Algae control - Ammonium Sulfate

[igkya]

We've used copper sulfate (food grade) the last several years with great results to control/eliminate algae. Lake owner has Ammonium sulfate (I think) and wants us to use that next year. I'm doing research but thought I'd reach out here to see if anyone has experience with AS.

[Horton]

@bishop8950

[ForrestGump]

ammonium sulfate is a fertilizer and not a specific algeacide. It does control some algaes, also. It can also be detrimental to fish and other aquatic life.

[Dirt]

I bet it is aluminum sulfate not ammonium. I may be wrong.

[Horton]

Ammonium perchlorate is a key ingredient in solid rocket fuel

[igkya]

@Dirt, it could be aluminum (I got a voice mail from owner and haven't seen the stuff yet)... would that be more similar to the copper sulfate?

[Dirt]

Not sure but I have heard of people using aluminum sulfate and copper sulfate for algae not ammonium

[LeonL]

@BoneHead are you sure you not thinking about ammonium NITRATE. That is a fertilizer. I'm not familiar with the sulfate version.

Edit: as Emily Latella would say "never mind"

[bishop8950]

Hydrated potassium aluminum sulfate, often referred to as alum, is used as a floccualnt in water treatment. It grabs the phospourus, nitrates and other junk out of the water table and sinks it to the bottom of the lake (in the case of a lake). This clarifies the water and removes the algae food so your algae concentrations go down without the need for algeacides. I know a few lakes that have done this, including ours with good results. It’s not cheap and can be a few grand to $10k per treatment per ski lake depending on what you do.

[lpskier]

Anyone ever try food coloring to tint a lake? Our water flows in and out, so applying an expensive chemical compound is unattractive as it will head down stream. On the other hand, after we treat for weeds, the water becomes exceptionally clear, in comes the sun and voila! Weeds again. We’ve been told food coloring is a cheap substitute. Anyone ever try it?

[A_B]

Absolutely blue dye screens out the sun rays and keeps both algae and weeds at bay. Is there anyway to restrict the in and out flows? We had algae years ago, no weeds, and spent a bunch on copper sulfate and cutrine (safer for swimming in right away). We found more success in using concentrated blue dye and occasionally throwing in Yellow Red (10% of blue) to block out the rest of the light spectrum that blue doesn't, although, I determined it wasn't necessary long term, so we stopped using Yellow Red. And we added sterile Amurs. When there are no weeds or grasses, they eat filmentos moss algae, which is what we had.

 

Our water is very clear and rarely see algae blooms now. It is usually from us not recharging the lake with blue dye fast enough.

[lpskier]

@A_B No can do. Our lake is part of an engineered water management system for nearby development. It took quite a while, but we finally got a permit for the fish. We have Jon Travers and Zack Worden doing a final harvest with the Mississippi Queen, and hopefully the fish will keep things in check from here on, with a little help from the dye.

 

Thanks for the advice!

[skiinxs]

+1 on the blue dye. We tried it this year for the first time and it completely eliminated all weeds and algae. We already had grass carp, but they were not getting the job done and the weeds were getting worse every year. It could be that the dye reduced the weeds and algae enough for the grass carp to finish the job, but the results were 100%. Much better than I could have ever hoped for.

[LeonL]

@A_B sterile Amurs. Is this a carp? We have had the sterile "grass carp" in our lake but they've all died off due to all age. I wasn't aware that they would eat algae.

[A_B]

Yes. They eat algae when grass and weeds aren’t available. We didn’t have weeds so they ate the algae. Could see them on the shoreline grazing like cows. We have some huge carp now. We bought about 25 of them over 20-years who. Have only seen a few floaters over the years. A few have to be 3-foot or more.

[skiinxs]

I have been told that the grass carp don't eat a whole lot until they are 2-3 year old and really slow down eating between age 7 and 10, so it is necessary to keep bringing in fresh one to keep seeing results.