Well, when I bought my water lillies they came like this:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a327/gia...atergarden2.jpg

I just followed the instructions and popped them in the water and they are really doing well. The leaves are starting to grow and I have about 6 or so that sit on top of the water now. It looks so cute! Its my first time having lillies...

Well, My question is should I eventually pot them? or since they are doing so well should I leave them....

Also a question about other pond plants..is it at all beneficial or neccesary to have submerged plants in the pond? Im not sure if there will be fish in the pond regularly or not. I plan on maybe putting one in there every now and then, but I dont know if I want it to be a permanant thing. Would floating plants such as parrots feather be just as beneficial? Does duckweed do anything for a pond?

I am hoping to make a 50 gallon above ground pond out of an old tank (See Thread ) and hopefully if that works that is where I am going to rehouse the lillies. Currently I have two lily plants in a 12 gallon container pond and that is just toooo small.

Eventually the lily will need more potting media (soil). It will actually split into more than one plant. And there's not enough media in the little lily in your picture to stick a water plant fertilizer tab into.

The submerged plants eat up the extra nutrients in the water and keep the algae growth from exploding. Anarchis do this well. I anchor my anarchis by taking a small bunch and sticking their bottoms in 4" pots and dropping pea gravel around them. Every 3 weeks or so I take them out, cut them back to about 1 foot, and bury their bottoms again.

The floating plants are good to keep too much sunlight from falling in the water. Again keeping algae down. Submerged and floaters have similar objective with different strategies. A murky water garden isn't very attractive.

A small pond/water garden with all three, lily types, submerged, and floaters is nice.

This place has good info: http://www.watergarden.org/s.nl/sc.5/.f

Have fun,

leave them in what they are in now. They will grow bigger, faster, healthier. I don't remember where I saw a picture comparison of lilies planted in pots vs what yours is in. The ones in pots were half the size by the end of the season as the ones planted like yours.

Plants help filter the water taking out nitrates making the water cleaner for fish. Parrots feather also adds oxygen to the pond, which is good. Not sure if duck weed does anything more than help with filtration and shade.

Small container ponds generally change temp very fast. I would imagine in Texas they can get very hot. They may even get too hot for fish. If your thinking of putting fish in you may think about putting your pond in mostly shade. Of course lilies don't grow well in the shade

Scott

If you need a bigger pot, you can get cloth pots. They work well.

Yup, well I was kind of planning on not having fish in there for the most part because of that. I have a little goldie in my little 12 gallon right now. He is on holiday. lol. I think I will put him back in the tank today. The water in the little 12 gallon fluctuates a lot. It will be about 60 in the morning and 70 at night. Temps here have been in the low 80's.

Im going to work on the 50 gallon this sunday probably. I am debating about what to do..like if I should bury it or just stack bricks or something to support the sides. Would doing either help to make the temp more stable?

What about making it a 50 aboveground with a wood encasing...Ive seen photos of that and it looks easy, plus removeable if needed (which it will be when we move).



I was actually just dropping the tablet in the water..I guess I shouldnt do that, huh? lol. oops. Well I think I will consider repotting them. What do you suggest for media? I have heard clay works well, but I dont know where I would get that. Anything readily avaiable I can use? What size pot do you recommed. I know where to find those I think. I actually think Lowe's around here may have some.

Does anarchis do well as a floating plant? I actually thought about buying some yesterday when I was at work. I really like the floating plants, and I thought I may try just tossing some in and see how it does. Do you have a clue how anarchis works? Like does it root and how does it reproduce? Will it multiply in my pond?

Thanks so much for your input and for that website.

Oh just wanted to say I answered my own question about the anarchis today. I was putting away the new plants at work and I saw that little sprouts were growing out of the stem. So I guess that is how it multiplies. Kind of like the water lettuce I used to have. It just sprouts little babies, lol. Too bad water lettuce is illegal here I would have loved to have had some again. Oh and water hyacinth too.

If you drop the fertilizer tablet in the water it will feed the algae more than the lilies. It's best to stick it down in the dirt about an inch from the root ball.

Home Depot has potting soil for pond plants. It's fired and crushed fullers earth - clay like. I have an extra 2 gallon bag if you want to come pick it up - haha.

Check out the small cloth pots in the link I sent. You can fold down the tops to make them shorter.

I put bunches of anarchis in 4" plastic pots and surround the bottom with gravel. Then they stay anchored down under the surface.

LOL Sure Ill be there in about 4 days. You should have told me that when I lived in CA.

http://www.schultz.com/ProductCategories/S...uaticPlantSoil/

Maybe you can leave a message or call the 800 number to find if it is sold near you.

You've been so much help! Thank you! You must have a nice pond of your own! How big? what fish and do you have pics? lol. How did you do your filteration and did you make your own filter? I love talking to people about their ponds. I have never had a real nice inground pond but I am doing LOTS of research so that when we have our permanent home (after the army) I will be able to build the pond of my dreams! If you built your own did you do it similar to the "Skippy Filter"? Ok now Im just feeling chatty..sorry I know its off topic.

Well, I just have a half barrel pond. Scott has a real pond, and likely more experience and good advice than me.

Here's pics of my little pond.
http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...showtopic=44558
http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...ndpost&p=508825

I have a Hydor 300GPH side hanging power filter on the pond. You can see it in the pics.

Have fun,

oooooh yeah. I forgot that was you! I really like your little pond. If I can find something like that for cheap I think I will try to do something like that.

The 50 gallon plexiglass/acrylic/ plastic (whatever it was) tank broke yesterday when I was working on it. Yeah...I was pretty mad at myself. So no 50 gallon pond for me.