How to Keep the Aquatic Plants in Your Koi Pond Under Control

A koi pond without aquatic plants isn’t something pond keepers typically aim for. Raising koi without any plant life is like farming tilapia in a tank. It minimizes aesthetics and makes life less satisfactory for pond species. You should have aquatic plants in your garden pond not only because they look nice but also because they provide nutrition and shelter in addition to biochemical advantages such as oxygenation, algae control, and ammonia reduction. In warm climates, plants can help with keeping pond water cool, but they can also proliferate and become troublesome. Here’s a quick guide to keeping plants under control in a pond, brought to you by Aquatic Warehouse, a trusted provider of koi pond supplies.

When Aquatic Plants Grow Out of Control

Koi won’t mind a lush aquascape to swim in. Keep in mind this species originated in rice paddies, so they can find their way around underwater jungles. The problems start with excessive plant decay accumulating at the bottom of the pond. When silt mixes with plant decay, the chemical oxygenation process becomes compromised, thus throwing the ecosystem off balance. There’s also the matter of tangled stems and leaves making it difficult for you to clean the pond.

Causes of Aquatic Plant Overgrowth

Most pond keepers are used to dealing with plant decimation instead of excessive growth, and this is often because the plant species happen to be highly edible. Water lilies and lotus come to mind in this regard. When you have a pond planted with species that koi don’t like, the likelihood of overgrowth will increase. Koi will stay away from water lettuce and umbrella plants unless they’re starving, but these are the kind of plants that will grow to excess under direct sunlight. This should prompt you to provide shade and mix up the plant species. Lilies along with water lettuce floating under the shade of a tree or roof overhang would be an ideal combination for a pond.

Removing and Trimming Plants

Floating and stemming plants are fairly easy to remove from ponds. All you have to do is pull them out. Stemming plants that have taken root can be trimmed when you’re performing a 50 percent water change. To balance the pond ecosystem effectively, no more than 60 percent of the surface or the substrate should be covered with plant species. If you have a tall water grass invasion, you may need to take out the fish and invertebrates to perform a complete water change.

Keeping Herbivores in the Pond

As long as you feed your koi regularly, they’ll only nibble on plants, which means the plants may grow excessively at some point. Your best bet is to stock the pond with a few fathead minnows that grow about three inches. This species will be able to keep water grass and algae under control. However, just pulling out a few water hyacinths every week is the sensible thing to do.

Plants are an essential addition to any koi pond, as they’re important for maintaining a healthy aquatic environment. However, you’ll also need several supplies to keep your pond running smoothly. From pond vacuums and filters to beneficial bacteria and lighting, you can find everything you’re looking for at Aquatic Warehouse. Order from our website and have your supplies shipped to you, come by our store located in Kearny Mesa, or give us a call at 858-467-9297 if you have any questions.