The facility I am now working at has a giant recirculation pond with a bad hair algae problem. We were looking into using hydrogen peroxide (since we keep it on hand for treatments) as an algaecide. What dosages would anyone recommend? This pond is well over 440,000 gallons and the peroxide is 50%.
Hydrogen Peroxide as a pond algaecide
Started by
Guest_TurtleLover_*
, Apr 08 2008 06:15 PM
10 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_bullhead_*
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Posted 08 April 2008 - 08:56 PM
Search this forum and the Internet. 50%, wow! I have never heard of using it on such a large scale, but in an aquarium, it works great. I seem to recall 1oz/10 gallons (using pharmacy peroxide), but I will not swear to it. I will leave the math to you. Peroxide is hard on a few plants like elodea and hornwort. Also hard on inverts. If you can, try to clear up any underlying causes (excess phosphorus, nitrogen, etc.) or you will be back where you started from soon.
I have heard good things about rye straw bales in pond situations.
I have heard good things about rye straw bales in pond situations.
Edited by bullhead, 08 April 2008 - 09:01 PM.
#3
Guest_TurtleLover_*
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Posted 08 April 2008 - 10:30 PM
There's no life in there to worry about. We're looking into a more permanent fix for the pond next fiscal year, this is just a quick fix. No fish or inverts to worry about it since it's just a holding pond until the water gets pumped back up to the rest of the system. The water will eventually come in contact with fish again after it goes through a sump, disc filter and UV sterlizer. It'll also get mixed up with some fresh water. I figured 50% hydrogen peroxide is 500,000 ppm and I need 140 ppm as an algaecide. I need help with the dilution calculations.
#4
Guest_TurtleLover_*
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Posted 08 April 2008 - 10:56 PM
Ok so if my calculations so far are correct, to take a 55 gallon drum of hydrogen peroxide (500,000ppm) down to 140 ppm I would dilute it approximately 3,571 times which would mean we would have to dump about 2 drums in the pond to treat all 402,200 gallons? Can someone that's worked with numbers like this a little more recently than I have double check my math? Thanks a lot.
Edit: Above 140ppm was based on what I read on another site, but I think that guy had his calculations wrong. IF mine are right then the 1 oz of 3% per 10 gallons comes out to about 23ppm which would be appx. 18 gallons of 50% to treat the pond. Ok, sorry for the ramblings but it's late and I've been at this for a few hours and my brain is fried. I think if nothing else typing my thoughts out on here makes me keep track of my thoughts better.
Edit: Above 140ppm was based on what I read on another site, but I think that guy had his calculations wrong. IF mine are right then the 1 oz of 3% per 10 gallons comes out to about 23ppm which would be appx. 18 gallons of 50% to treat the pond. Ok, sorry for the ramblings but it's late and I've been at this for a few hours and my brain is fried. I think if nothing else typing my thoughts out on here makes me keep track of my thoughts better.
Edited by TurtleLover, 08 April 2008 - 11:32 PM.
#5
Guest_dmarkley_*
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Posted 09 April 2008 - 06:52 AM
Speaking as a chemist, do be careful with that 50% hydrogen peroxide. That is concentrated enough to do rather severe damage to your body if you get it on you. You need to be wearing a protective suit with full face shield.
Also, make darned sure you don't get anything foreign (like organic materials or metals) into those containers of peroxode.
Dean
Also, make darned sure you don't get anything foreign (like organic materials or metals) into those containers of peroxode.
Dean
#6
Guest_nativeplanter_*
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Posted 09 April 2008 - 11:35 AM
The facility I am now working at has a giant recirculation pond with a bad hair algae problem. We were looking into using hydrogen peroxide (since we keep it on hand for treatments) as an algaecide. What dosages would anyone recommend? This pond is well over 440,000 gallons and the peroxide is 50%.
Turtlelover,
Please get some professional advice on this issue, due to the size of the pond and the hazards associated with the concentration of peroxide. Please DO NOT rely on advice from the forum, since we generally work at a much smaller scale with much less concentrated solution. I don't know if there are manufacturers of concentrated peroxide for pond use, but that would be a start for getting information.
Sorry to be a downer, but we don't want to have NANFA liable for issues from this. Thanks.
#7
Guest_TurtleLover_*
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Posted 09 April 2008 - 06:53 PM
Decided it's not going to be cost/time/etc. effective so looks like we're going to be doing it the old fashioned way and draining it out and scraping the algae out. 
Maybe we can find some barley straw bales and toss them in mesh bags in there to keep it from growing again now that it warms up.
Maybe we can find some barley straw bales and toss them in mesh bags in there to keep it from growing again now that it warms up.
#8
Guest_Irate Mormon_*
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Posted 09 April 2008 - 06:56 PM
Throw some hyacinth or salvinia in there - it will outcompete the algae and you can harvest it when you want to do something else.
#9
Guest_nativeplanter_*
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Posted 09 April 2008 - 07:55 PM
Throw some hyacinth or salvinia in there - it will outcompete the algae and you can harvest it when you want to do something else.
Or better yet, pick something that isn't an invasive exotic...
#10
Guest_Irate Mormon_*
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Posted 09 April 2008 - 08:38 PM
Or better yet, pick something that isn't an invasive exotic...
Naah! Well, OK, how about duckweed! Better yet, Wolffia!!
#11
Guest_TurtleLover_*
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Posted 10 April 2008 - 10:45 PM
LMAO you crack me up Irate!
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