Waterweed is a strong-growing aquatic plant that can get its nutrients directly from the pond or aquarium water. That's why it doesn't necessarily have to be planted in the bottom of the pool or pond soil, but it can. But which decision makes more sense and when?
Should you plant waterweed or let it float?
Whether planting waterweed or letting it float: It should be planted in the aquarium to ensure space and light for other plants. It can grow more controlled when planted in the pond, but can also thrive floating.
What speaks for planting
When planting, you can assign the water pest a permanent place in the aquarium or outside in the garden pond. This is particularly important if you want other plants to thrive there too. Especially in the aquarium, where space is even more limited than outside in the pond, the plant landscape is deliberately modulated. Since the waterweed grows heavily and forms long shoots, it makes sense for it to cover the back part of the tank with greenery. This means it can't take away the light from smaller plants.
It can also be useful in the pond to put the waterweed in a plant basket (€14.00 on Amazon). This slows down its urge to spread and makes it easier to get it out of the water for the regularly necessary cutting.
How to plant waterweed
If you propagate waterweed yourself, small pieces of at least 2 cm long or a head cutting that you cut from an existing plant are sufficient. The commercially available plants are not significantly larger either. Bundles with 5-10 shoots are usually delivered. This is how planting is done:
- For aquariums and small ponds, just a few shoots are enough
- planting in the pond in spring
- choose a sunny or partially shaded spot
- Water depth between 0.5 and 2 m is ideal
- You can plant in the aquarium at any time
- the place should be bright but without direct sun
- there are no special demands on the floor
- plant individual shoots in the aquarium with some distance between them
- In the pond, stick 3-5 stems bundled into the bottom of the pond
- alternatively in the substrate of a plant basket
Make waterweed swim
In a large pond with plenty of space, the more comfortable option of swimming may be preferred. The plant floats in the water and finds its own place. This approach is also recommended for a breeding tank, as this usually has no substrate.
Tip
The water plague is quite temperature tolerant; the water can be cold or warm. However, it is important that the temperature values in the aquarium are largely constant from the root to the tip of the shoot, for example through a combination of floor heating and water flow.
