Aquarium - Pond - Plants
By thevamp
@thevamp (27)
Australia
September 19, 2007 7:23am CST
Can anyone help me?
I am having a huge problem with the pond plants I have put into my pond, I have a huge pond! It covers the entire length of the front of my house, I also have creeping roses planted on a trellis parralel to the pond, there are some shady parts but the pond is mostly in full sun except early morning and late afternoon, my plants are pottedon a bed of straw, then potting mix, then riversand or course sand, I have waterlillies planted in the pots all over the pond, no matter where in the pond they are they are not growing?? all I get are lillypads the size of a 50 cent piece? I have had only 1 flower in the past 2 years, I have also planted water canna, parrots feather,ginger canna, arum lilly's and a few more, the only thing that is doing anything is the parrots feather and the arum lilly, I have also spent a fortune on duck weed and azolia fern, the lady at the pet shop said the fish wouldent eat the azolia fern?? HA! all gone.I had untill reacently about 150 fish in there untill a crain decided the pickings were too easy and scoffed all but the breeders (2) and a few lucky young, the only thing that grows well are the fish and slime???
2 responses
@oscarbartoni (2581)
• United States
20 Sep 07
You say that you have duck week, did the fish eat it also or did it cover the top of the pond? If it covered the top of the pond then the lilies were not getting the light that they needed and they were cleaning up the fertilizer that the Lillie's would need. You do not mention where you are located. If yo are in the northern areas you might need to consider bringing the fish in during the winter (unless the pond is lower than the frost line. As far as the birds like the crane and herons, you can put a net over the pond so that the birds cannot get in and the fish cannot jump out (did I mention that goldfish and koi love to jump?
@thevamp (27)
• Australia
23 Sep 07
The duck weed got gobbled up within the first 2 weeks, I am in the mallee reagen of victoria, so eventhough we do get frosts there usually not that severe.
It would be impossable to catch all the fish and bring them inside, the pond has a shallow end in sunlight for warmer water and a shallow end in dappled and full shade for protection and coolness throughout the summer heat.
I have added some mobiles made from old computer discs added some plastic bags to large posts and some windchimes overhanging the pond, this seems to be keeping the cranes away, as I was visited again yesterday, he took 1 look and flew off again.
The fish are hardy goldfish, (wish I could get Koi!!)
Thanks
@houndsgood (774)
• United States
19 Sep 07
I suspect the chemical balance of your pond is off. If you used water from the hose to initially fill your pond, it will have lots of chlorine in it. Get a nitrate kit and do a test. The nitrate levels of a pond like this should be zero or close to it. If it isn't, then you have to bring it back into balance. There are a lot of plants, but there may also be plant decay that could be affecting your pond. Leaves that fall in from trees, or parts of plants that are dying need to be removed immediately. The decay process is creating too much carbon dioxide and nitrogen. I would try to back away your roses who might be dropping petals and leaves too.
I wouldn't add any more fish for the time being until the pond is a little more balanced.
Using a biological filter will help immensely. Also, for a time, using a uv filter to kill off some of the algae can also help.
Curly leaf palmweed and american waterweed are too high oxygen producing plants you may want to add.
I think when the pond is back in balance, the water lillies will grow larger and everything else will be in balance.
@thevamp (27)
• Australia
23 Sep 07
I have already cut the roses back hard this year as I suspected the litter droped in from them might be having an effect, I had to pull the pond down and strip it abour 11 months ago to get out the yabbies, (1000.00s of them??) so I guss the ph will be pretty well shot too, I will get the kits and hopefully that will help, I am also in the process of making a natrul sand and stone filter. I havent heard of those plants though? where could I get them and are they available is australia?
Thanks
