This is a good question. Honestly I don't know why you couldn't use it but I say this with respect to the fact that we don't deal with aquariums. And I wonder if there's a reason we haven't seen more of this type of product directed to this application. Normally I would always opt for a pond cleaning beneficial bacteria anyway to start and I know those are safe across the board. Barley should be, but I might suggest doing a bit more research on that before trying it.
Hello, thanks for the video. I am getting more and more string algae in my 1200 gal pond. Can I put a bail of barley in my filter, it is a good place with a good stream of water? Will it work for string algae? In summer when temperature goes above 100 F and pond water is over 93 F, I am using a powerful UV lamp (110 watts for 1200 gal), but it still is not very effective. If I add barley, do you think it will improve the situation, especially with string algae? Thank you.
+Grigory Vidishe - If your filter is something like a biological filter, where the media sits in a base, like a water fall filter for example, then barley might work fine there. Some folks have put it in the skimmer on the other end of things or just put the ball into the main pond itself....all have worked to some degree. It may or may not work for your situation, but it's worth a try in some instances. It does work best (at least in studies) as a deterrent rather than a treatment of existing algae. If barley doesn't help, the next non-chemical thing to try would be to turn off the UV and add beneficial bacteria for a while...give it some time to work, maybe a month or two and see if it helps by lowering nutrients. You can also try some partial water changes over a period of days, maybe 10 to 20 percent and see if that has any effect...again, lowering or diluting nutrients may be helpful. UV light will not help with string algae, but should help with green water...so if you don't have the latter, turning it off and adding good microbes.
+klmgroupia - Thanks for the answer. Yes, I have bio filter. It is filter media at the bottom with gravel on the top. The water is discharged to the bottom and then filters up. I was thinking putting a bail of barley in the top part into the clean, filtered water. I will do barley now, then in spring, I will clean the pond and wash all the plants, replant the lilies. So, physical removal of string algae will help, and then I hope barley will keep it away. Next thing which I plan to do is to install Iongen, copper ions device. That should keep all the algae away. In summer months, it will be a huge problem as I am afraid that the pond plants and sun exposure will be too much to balance out the internal conditions of the pond, but we will see.
+Grigory Vidishev - that all sounds good...worth a shot. On the iongen, if you have fish, be sure to read the instructions carefully and check your pH and other readings first. Copper will usually control algae but you don't want it building up in the pond, which could be harmful for fish...if you follow the label directions on these things though you will be fine.
The Barley straw and pellet do not work on my water fountain with water plants in it. The straw will get rotten and smell if it submerges in the water for a certain period of time. I also tried the pellets, it will turn in like a powder and make a mess too.
Thanks for the comments. A couple of things stand out here. On the straw, it should be contained in a mesh bag (loosely) and left in the for a few months at most. At some point, if it has a bad odor coming off, by all means remove it and replace it if needed. It should be taken out and some point. If the pellets cause a problem in your pond the other options would be either the straw, or the liquid concentrate. Barley is worth a try for sure, but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't work well, and it won't in every single case. And there are many other options too.
klmgroupia Well, I will try the liquid one if they sell it here. so far I am using the Algaefix at the Aquarium shop to kill the Algae and it works but it is pricy.
Hi Sissy...most university research shows barley can be a better preventative rather than a treatment...that said, some people have had success with it. I think it warrants a try mainly because it is safe to use. I would not necessarily use it long term if you are not seeing benefit from it however....it's only use is to limit algae growth.
@@klmponds Thank you, trying to clear up green water and don't want to kill my fish cause as you probably know they cost quite a lot. All ready use uv lights and pumps. But the water is still green.
@@sissyking4058 I would investigate why the UV isn't working better. It should help with green water. If the bulb is over a year old...12-14 mo. of operation, you might try a new one...they light up but lose power over time. If the uv never helped with the algae, the flow rate could be too fast or the wattage could be too low. Dig into that a bit more and you might find better results.
@@klmponds Thank you, our pond is about 3000 gallons and we have 2 pumps going with uv lights. You made a comment about too much water flow. We have water coming from both pumps. Not sure right now the size of the pumps will let you know asap and then maybe you can help me. Thank you for all your advice. We Love our pond and enjoy it just would like for it to be clearer.
Thank you this is informative as I am looking for a right product for my pond.
