Vegetable (Veggie) Pond Filters For GoldFish 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