and want to know what are good plants to plant around it etc Thank in advance for all help
oh_hunnihunni,
Nov 15, 6:34am
Search aquatic plants listings here, in the Pets/Fish listings, there are lots to get you started.
samanya,
Nov 15, 6:40am
As hunni said, but there are a a few plants you can choose. If you don't have a pump reticulating the water, you will need heaps of oxygenating plants (google for examples ) All plants, whether they are 'oxgenating', marginal, or waterlillies take up the undesirable nutrients & all good. It's all about getting oxygen back into the pond.
paix1,
Nov 15, 6:58am
Visit your local garden centre OP - they are sure to have a section of aquatic plants. I have a fish pond made from a half wine barrel (lined). Have 3 plants in it, little bit of oxygen plant and two fish. Never have any probs with it not being clear and have no pump. BUT - it is in the shade - this is one of the main things to do.
coralsnake,
Nov 15, 2:03pm
I got a solar pump that I just at this time, run a tube from into my outdoor pond - works well but I remove it over winter.
You need to cover at least 80% of the surface with plants etc. Don't worry if you get algae as it's a sign the pond is working correctly - use a rounded toilet brush to remove.
There's a load of plants you can plant around a pond - just about anything that will tolerate wet feet; Louisiana Iris do really well.
There are several aquatic places in Christchurch- just google.
http://www.thewatergarden.co.nz/ As I also have indoor fish tanks, I tend to gravitate towards Redwood Aquatics [they have a website]. Bunnings have water lilies in some stores; usually some now and again on Trade Me.
oh_hunnihunni,
Nov 16, 12:20am
Bacopa. pretty, cheap, self seeds like crazy, and loves boggy conditions.
samanya,
Nov 16, 6:18am
coralsnake, you are so right when you say "You need to cover at least 80% of the surface with plants etc." . 60% - 70% is usual & that can take a while but is easier to achieve in a smaller pond. It's all about water temps. Algae is seldom a problem in winter (well not in my neck of the woods) as the water temps increase, the oxygen levels go down, creating the ideal conditions that algae thrives in, so shading the pond in any way (plants are preferable) helps a heap.
coralsnake,
Nov 16, 6:32am
Just be careful when planting some surrounding plants such as Cyperus as they can grow rather quickly but are a hell of a job to dig out - speaking from experience!
I am putting a potted maple tree beside mine to throw some filtered shade in summer.
skin1235,
Nov 16, 7:20am
made the mistake of digging one under partial shade of an old Copper Beach tree stocked it well, then as the seasons came around lost every single fish, those that didin't get poisoned by the seed pods falling from the tree were snapped up by the kingfishers sitting in the lower branches
paix1,
Nov 16, 8:17am
. saw a very interesting clip yesterday on Gardeners World. (Love that program! ) the guy host (forget his name) stuffed an old stocking foot with straw & floated it on surface - guaranteed to stop blanket weed (but took about a month to see any results)
harrislucinda,
Nov 16, 10:56am
just been told today put straw in bottom then when gets yuk remove and add more Wish I knew this when I had a pond
coralsnake,
Nov 16, 12:08pm
Google up barley straw ponds. I don't know what's available in NZ but in the US we could several versions of products though I never used it.
Also if you are putting a pump in, don't fling it on the bottom of the pond as it will gunk up with sludge quickly. I use an oblong container with a brick on top and place the pump on that. If it doesn't come with a pre-filter, wrap some aquarium foam around - it will need changing but it saves a lot on cleaning. If you know someone who has an aquarium grab their throw-aways and clean [sorry I just threw out a few!].
If you are using a pre-formed pond, drill a hole near the top and insert a piece of tubing, silicone it in place. Ensure it's long enough to drain out where you want it to drain - handy when it rains.
coralsnake,
Jul 29, 2:49pm
Yikes, I bought some beautiful koi when I had ponds in Texas. Had them for a few days then they were gone. Didn't think the herons had got to them but forgot about snakes! Snakes loved our ponds for cooling off in during the hot months and for other fishy/froggy treats. They can stay underwater for around 30 minutes but I had more patience than they did.
We gave up on keeping fish as such and just had mozzie fish which are banned in NZ.
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