koi and plants?

[LYNN FORRES]

new to koi - 5 nice sized koi in 700 gallon cement pond - the local experts
tell us that you never put plants in with koi because they tear them up and
make a mess. Seems like they would like a little shelter with plants.
Please share your experience with us. TIA L.

[johnrutz]

LYNN FORRES wrote:
> new to koi - 5 nice sized koi in 700 gallon cement pond - the local experts
> tell us that you never put plants in with koi because they tear them up and
> make a mess. Seems like they would like a little shelter with plants.
> Please share your experience with us. TIA L.
>
>

yu are going to get a lot of different responses on this some of us cant
keep plants and koi together others can

I keep plants(lily) and koi together but i also let a lot of string
algae stay in the pond too, so the Koi spend their salad time eating
the algae.
up till a few weeks ago I had over a hundred Koi in an 8000 gal pond.
last summer they were able to get into the veggie filter too and didnt
decimate things most all my plants are just plunked into the VF only
the small new ones are in pots w rocks
--





John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico

never miss a good oportunity to shut up

see my pond at:

http://www.fuerjefe.com

[johnrutz]

LYNN FORRES wrote:
> new to koi - 5 nice sized koi in 700 gallon cement pond - the local experts
> tell us that you never put plants in with koi because they tear them up and
> make a mess. Seems like they would like a little shelter with plants.
> Please share your experience with us. TIA L.
>
>

yu are going to get a lot of different responses on this some of us cant
keep plants and koi together others can

I keep plants(lily) and koi together but i also let a lot of string
algae stay in the pond too, so the Koi spend their salad time eating
the algae.
up till a few weeks ago I had over a hundred Koi in an 8000 gal pond.
last summer they were able to get into the veggie filter too and didnt
decimate things most all my plants are just plunked into the VF only
the small new ones are in pots w rocks
--





John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico

never miss a good oportunity to shut up

see my pond at:

http://www.fuerjefe.com

[Jerrispond]

>
>
>new to koi - 5 nice sized koi in 700 gallon cement pond - the local experts
>tell us that you never put plants in with koi because they tear them up and
>make a mess. Seems like they would like a little shelter with plants.
>Please share your experience with us. TIA L.

Too bad the local " experts" didn't tell you a 700 gallon pond is too small for
koi. I'll bet they were the ones selling the koi right.? My koi ponds have
all kinds of different plants except lilies....they do play with them. For 5
koi you should have a 1400 gallon pond at the very smallest.....sorry Jerri

http://www.fringeweb.com/Ponds/JerrisPond

[Jerrispond]

>
>
>new to koi - 5 nice sized koi in 700 gallon cement pond - the local experts
>tell us that you never put plants in with koi because they tear them up and
>make a mess. Seems like they would like a little shelter with plants.
>Please share your experience with us. TIA L.

Too bad the local " experts" didn't tell you a 700 gallon pond is too small for
koi. I'll bet they were the ones selling the koi right.? My koi ponds have
all kinds of different plants except lilies....they do play with them. For 5
koi you should have a 1400 gallon pond at the very smallest.....sorry Jerri

http://www.fringeweb.com/Ponds/JerrisPond

[adavisus]

Koi and plants have been getting along fine for thousands of years.
Koi's that are overstocked in a tiny space and sadly lacking in decent
meals will turn on plants when desperate. As a matter of routine, koi
like munching on plant roots and anything else they can fit in their
mouths...

With koi growth rates as much as 2ft in two years, sooner or later
they will outgrow many preform tub sized ponds, it might take a well
planted area 10'x10' to keep them occupied with plants growing as fast
as the koi nibbles them.

There are many plants which have koi proof roots. cattails, carex,
iris, nuphars are but a few varieties of aquatic plant that can cope
with the worst fish grazing. Creating cordoned areas within a pond can
create a 'nursery' area for small starts of plants

Some like nymphaeas, the water lilies have brittle feeder roots,
which, guess what, are sold with weave baskets often, (to make an
extra buck) knowing full well your kois will destroy the roots and you
will be back for another water lily (kerchung)

If you plant water lilies in solid sided containers (a.k.a. buckets)
the koi can't get at the brittle feeder roots, they do grow fine in
koi pools, unless the lily is way small and delicate. There are
several 'vigorous' water lilies that can cope with koi, no problem.
Gladstonia, Attraction, alba, AJ Welch, etc spring to mind

All in all, a careful selection of aquatic plants will do more for
your water quality and koi than any of the way pricey filters and
sterilisers ....a lot less bother....

Its not a bad idea to grow plants on, away from the koi pool, in say,
large water butts, so when they have established roots and growth,
they are strong enough to cope with aggresive fish....

Nicer to look at, too...

andy

http://www.members.aol.com/abdavisnc/swglist.html
(andys aquatic plant list for interesting swaps)
---------------------oo------------------------

"LYNN FORRES" > wrote in message >...
> the local experts
> tell us that you never put plants in with koi because they tear them up and
> make a mess.

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>-- if Koi are kept in a good environment they can grow to 2 ft in the
>first year or two then growth slows after several more years they
>can get to 3 ft
> John Rutz

I recently sold in mid-June 2 butterfly koi that were about 20 inches and
5-6 years old. They went to a much bigger pond, I saw them yesterday and
they've not only added girth, but grown 4 more inches! So much for slowing
growth after age 3. I guess as the Subject says, "depends on the pond
size... and diet.... ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
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