Algae is a vital part of the aquatic ecosystem. It is an aquatic living organism that requires sunlight and nutrition to grow other plants likewise. Algae can grow and sprout exponentially. There are two types of ways through algae reproduce. One is vegetative propagation, and another is the production of spores.
Four types of algae are found in water bodies: Green algae, Flagellates, Diatoms, and Blue-green algae. Among these, the blue-green algae are toxic for other living organisms, including humans. Blue-green algae spread toxins into the water and harmful for the animals if they drink such contaminated water. Human skin is very allergic to this kind of algae. People often feel irritation and red rashes when they swim into the water body having blue-green algae.
Why do algae grow in Dams?
Algae require these four conditions to grow: Sunlight, High Nutrients, Warm temperature, and Water pH between 7 to 8. And the exciting thing is that all of these conditions are ubiquitous in dams and other same kinds of water bodies. The algae bloom can disturb and damage the aquatic organisms and deter the quality and nutrition of water from the dams. That is why it is vital to Remove Algae Dam.
3 Effective Ways To Remove Algae From Dams
Manually Removal:
When you inspect algae blooms into a dam, you should first manually remove that algae. It sounds like hard work. But it is a primary step. However, it is not a permeant solution. You can get rid of algae for a short period. At that time, you can find the best way to Remove Algae Pond by limiting nutrition and sunlight.If you suspect blue-green algae, it is advisable to use alternative methods and restrict the water for use till the next 10-15 days, as the presence of blue-green algae will contaminate it.
Modify Dam Construction:
Algae can rapidly spread in water under the sun. The reason being, the rate of photosynthesis increases in sunlight and helps algae to grow. So, it is advisable to make deep dams instead of shallow ones. Because the sunlight cannot penetrate to the bottom of the dam is deep. Thus, the possibility of algae in a deep dam is low.
Treating with Chemicals:
Generally, ferric alum used for a preventive purpose; you can use this chemical to get rid of algae. Algae require phosphorus and nitrogen as same as other plants. Ferric alum eliminates phosphorus from water, and this stops the growth of algae. Apply about 50 grams of Ferric alum per 1000 liters of water. Place this chemical on a porous bag with the float.
Simazine, Calcium hypochlorite, and Cupric ide also used to kill algae from the water. However, it might be possible that some of these chemicals harmful to other aquatic animals. It would help if you were careful while using chemicals to kill algae.
Conclusion:
Algae can contaminate water and damage aquatic animals. You should continuously monitor the water for the presence of algae and immediately restrict water from the use if you sense blue-green algae. The ways, as mentioned above, are well-effective to remove algae. Comment below if you are facing the problem of algae. We will reach you soon.
We discovered Dam Buster™ after googling online looking for answers on how to eradicate the unsightly green algae that had completely covered our dam. We have our dam stocked with fish and also irrigate from it, so we didn’t want to use harsh chemicals.
After watching a Dam Buster™ testimonial online we decided to give Bio Natural Solutions a phone call and after speaking with them placed an order for Dam Buster™.
The Problem
The Results
We cannot speak highly enough of this product, we were amazed at how quickly it worked. honestly, it cleared our dam in a matter of weeks! We wouldn’t have believed it if we hadn’t seen it with our own eyes.
Dam Buster™ and Bio Natural solutions, a big thank you from us for doing exactly what you promised.
Kerry and Trevor Peeler
Peeler Family Orchards
Harcourt, Victoria
Brings water sources back to life. 100% Safe for Fish and Yabbies.
Working from the bottom up Dam Buster™ consumes the nutrients that Algae need to survive leaving irrigation and watering dams clean and clear. Traditional Algaecides merely poison the algae which then sinks to the bottom increasing the organic loading and severity of future blooms. Dam Buster™ is a proven, cost effective and environmentally solution for your dam.
Read about it at the Weekly Times here!
Rosemary (my partner) and I are very impressed with how a dam was transformed in as little as three days. Not only was the water muddy, but smelly, and when gravity feeding down the pipe to trough, some with automatic feeders for horses to drink, everyday was clogging up the filter. Which then needed to be cleaned several times, just to get enough water for six horses to drink for the day. To be honest, after going through the filter, the look and the smell of the water was not really what you wanted your horses to drink. After three days it is improved magnificently!
Brings water sources back to life. 100% Safe for Fish and Yabbies.
Working from the bottom up Dam Buster™ consumes the nutrients that Algae need to survive leaving irrigation and watering dams clean and clear. Traditional Algaecides merely poison the algae which then sinks to the bottom increasing the organic loading and severity of future blooms. Dam Buster™ is a proven, cost effective and environmentally solution for your dam.
Read about it at the Weekly Times here!
Before
The Problem
In the middle of the recent hot, dry summer, the dam water that we were giving our horses to drink was becoming a revolting yellow/green colour, and smelt bad. It was gravity feeding through a long pipe with a filter. Instead of cleaning the filter every day or so, Rosemary was cleaning it several times every morning, in the course of filling the troughs for seven horses, and still it stank bad!
