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Posted by Douglas DuHamel Jul 3, 2008 |
Pond plants keep algae down, help with filtration by trapping debris in their root system, and keep your water aerated. Plants also provide a place where shy fish can hide and escape from bullies. Plants help put air in the water by taking in all the carbon dioxide and replacing it with oxygen.
The fish take in the oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. That is why fish and plants need each other. Plants, whether normal or aquatic, need nutrients to survive. The good news is that pond water will provide nutrients for healthy plants.
Ponds can go bad if nitrates and animal waste reaches dangerous levels, but plants thrive on it. So, aquatic plants will help absorb some of this bad stuff and the filter does the rest. All aquatic plants need a good base to grow on. If the base is not good, the odds are that your plants will be in pretty sad shape.
Most people make the mistake of thinking that any type of gravel or substrate will do. This is not so. A good mixture for a plant base in a pond would be two inches of low-calcium gravel available at most pet stores.
Then followed by 3 to 4 inches of any substrate you choose. This will help your plants anchor themselves in a pond. When buying plants, be sure to research which plants do best in your climate.