This is a good question. Honestly I don't know why you couldn't use it but I say this with respect to the fact that we don't deal with aquariums. And I wonder if there's a reason we haven't seen more of this type of product directed to this application. Normally I would always opt for a pond cleaning beneficial bacteria anyway to start and I know those are safe across the board. Barley should be, but I might suggest doing a bit more research on that before trying it.
Very helpful; I'll try this next.
Thanks for the video!
Can liquid barley extract be used in aquariums to inhibit the growth of algae?
Hello, thanks for the video. I am getting more and more string algae in my 1200 gal pond. Can I put a bail of barley in my filter, it is a good place with a good stream of water? Will it work for string algae? In summer when temperature goes above 100 F and pond water is over 93 F, I am using a powerful UV lamp (110 watts for 1200 gal), but it still is not very effective. If I add barley, do you think it will improve the situation, especially with string algae? Thank you.
+Grigory Vidishe - If your filter is something like a biological filter, where the media sits in a base, like a water fall filter for example, then barley might work fine there. Some folks have put it in the skimmer on the other end of things or just put the ball into the main pond itself....all have worked to some degree. It may or may not work for your situation, but it's worth a try in some instances. It does work best (at least in studies) as a deterrent rather than a treatment of existing algae. If barley doesn't help, the next non-chemical thing to try would be to turn off the UV and add beneficial bacteria for a while...give it some time to work, maybe a month or two and see if it helps by lowering nutrients. You can also try some partial water changes over a period of days, maybe 10 to 20 percent and see if that has any effect...again, lowering or diluting nutrients may be helpful. UV light will not help with string algae, but should help with green water...so if you don't have the latter, turning it off and adding good microbes.
+klmgroupia - Thanks for the answer. Yes, I have bio filter. It is filter media at the bottom with gravel on the top. The water is discharged to the bottom and then filters up. I was thinking putting a bail of barley in the top part into the clean, filtered water. I will do barley now, then in spring, I will clean the pond and wash all the plants, replant the lilies. So, physical removal of string algae will help, and then I hope barley will keep it away. Next thing which I plan to do is to install Iongen, copper ions device. That should keep all the algae away. In summer months, it will be a huge problem as I am afraid that the pond plants and sun exposure will be too much to balance out the internal conditions of the pond, but we will see.
+Grigory Vidishev - that all sounds good...worth a shot. On the iongen, if you have fish, be sure to read the instructions carefully and check your pH and other readings first. Copper will usually control algae but you don't want it building up in the pond, which could be harmful for fish...if you follow the label directions on these things though you will be fine.
The Barley straw and pellet do not work on my water fountain with water plants in it. The straw will get rotten and smell if it submerges in the water for a certain period of time. I also tried the pellets, it will turn in like a powder and make a mess too.
Thanks for the comments. A couple of things stand out here. On the straw, it should be contained in a mesh bag (loosely) and left in the for a few months at most. At some point, if it has a bad odor coming off, by all means remove it and replace it if needed. It should be taken out and some point. If the pellets cause a problem in your pond the other options would be either the straw, or the liquid concentrate. Barley is worth a try for sure, but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't work well, and it won't in every single case. And there are many other options too.
klmgroupia
Well, I will try the liquid one if they sell it here. so far I am using the Algaefix at the Aquarium shop to kill the Algae and it works but it is pricy.
Will barley extract clear green water and is it safe for fish? Thank you
Hi Sissy...most university research shows barley can be a better preventative rather than a treatment...that said, some people have had success with it. I think it warrants a try mainly because it is safe to use. I would not necessarily use it long term if you are not seeing benefit from it however....it's only use is to limit algae growth.
@@klmponds Thank you, trying to clear up green water and don't want to kill my fish cause as you probably know they cost quite a lot. All ready use uv lights and pumps. But the water is still green.
@@sissyking4058 I would investigate why the UV isn't working better. It should help with green water. If the bulb is over a year old...12-14 mo. of operation, you might try a new one...they light up but lose power over time. If the uv never helped with the algae, the flow rate could be too fast or the wattage could be too low. Dig into that a bit more and you might find better results.
@@klmponds Thank you, our pond is about 3000 gallons and we have 2 pumps going with uv lights. You made a comment about too much water flow. We have water coming from both pumps. Not sure right now the size of the pumps will let you know asap and then maybe you can help me. Thank you for all your advice. We Love our pond and enjoy it just would like for it to be clearer.