Fish And Plants
For many of us, this is the whole reason why we built a pond or water garden in the first place! For the fish and/or the plants. Often, we forget that the ponds that we build in our yards, big or small, are more than what they appear to be. They are in fact an ecosystem. Both on their own, as well as part of the ecosystem of your backyard and beyond. It’s an environment that will be home to many forms of life. Not only the fish, and plants that we put in there, but far more!
In my eyes, there are two different types of ponds. A Koi Pond, and a Water Garden. However, many times a pond can become a combination of both. Let’s look at the differences….
The Koi Pond….
A Koi Pond is a pond designed and built specifically for Koi. They are the main attraction. Very few if any plants at all are included. It’s all about the beauty of the Koi. They are typically deeper than other ponds, and have very good filtration systems to keep the water safe and clear, and the koi healthy. These fish can be expensive, can grow quite large, and demand a higher water quality to thrive for many years.
Another reason why plants are often not used in Koi ponds, is the fact that as these fish grow larger, they can be come more destructive to the plants. Often eating them, knocking over the pots, or just digging up the roots. However, this is not always the case, but very often the plants can become a mess in the koi pond. Also, I have noticed that over time, as the koi get bigger, many of my clients start to favor the koi over the plants. The number of plants in the pond decreases, and it becomes more about the fish.
The koi become very tame, and will follow you around the pond looking for food. They can even be trained to eat out of your hands! Many of my clients can pet them, and even give them names. They become your pets, and are like members of the family. They are available in many different colors, and if fed well, they will grow fast!
The Water Garden…
Water Gardens are ponds that are built specifically for plants, and often have a few fish to add some interest. Since koi can grow quite large and damage many plants, they are not the best choice for a water garden. However, Goldfish (Comets), Shubunkin, Golden Orfe, Black Moores, Fantail goldfish, and even Oranda’s are great choices. These fish co-exist with plants very well, and do not damage the plants as the koi can. These ponds are often not as deep as koi ponds, as some plants like water lilies do not need to be four or five feet deep under water. In my climate zone, a water garden can be between two and three feet deep, and it’s a good idea to have many shelves at different depths for different types of plants.
There are four basic types of water plants, Bog plants (or marginal Plants), floating plants, underwater “oxygenators”, and lilies.
Bog plants are plants that prefer to grow in shallow water around the ponds edge. They are the most extensive category of plants available, very popular and generally easy to grow.
Floating plants such as Water Hyacinth’s and water lettuce do not need to be potted, or planted. They simply just float on the surface and often spread like a wildfire. Their roots hang down underneath them, and help to absorb nitrates as well as other nutrients from the water, and provide shade. Very easy to grow, but koi will often eat them.
Underwater plants, “oxygenators”, to me are a gimmick. I don’t agree that they are necessary in your pond. I talk about this in my video “All About Water Plants” on my YouTube Channel. They only produce oxygen during sunlight hours, and can absorb oxygen out of the pond at night, which may be detrimental to your fish, if they become too large, and there is not another oxygen source like an aeration system or waterfall running.
Finally, Waterlilies, are the jewels of your water garden. They are the plants that everyone envisions when thinking of ponds. They are placed deeper in the pond, one to three feet deep, and have numerous leaves and flowers that float on the surface of the water. There are smaller varieties, but most can grow quite large.
Water plants are classified as being either “hardy” or “tropical”. Hardy plants are perennials, which means that they can survive cold winters and grow back again each year. Often bigger and bigger. Tropical plants are not winter hardy, and will die after a hard frost. They need to be purchased each year. However, they can grow very quickly and very large in one season.
Many of my clients often desire a pond that is a bit of both a water garden and a koi pond. They want nice koi as well as a combination of other fish, and love the plants too. That’s fine. It is probably the most common type of pond out there. For the most part, it all works just fine. But sometimes as the koi get larger, they can become destructive. Overall, it’s your pond… you make it however you want. It’s for you to enjoy!
Here are some examples of my Videos on my YouTube Channel “Jersey Shore Pondscapes Videos”…..
