No Longer Required I am looking for pond plants and fish

As the tittle says.. I am looking for Pond plants.. and some pond fish also.

Got a 10m x 5m x 4m dam to fill.

 

indigenous or exotic fish ?

 

can be goldfish.. Anything that is not illegal to keep, and survives easily outside. Warm in the summer, and cold in winter.

Aponogetons are good.. and reeds, etc.. neighbor will give me tilapia.

 

Friends had a big natural pond they put in, they introduced a variety of fingerlings from Zandvlei caught in a child's little plastic net, they had no idea what they were catching. A year or two later they were tired of cleaning their goldfish tank and were going away for long xmas hols, no probs says dad, we will simply release the already quite large goldfish into the garden pond give them freedom and enjoy them there. With great anticipation the family march down to the pool and slowly tip the goldfish into their new home, the kids jump up and down with excitement.......

Wooosh, theres a mighty splash just a few feet away and a momentary glimpse of a large mouth and both goldies are gone in an instant. Kids are so startled they can't even cry yet and they both jump into dad's arms. Soon the reality dawns and the tears flood... they have just witnessed their first experience of death and nature calling the shots !

Moral of the story don't mix bass and goldfish..

If it's a natural big pond it will quickly attract herons, kingfishers, reed cormorants and others which is great, but the goldfish could potentially be quickly eaten, tilapia would do better and are more streetwise with avoiding predators. Lilies and other floating plants of course help with creating hiding places..

I just can't face the stress and drama of Luis bursting into tears

 

or jumping into my arms for that matter...

 

It is an open dam, in the field.. a clay bottom dam.

So OK, will add some Tilapia.. and floating plants.. really no idea what, but will make a plan.

Got some Java fern from the main tank, maybe will dump some there also. and Anubias.. some crypts on the low lying area..

 

This will work:
APONOGETON DISTACHYOS
COLOCASIA ‘MIDNIGHT MAGIC’
CRINUM BULBISPERMUM (ORANGE RIVER LILY)
NYMPHOIDES THUNBERGIANA (FLOATING HEARTS OR YELLOW WATER LILY)
GUNNERA PERPENSA (RIVER PUMPKIN)
CYPERUS PROLIFER (MINIATURE PAPYRUS)
NYMPHAEA CAPENSIS (SYN. N. NOUCHALI VAR. CAERULEA OR CAPE BLUE WATER LILY)
WACHENDORFIA THYSIFLORA (GOLDEN SPECTRE OR BLOODROOT)

But now that I think of it, there is something else I can do.. and will be awesome.. a floating raft, with all my stems, etc.

I actually already got lots of plants.. during winter they may struggle.. but coming summer? the place is hot as hell.

 

I have tried out a couple of tank plants on my water feature here in the cape over several years, not stems yet but crypts and anubias have never done well and basically die off in winter, but you might have better success. Vallis does well as do various mosses including Xmas. Hydrocotyle and riccardia have also done well recently, so must get a pic of them.

 

even some glosso made an appearance

 

looks awesome.. may get vallis.. those are cheap and readily available..

 

Ludwigia glandulosa grows amazingly in my pond...and lemna

 

Luis, my neighbours have a big 'natural swimming pool', which are coming more and more popular. The pool spills over into large troughs down both lengths of the pool which is filled with what looks like a forest of thick vallis, the leaves are substantially larger than what we get in our tanks so no sure if it exactly the same species. They have a variety of other water plants as well which all contribute to the natural filtration of the pool. I must take another look this summer.

Perhaps these folks can point you in the right direction as to what plants do well in the Cape and can be used. Water lilies of course do well..

https://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjWmuTvm5TOAhUjK8AKHRPYCDoQFgghMAE&url=http://www.naturalswimmingpools.co.za/&usg=AFQjCNEsGZkP6OJ8ZGRuaNDw-IcmtKE9WA

 

I am in contact now with Riverside, and ordered 20 of each of the plants listed.

I got some Ludwigia to take up, some moss, ferns, and will also engage Kristenbosh.. They had a nice small red plant that did a carpet.

Will also contact the natural swimming pools.

Maybe that dam can be a swimming pool, a bit too deep for me, at 4 meters on the deep side, but the kids can enjoy themselves there.

 

Got a quote from Riverside.. they are joking.. exorbitant prices..

Will look for plants on Gumtree, and local pet shops.. as they always have a few pond plants.

 

and nurseries usually stock a variety of course..

Not sure these days, but many of the local municipalities use to have bargain clear out sales of their ponds including plants. I'm sure Cape Town gardens still have their annual goldfish sale and Wynberg/ Claremont gardens used to annually clear out their lilies and would give them away, several colours of flowers.

 

http://www.gumtree.co.za/a-fish/kraaifontein/comet-goldfish-multicolours/1001718462850910026852909

 

Luis I have some:

Vallisneria aethiopica (from Kirstenbosch)

Limosella longiflora (Gariep River : Prieska) - marginal plant (shallow to 5cm deep water although can endure longer inundation during flood times) - fast growing creeping groundcover, needle like leaves and little white Sutera-like flowers all year

Marsilea sp (5km north of Kimberley, Northern Cape) - evergreen Marsilea - in shallows has typical look - emergent stem with quatrefoil leaves held above water. In deeper water the leaves float on the surface. Colonises well.

Nymphoides thunbergii (Cape Peninsula) - prolific! Yellow starry flowers. Likes the margins and will colonise into deeper water.

Nymphaea nouchali var caerulea (Citrusdal, WC) Mostly small seedlings at this stage. There's a few flowering size (but small) and almost flowering size in the pond. I'll have a look this weekend.

I also have access to Cyperus textilis, Juncus lomatophyllous and a few other reedy things.

Mail me if interested: robinjangle1973 at gmail.com

Cheers

 

Thanks man, I will drop you a line, without a doubt.

Today I pumped 4000L out of the dam.. made no dent on the amount of water there was..

May put some goldfish inside the 1000L drums, to get some nutrients into it, and keep the mosquito population down.

I placed some Verticilata into the sides, and will get some Vallis, both from the shops and from Kristenbosh.

Nympheas would be nice, need to seek some.

I will make this dam a success, and get some natural look to it.

 

I know which local fish would be great for your dam and unlike most fish tame up and can be hand fed, but you need to collect them an hour or two drive away..

I presume you have a net, mask and fins and water wings if required ?

 

I can collect, irrelevant of the time.. I got no mask and fins.. cant we trap them? I do need a big net..