Anacharis — what to do

[cas]

I thought most had died off after last winter but ended up with a massive forrest

So did it leave a mess in the pond? Did you have to clean up the dead plants?

 

[Gordo33]

First the amount I had last year was about 25% of what grew this year. So no there was no mess to clean up . I may have a different answer for you next spring due to quantity that is in the pond now.
Also I have about 50-60 goldfish and 3 koi. When the weather drops below 50 and the fish are less active I stop feeding them. So if they are active due to weather changes or are just hungry I assume they are munching on the anacharis.

 

[brokensword]

First the amount I had last year was about 25% of what grew this year. So no there was no mess to clean up . I may have a different answer for you next spring due to quantity that is in the pond now.
Also I have about 50-60 goldfish and 3 koi. When the weather drops below 50 and the fish are less active I stop feeding them. So if they are active due to weather changes or are just hungry I assume they are munching on the anacharis.

if you can keep ice from forming/thin, you shouldn't have any 'mess'.

 

[Gordo33]

if you can keep ice from forming/thin, you shouldn't have any 'mess'.

Well since I can’t control the weather keeping ice from forming on a 3000 gal pond is out of my control

 

[brokensword]

well, actually you can; you can agitate the surface either by letting your waterfall continue, knowing ice might form in front but water will flow behind, or by aiming a small pump at the surface from below. Either will keep ice from forming as long as the flow is strong enough and/or the winter temps aren't too cold. Another way, which is what I do in addition to keeping the waterfalls running, is to cover the pond with agricultural plastic sheeting. This keeps the wind from accelerating winter evaporation, keeps the water temps up, and assists with no ice formation. Makes spring startup so much better when I don't have to wait for the ice to melt.

 

[Gordo33]

well, actually you can; you can agitate the surface either by letting your waterfall continue, knowing ice might form in front but water will flow behind, or by aiming a small pump at the surface from below. Either will keep ice from forming as long as the flow is strong enough and/or the winter temps aren't too cold. Another way, which is what I do in addition to keeping the waterfalls running, is to cover the pond with agricultural plastic sheeting. This keeps the wind from accelerating winter evaporation, keeps the water temps up, and assists with no ice formation. Makes spring startup so much better when I don't have to wait for the ice to melt.

Ok thanks. I just learned something. Is the agricultural plastic sheeting see thru. Like you I keep my waterfall flowing all year but the water travels down a 16 foot stream so the flow is not enough to agitate the entire ponds surface. It is enough to keep portions of the stream and front end of the pond open to allow gas exchange when we get freezing temps. In the 6 years the pond has been running only once did everything freeze requiring me to place a heater in to create an opening for gas exchange. In my zone even in the worst winter the pond was ice free by mid March

 

[brokensword]

Ok thanks. I just learned something. Is the agricultural plastic sheeting see thru. Like you I keep my waterfall flowing all year but the water travels down a 16 foot stream so the flow is not enough to agitate the entire ponds surface. It is enough to keep portions of the stream and front end of the pond open to allow gas exchange when we get freezing temps. In the 6 years the pond has been running only once did everything freeze requiring me to place a heater in to create an opening for gas exchange. In my zone even in the worst winter the pond was ice free by mid March

yes, see-thru; it's like making a greenhouse over your pond. But sounds like you don't suffer from ice like I do and if my pond was ice free in mid March, I'd probably not bother with the greenhouse. Though, it does help keep temps up; last spring I was surprised at all the moss that had covered the waterfall rocks, even the portioin where I'd turned it off. Here, we can often get sub freezing temps into mid April, so...

It's an idea to consider, if you have time. I really like the positive effects since I started doing this 3 years ago, even if it takes half a day now to set everything up (it got a lot more intensive when I expanded from 2.4K galllons to 7K),

You could also put a decent sized aerator right over top your anacharis herd; that would keep the ice from making a mess!

 

[cas]

if you can keep ice from forming/thin, you shouldn't have any 'mess'.

Are you saying that if you prevent ice from covering the pond, the anacharis won't decompose? I did have an aerator running when my anacharis decomposed, but it only kept a small opening in the pond. Or are you saying that if you can keep the water warm enough (no ice on pond), the anacharis won't decompose?

 

[brokensword]

Are you saying that if you prevent ice from covering the pond, the anacharis won't decompose? I did have an aerator running when my anacharis decomposed, but it only kept a small opening in the pond. Or are you saying that if you can keep the water warm enough (no ice on pond), the anacharis won't decompose?

yeppa it's only when the ice expands around the plants that they start to mush, so keep the area where the plants are touching the surfade (or close to it) free from heavy ice. And not all types will have issues, but the thin/fragile leaved endings tend to. Anything below the ice will be fine.

 

[cas]

Interesting. I think I had another problem. Mine turned to mush all the way to the bottom and there wasn't ice that deep.

 

[brokensword]

Interesting. I think I had another problem. Mine turned to mush all the way to the bottom and there wasn't ice that deep.

yeah, if it died all the way down, it wasn't because of the ice. Could be that particular plant couldn't handle such cold water. Double check the variety you had/have. If you get something native to your area, you should have success. I took some hornwort from the big pond down the block and infused my pond with it.

You don't salt your pond, do you? That might have a negative effect.

 

[cas]

No salt, but I wonder if it was the variety. Good point. I need figure out how to get the kind that grows in my area.

 

[Gordo33]

No salt, but I wonder if it was the variety. Good point. I need figure out how to get the kind that grows in my area.

I am zone 6b so I would think our weather conditions are similar. If you are interested I can send you some from my pond . Send me a PM. This is small sample of what I pulled out to send to another member

 

[brokensword]

I am zone 6b so I would think our weather conditions are similar. If you are interested I can send you some from my pond . Send me a PM. This is small sample of what I pulled out to send to another member
View attachment 135486

that looks like something that escaped from a horror movie...

 

[Gordo33]

that looks like something that escaped from a horror movie...