Hi everyone! My two water gardens

[Joshaeus]

It has been a LONG time since I have posted on this forum, but in that time I have acquired two container ponds to gloat about First is my red storage tub with water lettuce, hornwort, a water lily (forget the type), a swamp butterflyweed (gearing up to bloom no less) and two black paradise fish (not pictured) that spawned today or yesterday (just noticed the eggs and bubblenest today);

My other water garden is in a large resin half barrel with two common paradise fish (not necessarily a pair) and much the same plants, exceptions being a perry's baby red water lily and a black magic taro (which, alas, isn't doing crazy well);

Any thoughts on my water gardens? Thanks for viewing!

 

[sissy]

anything works as long as you enjoy it .Black magic taro does not really like soaking wet feet .It likes just moist soil and fertilizer

 

[Joshaeus]

AHHH!!! That's why it's not doing so hot. Any suggestions for a replacement?

 

[sissy]

You could pull it farther out of the water .But plants in ponds get fertilizer from the fish .I have black magic growing and it does need fertilized every 2 months

these are a mixture of different kinds and have intermingled with each other

 

[addy1]

Welcome back, nice pot ponds!

 

[Mmathis]

Nice! But what is a paradise fish?

 

[bagsmom]

Pretty! Is the hardware cloth to keep cats or dogs out?

 

[Joshaeus]

The hardware cloth is both anti predator and anti jumping...both paradise fish species I have are good jumpers. The first picture is a common paradise fish (in theory hardy to at least 50 degrees, but in my experience hardier) and the second is a black paradise fish (hardy to at least 59 degrees...unsure of their lower limit). Both are gouramies related to Bettas.

 

[herzausstahl]

I find joy in any water feature. I'm still amazed I don't have more but that could be more a time thing than a want thing lol

 

[herzausstahl]

If you wanna lose the small bricks on the top you could try folding down the sides I've outlined in red & thread a small wire through the top (blue highlight) just below the lip of the pots to run around the top to hold them in place.