Fishpond Waste Water & Aquatic Plants

Submerged Plants

• Submerged plants such as Anacharis and Cabomba grow underwater in fishponds. These plants will generally root at the bottom of the pond and extend upward, extracting the nutrients provided by fish excrement through their roots that are embedded in the bottom of the pond. In turn, they prohibit excessive algae growth by utilizing the nutrients and provide added oxygen to the system for the fish.

Floating Plants

• Floating plants such as water hyacinth and water lettuce also draw nutrients from the pond; however, because these plants float freely in the water, the roots pull the nutrients directly from the water.

Bog Plants

• Bog plants grow alongside waterways, with their roots submerged, but the majority of the plant is found above water. Cattails, Horsetail Rush and Bluebell are all examples of bog plants. These plants root into the mud that is found along the banks of the pond, and thrive on the leftover rotting food and fish waste provided by the pond.

Aquatic Plant Benefits

• Aquatic plants provide fishponds with a valuable service. By removing the excess nutrients in the water, algae growth is reduced, water pH is balanced and oxygenation is heightened as the plants give off oxygen during respiration.

Non-aquatic Plant Benefits

• Fishpond wastewater can also be used to provide nutrients to non-aquatic plants. Simply skim a quantity of water from the surface of the pond and use to water other plants as well.