It's not a fairy tale: aquatic plants actually have the potential to support the cleanliness of pond water. This guide explains which plants are particularly useful in this context and exactly how the water is purified.
Which aquatic plants are suitable for water purification?
Effective aquatic plants for cleaning pond water are underwater plants such as duckweed, spring moss, waterweed as well as marsh plants such as rushes, hedgehogs, water irises and swamp forget-me-nots. They produce oxygen, absorb pollutants and fight algae.
How aquatic plants help purify water
With aquatic plants, nature has “invented” an excellent pond filter that ensures an optimal recycling cycle. This cycle works like this:
- Aquatic plants produce oxygen. The pond fish benefit from this.
- Pond fish supply carbon dioxide, which in turn is used by aquatic plants.
- Aquatic plants provide food for fish (herbivores).
- Fish give nutrients (back) to plants through their excretory products.
In short, the aquatic plants and pond fish support each other. It is a perfectly “worked out” circuit that keeps the water clean and avoids unpleasant odors.
Accordingly, you only need an additional pond filter if the natural balance described is disturbed in any way. This can be the case, for example, if you have an excessively large population of fish in your pond.
Note: Water purification by aquatic plants also involves combating algae.
Which aquatic plants promote water purification
The selection of aquatic plants is crucial in order to use the natural cleaning function as effectively as possible.
Important: Only underwater plants are good oxygen producers. In contrast, some floating plants are considered excellent pollutant absorbers.
One of the best aquatic plants for water purification is duckweed (bot. Lemna), which is often used in wastewater ponds and sewage treatment plants.
The spring moss (Fontinalis antipyretica) even received the “Moss of the Year” award in 2006 – due to its year-round oxygen-producing and water-purifying effect.
The waterweed (Elodea) also carries out proper photosynthesis and thereby keeps the pond water oxygen-rich and clean.
Overview of other suitable aquatic plants for water purification:
- Bulrushes (Juncus)
- Hedgehog butt (sparganium)
- Water irises (Iris pseudacorus)
- Swamp forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides)
Tip
Reeds are also an option for larger ponds. However, this spreads very quickly and is therefore of little use in smaller water oases.
