Which Aquatic Plants Are Best for Your Koi Pond?

A koi pond is an excellent way to bring life to your property. Whether you own a commercial or residential property, a pond filled with colorful fish is a great way to entertain visitors. You want to make sure you give the fish a great environment to thrive in. This includes securing the proper vegetation that the fish will not simply eat within the first day.

The first thing you want to do is peruse all your options. There are floating plants, which are easy to care for and help provide shading for the fish. These types of plants include water lilies, lotus plants, water lettuce and water hyacinth. There are submerged plants, which form at the bottom of the koi pond. These plants include water purslane, American waterweed and fanwort. Finally, you have shallow water marsh plants. These will be located toward the shallow end of the pond away from where the fish will roam. They include horsetail, water iris and umbrella plants.

You need more than simply fish in the pond if you want to impress guests. Not only do plants add an aesthetic flair to the pond, they also provide many practical benefits. For starters, they supply oxygen to the fish. They keep the water properly aerated. They also aid the overall temperature of the pond. Since floating plants rest on the surface of the water, they provide much needed shade to the fish to keep them cool. Plants are also beneficial for when it comes time for the fish to lay eggs. Plants provide a natural blanket for fish to attach their eggs to.

In many cases, these plants will not require too much maintenance. On the contrary, they will help reduce the amount of maintenance you need to perform on the koi pond by naturally keeping it aerated and clean. You simply need to make sure you choose the fight koi food so that the fish are not tempted to eat the plants.