The Results
After first using the Dam Buster soluble bags, it took three days to see an improvement in the algae present, and it continued improving for weeks. Of course the filter still needed cleaning to remove pieces of grass, twigs and leaves that had blown into it, and more after a storm which had washed debris in; but all the same there is a distinct improvement; in fact, Rosemary comments, the plastic filter, has now regained the original pristine white colour that it had when first it came out of its packet!
After
Extra tips around the farm
We use Grey Water to grow vegetables for our own use… water is limited. I have been told, that grey water should be used within a day or two and not be stored and allowed to be come smelly. So when it actually rains, and the grey water tank becomes full of water from the washing machine etc, and the garden does not need watering because of the rain, what do you do? The grey water becomes smelly. Simply add a little DamBuster: the grey water tank then becomes cleaner than it had been for I do not know how long…. And we happily used it when dry conditions return as they inevitably do.
A Chicken Yard: We have seventeen chickens hatched in an incubator. They are let out to free range on grass and grubs for a couple of hours per day. (If we leave them free full time from dawn to dark, they will destroy all the grass, and unfortunately, the local free range foxes will visit; but when it rains, the yard becomes very smelly, despite the straw and wood much on the flow. With addition of some DamBuster, and some more mulch, the smell is gone, and with more rain does the smell not return. Soon we will add some sand, and eventually remove the whole lot, as rich soil, with plenty of compost ready to add to a garden bed.
Bacterial agent Dam Buster gets rid of sludge and chemicals from farm dams
Colin Taylor, originally published The Weekly Times March 3rd 2017
A NEW ecological method of getting rid of suspended solids, sludge and chemicals in manure ponds and farm dams will be on show at the field days.
Distributed in Australia by Bio Natural Solutions, of Tullamarine, Dam Buster is a blend of live, cultured bacteria which eats away at organic matter until the water is PH-neutral and unpleasant smells, surface crusts and any “rotten egg gas” (hydrogen sulphide) have disappeared.
Dam Buster was released a year ago and had its first public showing at International Dairy Week at Tatura.
Managing director Robert Weston said Bio Natural Solutions acted as a wholesaler, selling initially through GV Dairy Supplies in Shepparton.
The story starts with ROEBIC Laboratories in Connecticut, US, established in 1959 to produce environmentally friendly products to help consumers with their sewage disposal. ROEBIC’s range has now grown to consist of 35 products.
“They developed the patented RoeTech line of bacterial cultures and we’ve adapted one of those to produce Dam Buster for sludge removal, cleaning septic tanks and stock troughs and wastewater treatment in such places as abattoirs, farms and piggeries,” Mr Weston said.
“All we did was add an oxygenation agent.
“We mix it together in 250g soluble bags which are simply thrown into the dam, sold in terms of dam sizes — quarter-megalitre to five megalitres.
“This product is one of a kind. It’s certified biodegradable and approved by AQIS and Good Environmental Choice Australia.
“On Christmas Eve, we started treating a five-megalitre dam near Kyabram and the farmer’s gobsmacked.
“In virtually six weeks, Dam Buster got rid of the sludge on top and silt at the bottom, and it turned to clean water.
“We’ve also done dams in western Victoria and near Wangaratta.
“Up until now, it’s been very expensive for dairy farms to dredge up that waste, but to treat a one-megalitre dam will cost $418, including GST.
“After that, it’s just a matter of maintenance.”
GV Dairy Supplies owner Paul McGrath said he was encouraged to stock Dam Buster after free on-farm trials managed by Mr Weston proved successful. “There’s clearly a need for a product like this among the dairy farming community,” Mr McGrath said.
“We previously sold a different product which proved too temperamental in our local weather conditions, whereas Dam Buster has shown a lot more resilience in that regard.”
We have been using Dam Buster from Bio Natural Solutions for 18 months now. Before we started using Dam buster we were have serious algae problems in our water storage facility which was then creating major headaches in the filtration system of our irrigation.
Our dam holds around 5 mega litres but has a surface area of around 3500 square meters and is fed by a milk factory called Fonterra, we receive what is called condensate from them on a regular basis and it is generally a good quality water source, it is classified as Class A recycled water. Being only a small storage facility in relation to how much we can irrigate each 24 hour period, the turn over in the dam is constant, but not enough to stop algae forming over the warmer weather.
We have tried many different additives and formulas to try and combat the problem each summer, but many were not effective and cost prohibitive. 2 years ago the problem became that bad that we were having to dismantle sprinklers and clean out the filter in the heads after on 10 minutes of irrigation which meant 3 workers constantly work all day just to keep water on the course, it was at that time that I discovered Dam Buster.
Within two weeks of commencing Dam Buster treatments the problem was on the improve and then only another two weeks the algae problems were no more. 6 months previous to using Dam Buster we had also put in an aeration system to help alleviate the problem and although by itself I don’t believe this helped but in combination with the Dam Buster the aeration assisted. Before I was happy to give a testimonial I wanted to see how Dam Buster worker over an entire season.
We have now gone through an entire irrigation system using Dam Buster, this year was on average warmer and we had more days of full sun, and the treatment with Dam Buster has been a complete success. We have experienced no algae issues at all this summer, not one filter has required cleaning, the dam is clearer and the water has no odour when irrigated. I have included some photos, taken at the same time in summer 12 months apart, the results are obvious.
