pond snails and pond plants

[craigmason71]

I am thinking of adding some of these to my pond
[url]http://www.mimmacks.co.uk/catalogue~cat~A-14B.asp[/url]
also what plants can i add to my pond that wont get eaten by my koi???
[url]http://www.mimmacks.co.uk/index.asp[/url]

[Andy H]

we tried them years ago and I think they ran away!

Found a few empty shells in the pond after a while!

When we tried 5ft lily pads the koi got them in no time so I think plants need to be in a "koi proof cage" to protect them

[Gin Rin]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the koi would end up eating the snails. Also if you ever need to treat your pond would the treatments kill the snails.

Why do you want the snails ?

[craigmason71]

to deal with the leaves and dead plant material at the bottom of my pond

[GERRY5]

getting a pond hoover would be a better idea.....personally not fond of plants in a pond either, koi, water and air is all thats required , but each to there own

[ageinghippy]

Can these snails live under water then? Personally, I wouldn`t have thought they could, let alone getting them to eat all the plant garbage lying around.




Chris (another one)

[eds]

Can these snails live under water then? Personally, I wouldn`t have thought they could, let alone getting them to eat all the plant garbage lying around.




Chris (another one)

The ones in the link are both native aquatic species of snails. I think the koi would soon eat them - mine suck garden snails out of the shell to eat them when I chuck them in the pond!

[ageinghippy]

Well, thanks Ed, educations a wonderful thing isn`t it. Shows I didn`t click on the link, just saw `snail`.

My fish are the same as yours, as soon as a snail hits the water................ WHOOSH, its a gonna!!




Chris (another one)

[craigmason71]

so pond snails no go will have to get my pond vac out then
on the pond plants i am thinking of some deep water aquatics like
Aponogeton Distachyum-water hawthorn
potmatogen natans-broad leaved pondweed
in waterlilly baskets topped off with cobbles instead of gravel
has anybody tried the floating baskets?
http://www.mimmacks.co.uk/product~Code~SFPR35.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[steveW]

got to agree with Gerry5, had lilies and water hawthorn plant in baskets,

traditionally- soil and gravel- fish had them out within the day
modified- soil and large pebbles, lasted about a week
hydroponic - just large cobbles, palnt at bottom of basket, -better but my large koi had the plant out

snails will only eat the algea around the pond, dont think they would eat the garbage at the bottom

final solution - no plants - no more problem

[eds]

I've got lilies and marginals in with my koi. I use large baskets or black plastic pots (25l ones) with cobbles and boulders on top and then pebbles filling in between the larger ones. Some pebbles still get dislodged but the soil stays in. However the koi are too rough on the lilies really and they never do that well. I'm debating meshing off that shelf this summer.