Do ponds NEED to have plants?

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I know they give good oxygen to the water and stuff but is it that crucial ponds have plants in it? I have a tub style pond which is very small approximately 4ft wide and a foot and a half deep so there's no soil underneath. The pond is in full shade and barely gets any sunlight at all. I have some plants around the plant but not in it. Unless you count the hosta leaves constantly drooping in the water.
 
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It is not a necessary. It's just beneficial and pretty :)
 

sissy

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Are there fish in the pond because plants give off oxygen during the day but use it up at night .But if you have fish they do suck up a lot of fish waste like ammonia .My mini cattail does good in the shade of my banana plants .
 
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Yes I have 4 comets. I also currently have a water lettuce but they're annuals and I don't want to get a new one every year. Do water lettuce absorb fish waste?
 

peter hillman

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Acquiring plants can be fun! Or you buy them from some nursery and they come in with algae spores or parasites, YAA. I once had my pond heavily planted but removed them for the gallonage they were displacing. Also, I like to see my fish.
Sounds like your pond is fine, you should show us.
 
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Plants will consume ammonia, phosphates, nitrates and sulfates..... that's what fertilizers are made of and these are in given off by humans and fish (except nitrates which is a derivative of ammonia). So unless you plan of doing water changes often, or having the pond full of algae from feeding the fish, you'll need plants imo. How much varies according to the number of fish and the size of the pond. With your pond, I would say some irises in pots on some bricks will do the trick.
 
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Hm... then I guess I will just keep the water lettuce in and possible overwinter it and put it back in the pond next year. Thanks everyone!
 

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