Planktonic – The type that changes the water color. Usually green (pea soup) or brown or even red.
Filamentous – The type that is mat forming. Prior to forming surface mats it may appear as stringy strands beneath the surface often attached to dock legs, plants and rocks.
Branched – The type that looks similar to a plant. Branched or Chara type algae generally grows densely along the bottom suppressing most other growth. See the descriptions below.

Common Problem Algae:

Surface mats are bubble filled and usually appear green but can become yellow to brownish. Prior to maturing beneath the surface, algae may appear like srtingy cotton candy strands attached to rocks, dock legs or weeds.

Filamentous Algae is found commonly in water bodies worldwide. Commonly referred to as “moss” or just plain “pond scum”. This algae type begins its growth along the shallow edges or bottom of the pond or lakeshore and mushrooms to the surface forming mats buoyed by oxygen it has produced. They exhibit no true leaves, stems or root systems. Thousands of species have been identified. The texture of these growths may be slimy, cottony or coarse. Forms may include thread like hairs or fury looking blobs to thick mats covering the entire pond. Algae can easily attach it self to rocks, dock legs and boat hulls.

Planktonic algae are the foundation of the aquatic food chain in all ponds, lakes and rivers. The density and diversity of the planktonic algae community in a waterbody determines how many and what size of fish can be supported. Algal abundance is determined by water fertility with higher levels of phosphorus and nitrogen resulting in increased abundance.

Problems/Description:
When plankton algae blooms approach nusciance levels you’ll know it! The water will change to a blue-green or green color giving it a paint-like scum appearance. Microscopic growth is often visible as a greenish tinge suspended in the upper few feet of water. Severe blooms may resemble pea soup and actually thicken the water.

Nusiance planktonic algae blooms almost always occur in response to high levels of nutrients. The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus determines whether the planktonic community will be dominated by green algae that are readily eaten by microscopic animals or by blue-green algae that offer less value to the food chain. Low ratios of nitrogen to phosphorus favor blue-green algae rather than the more edible forms of green algae.