Aquascaped ponds?

[TallGrassBigSky]

I have this plant in the NorFork lake around here, and I just cannot identify it! not even APC can. Grows in Very low light, submerged, leaves are go into a V at the end, circular on the outskirts of the leaf. Stem is brownish green. idk
@TallGrassBigSky glad to see someone else likes this idea

I come from the aquarium world, too, although I've always been a low-maintenance hobbyist and never got fancy or technical with my setups.

 

[DutchMuch]

I come from the aquarium world, too, although I've always been a low-maintenance hobbyist and never got fancy or technical with my setups.

Do you know Diana walstad? try this (you can contact her on here to, she is active) http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/.../132281-new-book-about-planted-aquariums.html she is the inventor of Low-tech Tanks

 

[TallGrassBigSky]

Do you know Diana walstad? try this (you can contact her on here to, she is active) http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/.../132281-new-book-about-planted-aquariums.html she is the inventor of Low-tech Tanks

Yep, I'm familiar with her. I've never dirted a tank, though. I've just used sand and root tabs.

 

[DutchMuch]

sand is the ultimate substrate, use them in all my tanks! that or Amazonia!

 

[DutchMuch]

nope they will knock it over

Just thought of this;

Plan credit to: Me my amazing self lol
Do you think people (even you) could use this plan effectively with plants against koi?

1. Get a bucket, of any kind as long as its taller than 1 ft, preferably 1ft 1/2
   
   
2. Get some windows creen, or even wildlife netting if possible on hand
   
   
3. Go grab a cinderblock and get it on hand as well, scissors to.
   
   
4. Get your Bucket, place it firmly in your pond.
   
   
5. Next insert the cinderblock, inside your bucket. Preferably sideways to cover more ground to allow more stability.
   
   
6. After that, add a gravel or clay pebbles to your bucket, on top of the cinderblock.
   
   
7. Then get 4 bamboo poles, or water safe poles (skinny, or ½” thick) and stick then around the bucket every corner, or whatever you think will work best for the next step
   
   
8. Wrap your wildlife netting or window screening around those four poles and secure them with either twist ties, or something that is also, water & fish safe. Preferably something more suitable for this kind of small wire, such as fishing line.
   
   
9. After that reach down into the Indestructible Net Of Amazing Plants, and insert whatever plant you would like to, weather it’s a lily, or a plant that grows submerged that you don’t want your koi to demolish.
   
   
10. Enjoy watching your plant(s) grow in perfect harmony amongst beautiful fish(s) that try or attempt to dismantle your amazing Indestructible Net Of Amazing Plants, but utterly fail.

Enjoy.

 

[Lisak1]

Well I do love thinking outside the box, but let's see what might be problematic with this plan:

Problem 1. how high is the net going to reach? Because koi will swim into anything to get what they are after. I could see mine swimming down that net tube and having no way out.
Problem 2. it sounds like plants would be growing in a tube shape? Lilies are favored in a pond because they spread over the surface of the water. All clumped up wouldn't be very appealing.
Problem 3. I'd be building this device in my pond? With water in the pond or without? Because working in three feet of water is pretty challenging - I can't bend over or I drown.

 

[Lisak1]

People do enclose their submerged pots in something like fencing (like snow fencing material - are you familiar with that in the south) to prevent koi from rooting around in their pots and uprooting the plants. But koi will also eat the parts of the plant that are floating. Or even touching the water from the margins. Once they get a taste for greenery, nothing will stop them. I have a video of one of my big koi throwing herself up on a rock to go after a single pellet of food - they are insatiable. And once she got it, she had to figure out how to get back in the water!

 

[DutchMuch]

Well I do love thinking outside the box, but let's see what might be problematic with this plan:

Problem 1. how high is the net going to reach? Because koi will swim into anything to get what they are after. I could see mine swimming down that net tube and having no way out.
Problem 2. it sounds like plants would be growing in a tube shape? Lilies are favored in a pond because they spread over the surface of the water. All clumped up wouldn't be very appealing.
Problem 3. I'd be building this device in my pond? With water in the pond or without? Because working in three feet of water is pretty challenging - I can't bend over or I drown.

Leaves room for you to customize!

 

[DutchMuch]

 

[brokensword]

Dutch; I like your idea but for me, my plants (lillies and WL, WH, parrots feather, water hawthorn) leave me with maybe 30% surface area to admit any sun to anything growing down below. I do have some hornwort (near the falls where the lilies don't like it) and so, I HAVE done some aquascaping, but it's all natural to my area. That said, and being I'm in zone 5b, what hardy plants would you suggest I put in to 'aquascape' what area I have left? As many have said, often it's hard to see the bottom of 4', so I'd have to be strategic with my placement, but there's possibilities. So, what hardy plants would you say would enhance the 'view'?

Also, I don't have koi but my gf have been munching down heavily this year, so that's another deterrent; if the plants you suggest can't keep up, all I'm doing is feeding the herd...

Michael

 

[DutchMuch]

Ill just give you a simple list, I could go on and on and on and on and on, etc.
Vallisneria Sp. (sp means species)
Mermaid weed
Red ludwigia
anarchis (eh)
bacopa carolinana (I have this one, and supply it)
curled pondweed
Brazilian Pennywort (hard to keep submerged however in a pond)
Cabomba (invasive)
Water crowfoot
One I highly would recommend (and vallisneria) but of course I cant think of the DARN NAME!!!

 

[DutchMuch]

Amazon Sword
Melon Sword
CRYPTS
ambulia
STARGRASS
Blood stargrass
Foxtail
HYGROPHILIA sp.
Ludwigia sp. (I can supply)
Bacopa Monnieri (I can supply)
Rotala Indica
Rice paddy Herb
water wisteria
water snowball
should I go on?

 

[brokensword]

Dutch; I checked on a couple you suggested but you missed part of my point. I need zone 5b hardy plants. Some I checked say 'tropical'. Some are marginals. I'm interested in submerged plants of various color/texture that can grow in 4' of water. Can you narrow the list and suggest a couple of colorful, textured ideas?

 

[DutchMuch]

Dutch; I checked on a couple you suggested but you missed part of my point. I need zone 5b hardy plants. Some I checked say 'tropical'. Some are marginals. I'm interested in submerged plants of various color/texture that can grow in 4' of water. Can you narrow the list and suggest a couple of colorful, textured ideas?

Oh!
didn't see that sorry @brokensword
These Will still work:
Cabomba
Mermaid
Amazon sword (its a tropical, pretty sure it can overwinter)
Vallisneria italia
Vallisneria leopard
Vallisneria (well you get the point, vallisneria)
Oh and jungle vallisneria.
Ill do some in depth looky loos for you

 

[brokensword]

Thanks, Nate; something that has color/texture and can grow at the 4' level, though I have a shelf that might also work. Have to be hardy to zone 5b and hopefully, tough enough/invasive enough to survive the grazing. I figured the hornwort I have, if it gets out of control, can be harvested like WL, but currently, the fish seem to be helping!