Nutrient for bog plant

[pimen]

Actually I don't know where I supposed to post this topic
the intention of making a bog filter is to purifying our pond water,
the idea is just to make sure our fish waste become nutrient that pond plant looking for and use it to grow,
maybe this is too general and depends on many factors, but I just want to know..
How much and how often u guys feeding ur fish and at the same time keep the pond plant in bog doing fine without any sign of nutrient defficiency for a long time but also not overfeed ur fish too ?
I just want to know ur experience for doing a balance between keep a good water pond and growing water garden....

I just think if I add specific nutrient for the bog plant to enhance them ,the purpose of bog filter become a waste

 

[addy1]

I filter only with a large bog, since 2010. Feed the fish off and on, not heavily. The plants do great without any added nutrients.
The plants use up any excess nutrients in the pond water. I never get the green water bloom or a string algae attack.

The red circle shows the bog area. The pond is frozen, the bog plants mostly dead, but come spring they grow and grow fast. As soon as the bog melts.

 

[Lisak1]

I'm like @addy1 - the only filtration on our pond is our "bog". No science behind it - we feed our fish enough to keep them happy but still a little hungry (we have big koi with our goldfish; @addy1 has small fish). They eat the algae that grows on the rock walls and whatever else they can find in the pond and they poop enough to keep the bog plants thriving. If I had to think about it more than that, my head would explode!

I will say that initially we had to add some iron to green up our bog plants - they were growing great, but all looked pale. After the first season though we've never had that issue again. In retrospect I think they would have been fine if we left them alone - I just wanted nice green plants!

 

[addy1]

@addy1 has small fish)

geez my shubunkins are going to have their feelings hurt calling them small.

They are a lot smaller than koi.

 

[Lisak1]

They are a lot smaller than koi.

Yes! Small by comparison to my big fishes! But GIANT for shubunkins, I'm sure! And so pretty too!

 

[brokensword]

Hey @addy1 , can we see some underwater (current) pics of your teeny weeny itty bitty fish?

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I'm like @addy1 - the only filtration on our pond is our "bog".

I'm like @Lisak1 and @addy1 . Only filtration is the bog, and it's done a great job for four seasons now.

I didn't add anything to help the plants grow. I just shoved them in the gravel and they grew and most have been growing well every year since I started it. Some have died off over previous winters, but during the growing season, everything has done great. I feed my fish once a day during the warm season. I enjoy feeding them and watching them early on a warm spring or summer morning. That's actually something I'm really missing now that it's winter.

 

[addy1]

Hey @addy1 , can we see some underwater (current) pics of your teeny weeny itty bitty fish?

Sure............
not current current ie today..............pond has a thick layer of ice and a bit of snow on it.
The second picture down the darker one is around 11-12 inches in length, maybe longer, she is one of the breeders, boss mom
The video taken this summer

 

[Lisak1]

So many pretty colors and long, flowing fins!

 

[addy1]

So many pretty colors and long, flowing fins!

The fins get longer as they age. Neat to see the changes each year, I do recognize a few that have a distinct color pattern. A lot with the blue coloring

 

[pimen]

thanks for all the responses
maybe i just buy iron supplement
I think i will on n off with the feeding
maybe feeding every 2 days
@addy1 ur bog is incredibly huge, can we drink that pond water ? lol ur pond looks very crystal clear

 

[addy1]

@addy1 ur bog is incredibly huge, can we drink that pond water ? lol ur pond looks very crystal clear

Well I wouldn't, the pond water tests are always perfect, but....................... there is stuff in there that our bodies would probably not like.

 

[Faebinder]

The addition of liquid iron has been a great success for my bog. Definitely noted a change in the growth. I fed my fish daily and I guess the level of iron was just not enough for the plants, especially consider I would do a water change occasionally. You don't wanna over do iron though cause you can cause iron poisoning.

 

[Lisak1]

We added iron directly to the plants - I got a pelleted iron that I could just apply right at the plant base. We also used steel wool and pushed it down around the base of the plant under the gravel. That is supposed to add iron as it rusts. I will say the iron pellets worked faster and better.

 

[pimen]

while searching for iron supplement,
I found some product that offer No nitrate and phospate but has humus, iron and trace elements for aquatic plant,
so iv been thinking...
if I add this fertilizer, are my bog plants will prefer the humus and another traces elements that the fertilizer give or still consuming the nitrates in my pond ?