Remove algae by installing a Vegetable (or Veggie) Biofilter in your Gold Fish or Koi pond
Underwater freshwater plants reduce the nutrients on which algae feed, and they produce beneficial oxygen in your fish pondNow the idea of using a vegetable filter (also referred to as veggie filters in areas where these plants are deliberately grown en masse) to help remove algae and keep your pond water clear is not a new one. It can be an inexpensive alternative to a UV filter system. Some of the concerns with vegetable filters have to do with the blocking of pump impellers by stray leaves and roots. Some plants, such as hyacinth, are more of a problem in this regard, although they are excellent nitrogen removers. One ideal plant to use in this application is Azolla, or Fairy Moss. This plant grows very rapidly, and is capable of removing large quantities of nitrogen and carbon from the water through photosynthesis. It is also easy to contain, or remove, by netting if it gets too close to the filter or pump area. Duckweed is another great plant to use in filtering. It has the secondary benefit of providing an occasional snack and dietary supplement for gold fish and koi. Water cress has also been used very successfully in fish ponds... in fact, any quickly-growing leafy plant is effective at converting nitrate, phosphate and carbon into bio mass. Plants that are oxygenators -- ie their leaves are submerged so that oxygen from photosynthesis has a chance to dissolve into the water -- also make great pond filter plants. The Norfolk reed (Phragmites Australis) is one of the best of these. Other useful plants include the following: Sweet Galingale (Cyperus longus)
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