Egeria Densa eaten too quickly!

[Ian]

Every year I buy a batch of Egeria Densa, so that my 8 x goldfish/shubunkins have something to hide in and eat (if needed). However, over the course of a few months it is all eaten up! I think I feed the fish enough, so I'm surprised they go for it over fish food. My pond is only ~ 2x1x0.6m and has a Blagdon all-in-one pump.

I suspect I'm not quite at the critical mass of Egeria Densa, where there's more than enough for them to eat and still let it grow. When I first took over the pond there was so much in it that I was pruning it back!

If I planted some Egeria Densa in a large bucket over the remaining warm months (in the UK), is it likely to grow fairly quickly?

 

[addy1]

You never know until you try!

 

[Criscar]

Every year I buy a batch of Egeria Densa, so that my 8 x goldfish/shubunkins have something to hide in and eat (if needed). However, over the course of a few months it is all eaten up! I think I feed the fish enough, so I'm surprised they go for it over fish food. My pond is only ~ 2x1x0.6m and has a Blagdon all-in-one pump.

I suspect I'm not quite at the critical mass of Egeria Densa, where there's more than enough for them to eat and still let it grow. When I first took over the pond there was so much in it that I was pruning it back!

If I planted some Egeria Densa in a large bucket over the remaining warm months (in the UK), is it likely to grow fairly quickly?

I’ve not tried growing egeria densa like this but I do have a separate 20 gal tub (with bachelor guppies on mosquito patrol) where I grow duckweed for my goldfish, and there’s also more in my indoor aquarium. There is no critical mass for me with duckweed in my little pond. The goldfish always eat 100% of it within 1-3 days no matter how much I start with.

 

[Ian]

I'll give it a shot and report back .

 

[Mgessert]

I had the same problem and finally bought some fake Anarchis so the pond bottom wasn’t bare. I stick with a water lily and live marginals in protected net pots. They ate all my American frogbit too. I feed them leafy greens from the garden too, and learned this week that they like bok choy.

 

[j.w]

I'll give it a shot and report back .

I have it growing in my shallow 12" frog pond. It needs good light and nutrition to grow well. I have a fountain in there that moves the water around a bit. Here is a good article explaining what it needs to thrive. My pond has no fish but it did have tadpoles and I'm sure there is organic matter that it needs in there to feed on also. It doesn't like high heat and won't grow well in warmer waters. We don't get real warm here. If I put it in my big fish pond they will gobble it all up in no time. @addy1 has a ton of it growing in her pond and I don't think her fish can eat it all up that fast as she has so much!

https://meethepet.com/egeria-densa/

 

[addy1]

I tossed some in the ponds , with fish, years ago from my fishless ponds. They would eat it up, small hand fulls. As it grew into nice large amounts I tossed in a bunch, then sort of forgot about it. Next thing I know it is growing like a forest. The fish can't eat it fast enough.

The arrows point to the anarchis that is hitting the surface, the pond is about 5 feet deep there. Not home or would get a better picture.

This pond is 2.5 feet deep, the anarchis is hitting the surface also.

 

[GBBUDD]

get another plant to share the load sorta speak . i suggest water cress grows real fast very easy to grow and maintain you can find it in your more organic grocery store.