Vegetable (Veggie) BioFilters For Gold Fish and Koi Ponds
Most pond plants with submerged leaves produce considerable oxygen during the day. Underwater freshwater garden pond plants reduce nutrients on which pond algae feed
Vegetable BioFilters ... Aquatic Plants For Gold Fish and Koi Ponds
The idea of using vegetable filters (also called veggie filters is an area where plants are deliberately grown en masse) to remove algae for Nitrate control and green water control is not new by any means. It has found use in systems where people do not want or cannot afford UV systems.
Concerns expressed about vegetable filters include blocking of pump impellers by stray roots and leaves. Some plants would be worse than others ... eg water hyacinth. Despite this they are excellent nitrogen removers.
An ideal plant to use is Azolla also called Fairy Moss. It grows extremely quickly and is capable of removing large amounts of nitrogen and of course carbon through photosynthesis. It is also easy to remove simply by netting in the event it over-runs the filter area.
Duckweed is another plant that can be used for this purpose as well as being an occasional food and dietary supplement item for gold fish and koi. Water cress has also been used very successfully ... in fact any quick growing leafy plant is good for this purpose of converting nitrate, phosphate and carbon into bio mass.
Plants For Natural (Vegetable) Pond Filters recommended by Peter J May
The Norfolk reed (Phragmites australis) is by far the best since it not only removes pollutants but is capable of adding oxygen to the water ... ie it is an oxygenator plant too. Oxygenators are generally those plants whose leaves are always submerged so that oxygen from the photosynthesis process has a chance to dissolve before being lost to the atmosphere.
Other useful plants are generally in the fast growing class so that maximum biomass is created in the quickest possible time. Consider the following ...
Sweet Galingale (Cyperus longus)
Soft Rush (Juncus effusus)
True Bulrush (Scirpus lacustris)
Flowering Rush (Butomus umbrellatus)
Water cress has also often been used
Garden Fish Pond Keeping Articles To Explore
A new website covering in great depth all answers to koi pond keeping problems and another new site from Peter May covering really practical pond filter and clean garden pond tips
The Perfect Pond Recipe Book" size="1">by Peter J May
This book is well deigned and printed (get pdf free) book by the UK's leading water gardening landscaper. It will be the answer to your dreams if you aspire to creating your own landscaped ponds, streams & waterfalls Learn More There is so much in it. Peter May is a man of many talents! ... Graham Clarke, editor of Horticulture Week and past editor of Water Gardening Magazine.
Select the correct pond & waterfall pump
copyright: 2002, this website and many others to do with water gardening and use of water in the home was created by Tony Roocroft who lives in Johannesburg South Africa
