Can one have too many water hyacinths?

[dieselplower]

I just noticed the original post was made in July of 2009. That is too much TV.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Thanks for that! Hadn't thought about it.
I hate to spend $ when at the end of the season I have to throw them away. I'll try that this season!

Keep in mind there's some trick to it... I have to use plant fertilizer (Seachem Flourish) and LOTS of light to keep mine healthy. It took me two Winters to figure out the right combination, but its still cheaper than buying new ones every year.

 

[HARO]

If your pond is so covered with water hyacinth or any other floater that little or no light can penetrate, then any plants below them will die back for lack of light. This decaying vegetation will create noxious gases, which can no longer be released from the water due to the lack of surface agitation caused by the floaters, and will kill off fish life in the pond. Essentially the same as 'winterkill' in northern lakes, where a thick blanket of snow darkens the water for six months at a time. Yes, you can have too many WH, but most ponders want to see their fish, and wouldn't let the plants get THAT dense!
John

 

[CometKeith]

I'm going to jump in here too. We know that many plants produce O2 during the day and that some of them reverse the process and suck up O2 at night. So which plants use up the most O2 at night? Almost everyone either has had a large fish kick the bucket in the wee morning hours or heard of it happening when O2 levels get very low in the pond. Which plants are the primary culprit?. I think the coverage issue is more than just causing decay but in actuality maybe the wh and wl are sucking up the O2? I don't think oygenators like anacharis and hornwort are doing it so it must be something else. lilies?

 

[adavisus]

If you plonk yourself cross legged in the middle of a pond just before dawn, sit very still and quiet you will see just what has been mopping up the oxygen through the night. As the sun rises, you will see streams of oxygen starting to rise from the blaggards. Feel free to count and measure the bubbles and bubble rates and have fun with all the mafs.

Regards, andy
http://swglist.wordpress.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

 

[HARO]

Blaggard. From the Old English 'Blackguard'. a vile and unprincipled person, a hoodlum. Refers only to the male person.
I don't know what kind of company you keep, Andy, but I for one have NEVER seen any hoodlums hanging around my pond, sucking up the oxygen.
John