Info on Hydrilla, Please

[drjay9051]

Recently built a 25x25 pond in my yard. Started as a 3x5 but I got carried away on the tractor. Living in N. central Florida stocking with plants is easy. I find them everywhere. Many of them are considered invasive so no issues taking them from public waters.

I have some nice floating "mats' of water hyacinth and a coupe of what I believe are rush in pots.

Just came home from the Ocala National Forest with a plastic bag full of hydrilla.

Everything I read says it is extremely invasive and very difficult to eradicate. A couple of threads I have read speak of it taking over larger ponds (2 acres and larger).

My question is as follows is it OK to let this loose in my app. 7,000 gallon pond? I would think if it gets too invasive I could easily rake some of it out as my pond is not immense. I see the difficulty in a 2 acre or larger pond but in a 2x25 can I control it?

I would think it would be a good oxygenator.

Lastly, I currently have about 100 goldfish amongst the hyacinth and rush. Nice oxygenator stone as well
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007BK76YK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pond is crystal clear and I think iI have a nice cycle going. I am considering 2-3 koi and wonder if they prefer hydrilla over my water hyacinth? I have read on this forum that if one feeds the koi they may not bother plants. Yea or nay on the koi??

Any help is appreciated.

 

[JamieB]

From what I’ve gathered, some koi eat plants, some don’t. We’ve got several people on here that live in Florida, so they might be able to tell you if their koi eat those plants, I don’t know. I saw no one had replied yet, which is rare. Figured I’d let you know it is being read. At least by me! As for invasive plants, I’d say start it small, if it gets massive, pull them out. Or if you really like them, just keep them thinned out. Anything is possible if you’re willing to put the work in. Just be sure any you pull out that are invasive, get destroyed. I know Florida has a big problem with invasive species.