Veggie filter growing poorly

Mark,

End of summer is attended by a slowing of growth. Your fish should be
enough and to spare...tho' they may be new enough that more sludge needs
to build up. Our plants have slowed down now for the end of
summer...even here in MS.

Jim

mark Bannister wrote:
New pond had been up and running all Summer now, but the veggie filter
is growing rather poorly. (There are some pictures here after the first
planting: http://www.injection-moldings.com/EBPAGE/pond/.)

The first planting was eaten by the fish. Some minor changes and only
the smallest fish can get it now, but growth is not what I expected. The
pond gets 5-6 hours or full afternoon sun. Watercress and a few other
things grow OK, but the cattails and other reed type things all died.
I'm not getting the flourish of growth I had expected
I threw in some potash but no real appearance change. Poor color along
with death seem to be the primary symptoms.
Water parameters are all in normal range, PH stable and in the 7.8
range. All hardness levels are good as well.
On the plus side the filter is doing its job; the water is clear, but it
just looks like crap.
Any thoughts?

Mark B.