Aqua Eden

Hi there,
Can you recommend some aquatic plants that do well in direct sunlight? My pond is almost two weeks old. The water is clear but I haven't had much luck keeping anything alive in there. Right now I have water lettuce and water hibiscus. I thought maybe they weren't doing well because the pond gets direct sunlight all day long.

Thanks!
Anne

Anne -
Thanks for the question - Actually most aquatic plants do best in full sunlight. When yous start to look at the native habitat where most pond plants grow you notice that not many ponds and lakes have shade.

As for plant recommendations it all depends on where the pond is located and if you want annual or perennial plants to grow. For Minnesota Pond Plants I like Sweet Flag, Iris, Sedges, Creeping Jenny, and lilies.

I am not a fan of water lettuce... as the plant grows many of the leaves turn yellow as they die and i think they just dont look nice.

You did say you have a new pond... Chances are you may have one or a combination of the following

- High Ammonia or Nitrites (which are not good for the plants)
- Too Low of Nitrates (Which is not good for plant growth)

Full Sunlight should not be a concern for plant growth for the types of plants you are talking about in your pond. Many people have a problem growing good pond plants in that they have a lot of shade.

I would suggest that you get a good water test kit and test of the these levels. I have a few different brands that I find work pretty well. Once you get the water chemistry where it needs to be you should start to see healthier plants.

I hope this helps, if you have any other questions let me know!

Thanks,

Hi Jake,
Thanks for the information. That is good to know. Yep it is a new pond and a VERY fun toy. But I am still learning as I go. I didn't realize the water lettuce leaves turning yellow was typical. That is what's happening. But you're right it doesn't look that nice.

Also they fit perfectly in my dog's mouth and it is too tempting for him to use them as toys (my other plants and landscaping he is pretty good about leaving alone, but he just can't restrain himself with the lettuce).

Do you sell the test kits you were mentioning? Do I come into the store or buy online? Also where can I get those plants?

The pond is located in North East Minneapolis. Its in my backyard which faces West. There are no mature trees in the yard due to a storm a few years back. I have 3 dogs. Here's some pictures if it helps. The water is clear now. Some of the pics were taken right after they filled it and it was really cloudy then.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26500564@N ... 919896486/

Anne -

Thanks for the pictures it helped describe the area you are talking out. Looks like you have some nice dogs!

I do have a free catalog that i can send out to you that i could highlight the kits that i would recommend for your pond. If you could send me a private message on the forum or email me your address i could get that out to you -

my email address is jake@aquaeden.com

I could also potentially get some of the plants to you as well.

I understand about the cloudy water in new ponds, typically the fine silt and sediment take a day or so to settle out of the water column.

What type of skimmer and filtration system do you have in your pond? I also have some excellent water treatments that can help stabalize your new pond and help your plants grow better as well.

Hope this helps!

Thanks again,

Jake
Aqua Eden

I'm still learning after my first year having a pond, but I'm pretty sure that my Koi eat the roots on my water hyacynths and water lettuce. I wasn't sure if you have fish or not, but that could be part of the issue if you do. The ones they can't get to flourish and serve to replace the ones they eat on.

Hey Kent -
Good advice. I too have noticed that koi will eat the roots of floating plants. One thing that has always boggled me is that the fish in my pond do NOT eat my hyacinth and lettuce. I have mostly koi with some that are around the 14 inch mark. I usually feed them well, but sometimes I get caught on a job for about 4 days at a time and done get a chance to feed them. They seem to find plenty of food and pluck at the small amounts of hair algae.

However, I was just at another customers pond and her koi mow the roots off of her floating plants daily and she feeds her fish more often than I do. She likes to have some hyacinth in the filter (where the fish can't get at them) and some in a floating ring in the pond. Over time she switches them back and forth so that they can re-grow and it seems to work pretty well.

For me, the question is still out as to why some koi eat the roots of plants, while some in other ponds do not.

Maybe someday we will figure it out!

Thanks again,