Suitable Pond Plants

[mark4785]

Hello,

I currently own a 1400+ litre pond and ever since the temperature as exceeded 20 degrees C I am getting concerned about my ghost carp. Last summer the sun partially bleached them and I had to place a bit of cardboard over the pond to keep them out of the sun (they didn't associate the artificial pond lilies with shade unfortunately!).

I am concerned the same thing will happen this summer so I'm in search of some real floating pond plants that will hopefully create a source of shade. One problem with such a plant is that they will often float into the path of the water feature and above the pond airstone which results in considerable damage. So bearing this in mind, I have searched the internet for floating plant baskets which can be anchored at a particular area to prevent them going towards the water feature etc.

One such basket can be found here: http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/VELDA-FISH-POND-SQUARE-FLOATING-PLANT-BASKET-35cm-14-/370372418762?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PondsWaterFeatures_UK&hash=item563bea9cca .

I'd appreciate it if somebody with sufficient knowledge of pond plants could advice on what kind of plants to install in such a basket. I am looking for a plant that has long strands of foiliage which will hang over the sides of the basket and obviously a plant which is hardy and accustom to full sun coverage. I am not looking for any kind of plant which grows from the base of the pond.

Edit: I'd prefer a plant that is a good phosphate/nitrate absorber. In other words, a plant which can influence the water chemistry positively. Some books I have read seem to suggest marginal plants (plants presumably also suitable for a floating plant basket) do not influence water chemistry; I want to avoid these kind of plants.

Thanks for reading,

Mark.

 

[Ryefish]

instead of a basket, where you would need a pant that would be rooted and spread out, could you not get something that will float and that you could use as a sort of barrier? then you could have real floating plants.
It will be hard finding a floating plant that the fish won't eat.

Have you seen Water Lettuce before? Im just trying to find out how big they grow.
here is a pic from google:

 

[mark4785]

I really want to stick to using a basket. But I just don't know what would be suitable for it.

Thank you for the suggestion though, greatly appreciate it

 

[FishStrings]

Water lilies are a general choice for ponds.

 

[mark4785]

I have an important question in relation to an alkalinity crisis I am currently experiencing with my pond water, detailed here.. The question is, how popular and suitable is aquatic compost for use in marginal plant baskets? The reason I ask this is because I came across an internet resource which states 'compost can contain minerals which can cause increased alkalinity or acidity of h2o'.

At the moment, I have an algae bloom (blanket weed) which is consuming all of my ponds' carbonic acid and thus also influencing my PH levels. At current my PH exceeds 8.8.

I was thinking, with a blanketweed and other forms of algae which love to feed on carbonic acidic, being a common problem, why on earth would somebody use aquatic compost which can induce even more alkalinity?

Can marginal plants spread their roots and absorb enough nutrients with pea gravel as a substrate? I presume such gravel does not change the PH of water.