Page 310 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

308 POND FISH: SETTING UP THE POND

Plants and landscaping

In addition to enhancing the look of a pond, plants help to maintain
water quality, providing a healthy environment for the fish. The choice TIPS FOR CHOOSING PLANTS
of plants will partly depend on the style of pond—a naturalistic pond • Avoid buying plants in the winter when
looks best when heavily planted around the edges so that it blends they are dormant, because it is impossible
to tell how healthy they are.
seamlessly into its environment, while a contemporary look may be • Examine plants carefully for potential
best achieved with more minimalist planting. pests, such as aquatic snails.
• Plants already set in containers will
Plant has grow faster than bare-rooted plants,
A well-balanced, healthy pond must contain two types of relatively assuming they do not need repotting.
plants: oxygenators (see pp.370–371), which release oxygen few flowers
developing
into the water, and floating plants (see pp.372–373), which A number of flower stalks Healthy Marsh
Marigold
and buds developing
provide shelter from sunlight. Without these, or an efficient
filtration system, the water in the pond can become Plant not
thriving
overgrown with algae, which not only turns the water green
but can also affect the health of some fish species, such as
Sterlets (see p.359). Plants in the body of the pond also absorb Weeds in the
nitrate— the product of the breakdown of fish waste—which container suggest
lessens the burden on the filtration system. unfavorable
growing conditions
Incorporating plants into a koi pond is not straightforward, Healthy, green
partly because of the depth of water and also because koi Poor example coloration to
the leaves
have a habit of digging up plants and browsing on the growing
shoots. Most koi ponds, therefore, simply incorporate a few
tall marginals and perhaps some water lilies, whose leaves help of disease or pests. In temperate areas, spring is the best time
to protect the fish from sunburn in the clear water. to introduce new plants into an existing pond, because aquatic
plants start to grow rapidly at this time. If the pond is large,
Planting you may need waders to put plants in place, and special
In a new pond, wait several days after filling before putting pond gloves should always be worn. These reach up to
the plants in place, to allow the water temperature to rise your shoulders and provide protection against waterborne
to that of the environment. Pot plants as necessary (see diseases, such as Weil’s disease (see p.323)—a potentially
opposite), first inspecting them closely for any signs serious condition, spread by rodents, which causes jaundice.

TYPES OF POND PLANTS
Plants for the pond can be
divided into four categories, based
on their growing habits and where
in the pond they are to be found.
Oxygenating plants, water lilies,
and floating plants are truly
aquatic, growing in or under
the water. Marginal plants are
a useful addition to the pond,
not only as a decorative element Oxygenating plants Water lilies have attractive Floating plants can Marginal plants can be
cultivated in shallow
grow largely underwater,
flowers and large leaves,
rapidly spread across a
but also to provide an excellent releasing oxygen during which provide shade and pond, and their growth water or boggy conditions
habitat for insects. daylight hours. protection for the fish. may need to be restricted. around a pond’s edge.

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