Why you should use aquatic plants in your fish pond

Floating aquatic plants help in purifying water instead of frequently changing the water; it also provides shade and serves as food for the fishes. Aquatic plants are free-floating plants with no roots that draw all their nutrients directly from the water, feeding on nutrients that algae will otherwise utilise to grow. Examples of floating plants […]

Floating aquatic plants help in purifying water instead of frequently changing the water; it also provides shade and serves as food for the fishes.

Aquatic plants are free-floating plants with no roots that draw all their nutrients directly from the water, feeding on nutrients that algae will otherwise utilise to grow.

Examples of floating plants that are great at naturally discouraging and starving algae thus preventing the pond from turning green include water hyacinth and water lettuce. 

Water lettuce is used as a way of controlling nutrient levels in fish ponds water and to provide some shady cover to the ponds. It has a thick root system which grows long below the surface of the water offering spawning ground for fish and also serves as a source of food to them.

A point to note is that the leaves on top are a good landing spot for dragonflies and a place for frogs to hang out.

Again, water hyacinth is the world’s fastest growing plant, as such one needs to exercise caution when using them to avoid propagating it to larger waterways.

This is because the plants can be very invasive if not controlled properly. They can be managed by both physically removing them or by use of aquatic pesticides.

The roots of water hyacinth are a blackish coloration and can grow in excess of 12 inches long. The roots are often utilised by fish fries as habitat and are also consumed by fish.

They absorb impurities, and can lock up floating particles from the water, thereby purifying the water.

Source: https://www.aquascapeinc.com/water-gardening/plants/benefits-of-floating-aquatic-plants; https://fullserviceaquatics.com/aquatic-plants/water-hyacinth-in-and-out-of-your-water-garden/