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Aquatic Plants

How many plants should I have in my pond?


-you should have approximately 40-60% of your pond surface covered by plants if your pond gets at least 6 hours of sunlight every day.
Too many plants can cause oxygen deficiencies at night.

Here is a sample guide:

4x6 to 6x6 ponds:
1 Lilies

5 - 8 Bog Plants
3 Water Hyacinth or Lettuce
24 Submerged Plants like Hornwort or Anacharis

 

20 pond myths exposed

1. MYTH: PREDATORS WILL EAT ALL OF YOUR FISH

When you go out to your pond and find that you are missing a fish or two it’s very tempting to blame it on raccoons and other four legged predators. Take the following facts into consideration before you jump into any conclusions: raccoon generally don’t swim! They normally stand on the side of the pond and try to take a swipe at the fish. Fortunately, most fish will swim to a deeper, more protected part of the pond if a predator is threatening them. The one predator which should cause a legitimate concern is the blue heron (they are a protected species so hunting then and making soup is out of the question!). However, something as simple as a scarecrow (a motion sensing sprinkler) that can be set up alongside the pond has had some degree of success in warding them off. It’s a good idea to move the scarecrow to keep them guessing. Plenty of lily pads will give your fish plenty of protection and will minimize attracting the heron to begin with. Rocks are also essential in creating hiding spots in your pond.

2. MYTH: ROCKS AND GRAVEL MAKE IT HARD TO CLEAN YOUR POOL

Rocks and Gravel offer a natural place for aerobic bacteria to colonize and set up housekeeping. This bacteria breaks down the fish waste and debris that if uncleaned would turn into sludge. Regardless of your pond’s location or how many fish you have in it you’ll fin that having rocks and gravel will allow Mother Nature to clean up after herself and saves you headaches and hours of work trying to keep the bottom of your pond muck free.

3. MYTH: UV LIGHTS ARE THE BEST WAY TO KEEP YOUR POND WATER CLEAR

UV clarifiers are one of the ways to keep your pond water clear, but certainly not the only way, and definitely not the natural way. If you have a pond that is naturally balanced you don’t need UVC at all! In a naturalistic setting the fish eat the plants then produce waste that gets broken down by aerobic bacteria (that’s colonized on the rocks and gravel below) and then it’s taken back up as nutrition by the plants continuing the cycle. A naturally balanced pond is a low maintenance pond because Mother Nature is doing the maintenance work for you.

4. MYTH: YOUR POND MUST BE AT LEAST 3 FT DEEP IN ORDER TO KEEP KOI

There are thousands of 2 ft deep ponds around the country full of happy and healthy koi. The water in a 2 ft deep pond will generally only freeze eight inches down, even in the coldest of climates, because of the insulating qualities of the earth around the pond
A pond that is too deep could be considered a swimming pool by your local government and might fall under stricter guidelines and codes.

5. MYTH: YOU HAVE TO BRING YOUR FISH INSIDE FOR THE WINTER

Fish do fine during the coldest of winters as long as you give them 2 feet of water to swim in, oxygenate the water, and keep a hole in the ice with a bubbler (allowing naturally produced gasses to escape from under the ice). Let Mother Nature do the rest! The fish will spend the entire winter hibernating at the bottom of the pond and then they will slowly wake up as the water warms in the spring.

6. MYTH: A POND MEANS YOU WILL HAVE MOSQUITOES

Mosquitoes will generally only lay their eggs in still, stagnant water!
If they happen to lay eggs in your pond and the larvae hatches, the fish in the pond will see them as a treat!

7. MYTH: YOU CAN USE A TIMER ON YOUR POND

Your pond is a living, breathing ecosystem that needs constant oxygen, jut like the human race. If you shut your system down at night, then you can never have sufficient growth of the beneficial bacteria to fight algae blooms, and the fish will have hard time breathing.

8. MYTH: THE MORE FILTRATION THE BETTER

Tight filter pads in your skimmer pick up the smallest particles of debris causing you to be cleaning the filtering mechanisms constantly. If you can see a dime on the bottom of the pond, then the water clarity is just right for your fish and filtering past that is overkill!

9. MYTH: IT IS NECESSARY TO DRAIN AND CLEAN YOUR POND REGULARLY

If you decide to work in harmony with Mother Nature then draining and cleaning your pond should only take place once a year at most! Clean outs should happen in the spring, before the weather gets warm and the bacteria has an opportunity to set up.

10. MYTH: YOU CAN NOT HAVE A POND IN AN AREA WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES

In nature, ponds and trees go together like ham and eggs on a breakfast table! Yes, you will have more leaves in your pond in the fall but, the shade provided by the trees will help minimize the algae bloom in the summer. Don’t worry about trees and ponds, they are fine together!