae, not just the symptom. This helps you eradicate future blue-green algae blooms as well.
Step 2
Increase aeration
Aeration means adding oxygen to your water. This provides ideal conditions for “good” aerobic bacteria to grow in number. These “good” guys reduce nutrients in your dam, e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus, and eat sludge on the floor which is fertiliser for blue-green algae. With enough “good” bacteria reducing nutrients in your dam, the blue-green algae eventually starve to death. Keep adequate aeration up and the cyanobacteria have a very difficult time returning—there simply isn't enough food. These "good" bacteria clean up dead blue-green algae too. Without them, decaying algae will rot and sink to the floor, becoming fertiliser for next season's bloom.
How does aeration improve water quality
Eradicating blue-green algae and aquatic weeds in 6 weeks with a surface aerator
Avalon Nursery near Ballarat was having a problem with blue-green algae and red azolla in one of their irrigation dams.
We recommended installing a 1.5hp solar-powered Air-O-Lator Carnival Aerating Fountain. Within days of installing the aerator, the blue-green algae and weeds began to retreat. After just 6 weeks, the algae and weeds were completely gone. The smell had disappeared too.
Step 2
Add Biostim probiotics
Biostim is a probiotic that feeds the “good” bacteria in your dam, growing their populations. As mentioned above, these guys consume nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus and eat the sludge on the floor of your dam. Eventually they create (nutrient-depleted) conditions that make it impossible for blue-green algae to grow, no matter how much sunshine your dam receives.
How does Biostim improve water quality?
Blue-Green Algae Reduced by 99% in 11 Weeks Using Biostim
e-store
Natural Algae Attack Bundle
Want to get rid of your algae, but in a natural way? If you have patience to wait a few weeks, this is the ideal bundle to treat any type of algae, including blue-green algae.
This 100% natural Biostim duo includes Biostim Tablets and Biostim Accelerator. The introduction of Biostim Tablets into your dam starts the process of stimulating the natural growth of “good” bacteria. As these microbial populations grow, they consume nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus which algae depend on to survive, aka the “good” bacteria take the food from the algae, starving the algae out of the aquatic system. Biostim Accelerator is a biocatalyst, thrusting the above processes into turbo-charge.
In extreme cases, take Step 4 to kill the blue-green algae immediately.
If you’re in a hurry to clean up your blue-green algae, add Step 4. Remember though, you will still require Step 2 and/or 3 to stop the blue-green algae returning.
Step 4
Algaecide (+ Biostim Accelerator)
If killing the blue-green algae immediately is your only option, e.g. because the bloom is very severe, we suggest you use an algaecide (our recommendation is Cupricide or Kupramine) in combination with Biostim Accelerator. Biostim Accelerator is a 100% natural biocatalyst which improves the effectiveness of algaecides, reducing how much algaecide you need to use which limits the damage done to your dam. It also degrades the dead blue-green algae, preventing if becoming fertiliser for next season's bloom.
Warning: when blue-green algae gets stressed, which is common when being killed off by algaecide, it can dump all of its toxins at once. This is why we prefer to kill it off slowly with aeration and Biostim, so it doesn’t stress. Because of this, you will need to test your water for toxins even after the blue-green algae has disappeared as the water may still by toxic.
Also, remember, you must combine this step with Step 2 and/or 3 to prevent the blue-green algae from returning. If not, blue-green algae is almost guaranteed to return and is likely to be even more invasive. The reason being is that algaecides kill off the “good” bacteria in your dam too, meaning there are less species competing with the blue-green algae for nutrients. This means next algae season there will be even more nutrients available for algae. The aim should be to kill [the blue-green algae] then replenish [the “good” bacteria].
Cupricide Algaecide
Kupramine Algaecide
Biostim Accelerator
The last step is to test your water is toxin-free.
This step is not worth skipping because, as mentioned, toxins can remain in the water even weeks after the blue-green algae has physically disappeared.
Step 5
Test your water using another test kit
We recommend you use the same DIY Blue-Green Algae Test Kit we mentioned above to test your water for toxins. We sell 3 Pack Test Kits for this reason; so you can test before and after treatment.
When you get a negative test, you can open your water again to livestock, irrigation, swimming etc.
e-store
Full Algae Attack Arsenal
Feel like you’ve tried everything to attack your algae and nothing is working? Or is it your first attempt at treating considerable algae and you want to come out of the gate with all guns blazing?
This bundle includes Algae Lift, Cupricide Algaecide, Biostim Tablets and Biostim Accelerator—everything you need to kill the algae then get your water into a healthier state where algae struggle to return.
