Shubunkins eating the water lilies

[MajorDan]

Not sure why, but this year my goldfish are Eating the water lily leaves. They start by eating the underside until the leave yellows and then they eat the margins until there is not much left of the leaf. It just looks ugly.
I increased the amount of food we are feeding them but they still spend lots of time eating the leaves. They seem to leave the newest leaves alone.
the pond also contains a lot of pickerel rush that the shubunkins do not eat.

So, should I increase the feedings or just put up with ugly lily leaves. I attached a photo but took it after I clipped off most of the devoured leaves.

We have 20 3-6 inch shubunkins and a couple babies in about a 1200 gallon pond with a waterfall and two bogs driven by 3,200 gallon per hour pump and a large volume aerator. The water is clear with almost no string algae but lots of green algae on the sides of the pond.

 

[j.w]

My fish will eat the old pads and I didn't mind at all, less clean up for me! They never bothered the nice looking ones tho.

 

[brokensword]

and it might be there's bugs on the underside and that's what they're eating. My shubbies (and koi) don't ever eat the leaves but I had to protect the roots from the koi. The turtles on the other hand, occasionally I see them nip a leaf edge but not near enough to worry me. I'd say put some other plants in and see if your fish eat those instead or in addition to.

 

[addy1]

My lily pads look horrible, but the flowers are beautiful!

 

[Lisak1]

Are you sure your pads aren't just aging out @MajorDan ? They only last a few weeks or so depending on the weather.

 

[MajorDan]

I wish they were just eating the older ones. I have watched them chomp on the edges. They are messy eaters as the leave chunks that get isolated by their eating that float around. Of course they chomp on those as well. I am resigned to dealing with it. I use my pond net to scoop up the pieces and enter the pond to remove the stubs left from their munching. I have 7 water lily plants so there is a continuous production of new leaves so for now…munch on shubies.