Water plants co-existing with large fishes in a Koi pond

 

Many have wondered if it is possible for aquatic plants to co-exist with large Koi. I saw a good example of how water plants can co-exist with large Koi when I visited Raffles Junior College recently. There is a large, beautifully constructed and well-maintained biodiversity pond located within the campus. There are large carps, catfishes in the well planted pond. Here are some photos.

Biodiversity pond at the Raffles Junior College

Boardwalk to allow you to get up close to the plants.

Underwater fencing to keep the large Koi out from the plant area

Large Koi will naturally treat any plants in the pond as a food source. To protect the plants, some barriers would be needed. In this case, a steel fencing submerged in the water provides the barrier but it is not too attractive. Would be better to coat this steel mesh with black paint.

Nettings to protect the roots of the floating water lettuce

Floating plants, like the water lettuce would not survived if their dedicate root systems are left unprotected. In this case, black plastic mesh is used to provide all-round defence from the fishes.

The pond also features solar-power lights, which lines the boardwalk. Notice the red dragonfly resting on it?	Venturi system to aerate the pond – same as the system I used in my 3 ponds. This is in addition to the water fall
Water lilies in submerged pots