Thanks. That's part of the problem. Local birds think that the upper pond is a giant bird spa. Yesterday, I saw some fresh tracks in a crusher fines path from a mule deer fawn and at the moment, there is a yearling doe bedded in the shade near the water feature.

I would never use it or any other algaecide in my ponds nor recommend anyone else do so.

I have read far too many horror stories on various pond forums/boards over the years.

Algae is a plant and whatever kills it will kill desirable plants as well. People have killed all their fish with it too.

Algae fix is 'technically' safe for fish yes, but you will see cautionary wording on the bottle. Basically even a proper dosing in heat can kill fish. Algaecides deplete oxygen, in heat there is less oxygen in the first place. The biggest fish go first.

I prefer Aqua-One and other biological algae treatments for just this reason, they don't damage oxygen levels. Most people on this forum are smaller decorative features, there are a lot of other options for larger features and farm ponds. I'd get a hold of a local professional that specializes in that type of treatment. There are a lot of products that focus on the farm/golf/larger pond. Algaefix is not worth using on a pond of your size.

I agree that I have heard of too many fish losses with that product. There have been years that the string algae has gotten the better of my pond too. Perhaps this year can just be a year that the pond got a little wild while you cared for your father and you can spend more time on it next year. I think this would be better then how bad you would feel if you lost fish and animals using that product.

Regards,
Lisa

String algae keeps the pea soup at bay. Learn to embrace it. Seriously, not meaning to be sarcastic. Think of it as good and try to relax about it.

Thanks to all for the good advice.

I think that I have to do *something*. Thinkng of the algae as my friend isn't going to work. It is getting so thick that it is starting to choke the water flow at a couple of points in the stream.

grab a toilet brush and scrub it off and then net it out.

I have been ponding for 18 years and Algaefix is the only thing I use. I have tried it all and I come back to Algaefix. I have 3 ponds and I use it in all three. You have to know the "exact" amount of water you are treating. My dogs all (4) drink from these ponds with no problems at all. I work for a vet and he gives them a clean bill of health, They have had blood tested and urinalisis, all is well. My grand children play in the water and are not bothered by it, and the string algae is not there to mess up the beauty and clear water. I will never be without it. I have never had a fish die because I use it nor have I ever lost a plant. If it is used EXACTLY as it is instructed on the label. KNOW YOUR WATER IN GALLONS. Just get some and use it as directed and see for yourself. Keep the toilet brush in the bathroom where it belongs.

Thanks for all of the advice. It's great to see that everyone has the same opinion. ;-) LOL

This product killed all of my koi,snails,goldfish, catfish, and many other fish in my pond all in all @200.00 worth of fish, I contacted the company but they were not at all helpful, I will continue to put this bad review of this product out there. I have read many bad reviews where people got the same results as me. I am thoroughly disgusted with this product and this company!!!

Algae fix saved my pond from string algae, no fish lost. Go by the directions, ( if you don't, that's what the problem is), so glad to be rid of that pond curse, I can enjoy my pond again, the water is crystal clear. :) Arum

Please STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCT!!! I have a well established 6,000 gallon pond with a large waterfall and a brook feature. This year was quite unusual for "pea soup" algae. I can usually control the algae with constant aeration through the waterfall and brook as well as brushing the liner and rocks along with a 50% water change. The filter was also thoroughly cleaned and UV clarifier bulb replaced. This summer was quite hot for 2-3 weeks with high humidity and little rainfall. But despite all of these efforts, the pond water was still green. I tested the pH, nitrites and ammonia levels as usual, no plants were degraded or replaced, so I decided to use Algaefix after a great deal of research. I purposely underdosed the pond by using 2 cups instead of 2.5 cups, and after about 30-40 hours 38 of my 44 goldfish and shubunkins were floating on the surface as I proceeded to feed them with my 4 grandchildren. I retested the water right after I found them, and the ammonia level was high off the chart! It was totally devastating, so I spoke with 1 customer service rep, 1 quality manager and 1 director who all totally backed up their product and refused to admit that their product caused the incident. They kept apologizing but would not take any responsibility and offered me a "care package" of some of their other products as they stated, "to get my pond reestablished again!" I actually became angry and laughed at them after they denied my insistence at remuneration for the cost of their product as well as the cost of 50% of the cost of the fish (some were offspring of the original livestock), which probably amounted to about $250.00. They repeatedly refused even after I offered to send them a water sample and a dead fish with black blotches due to toxic ammonia levels! Once again, "Corporate America" shows their true colors and reaffirms that making money far outweighs the concerns of the consumer.

Oxbow affect is the best, it will settle if given time.

This is an awesome product. But you haveft to repeat it. Didn't hurt my koi, but I would be careful with it. Didn't use it a second time, the awful string algae came back. Dena

Changed my mind after reading over these post, Vic Caron's especially. I know the pain of losing mom a fit long. Thanks to the master fisherman. Best not to take a chance. I take back what I said, it did kill the small leeches in my pond, that were harming nothing. Hey, I'm eating crow here.

Please can someone tell me if the product TETRA POND ALGOFIN is safe if my cat drinks from the water feature ?

Dawn, it looks safe for aquatic life and I don't believe that mammals are as sensitive. Please research though.

http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Tetra_Pond_Water_Treatments_29.html

Tetra Pond AlgoFin

Algae
spoil the appearance of a garden pond. Filamentous algae, often called
blanket weed can smother aquatic plants and clog pumps and filter
systems.

TetraPond AlgoFin is safe to use even with the most
sensitive pond plants and will not harm any aquatic life. It quickly and
easily controls all algae problems and is particularly effective
against blanket weed algae and can help to reduce troublesome duckweed.

Voted Best Blanket Weed Treatment by Gardening Which? Magazine 1997.

Here's a link to the MSDS.

https://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=20012015

I used to use chemicals to treat the algae in the pond. I could see it was hard on the fish. Someone told me about hi-fin sharks and no longer have problems. I can't believe how easy it is now - I do nothing.