Shubunkins

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Hi, I wondered if any of you guys had similar issues and what to do about it. We got 5 shubunkins last year for our smallish garden pond. They seem to like our pond and we now have 15. We also have some plants that did well the first year (shamrock something and golden buttons). This year, the shamrock died right back and a fair chunk of the root structure of the golden buttons has separated from plant. Does this sound like a normal phase in the life cycle of these plants? Are they dying off? Or are the multiplying shubunkins eating their way through everything?
Any help gratefully received
Many thanks
 

j.w

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@tomstox
Never had any of those plants so can't tell ya what's going on. Could the one be called Water Clover? Says fish will nibble on it if so.

Water Clover
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addy1

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Welcome To our forum!

I don't know of those plants either.
 
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Hi!
So it’s a Marsilia Quadrifolia (water shamrock) and a Cotula Coronopifolia (golden buttons). It’s difficult if it’s the plants not doing very well this year or having more fish means there’s not enough food around and they’re eating the roots right back. We don’t put feed in so could that be the issue?
 

j.w

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You could try feeding them a bit now and then or grow your plants in a floating ring w/fiberglass door screen attached to the bottom. W/o a camera underwater it will be hard to know if they are eating them or not.
I have used a floating ring like this one and you can make them any size you like. I sewed mine together w/fishing line. You might want to use larger tubing than I did as some of the fish jumped right into the ring
and then of course could not figure out how to get back out. I got the fiberglass screen door material at a hardware store. Cut a strip for the sides, sewed that on ring and then sewed the bottom circle onto the sides. Used a plastic connector thing to attach the tube ends together that I had laying around. You can buy them at the hardware store also and they need to fit tight to allow no water into the tubing. One thing to keep in mind tho if any fish eggs hatch near this thing the fry are so tiny that they can get in there and survive and other fish can't get them.............well except if any bigger ones jump in there. Still a lot of babies and just a few jumpers will allow many to survive. There are other ways to keep fish away from your plant roots. You can hang bags on the sides of the pond w/this same kind of material so just the roots are in the bag and the plant tops float out but w/lots of floaters you might have to make some kind of a long tray or whatever, just anything to keep the roots safe from those piggy fish! Still this is all a guess if the fish are eating them or there is some other issue that I can't tell you.

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Hi. Most plants do pretty well with goldfish. I'm guessing that 15 hungry goldfish may be the problem. Try throwing in some fish food a few times a week and see if that helps!
 

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