A variety of plants in your pond will perform a number of functions that should benefit both your fish and also any other wildlife that depends on your pond for its existence.

Most people will probably be aware of the important role that plants play in turning carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into oxygen. This exact same process occurs in aquatic plants but this is not their sole function.

Aquatic plants thrive on nutrients within the water, of which, nitrates are a key type. Nitrates are readily available in pond water as they are an end product of the process of breaking down ammonia. Ammonia is a water pollutant that is continuously produced by the fish in the pond. It is essential to have a mechanism for removing nitrates and plants do this successfully. In the absence of plants, nitrates will readily fuel algal blooms.

Plants also provide shade which is very important to your pond. Providing shade helps to both restrict temperature fluctuations in warmer weather and also, as above, helps to restrict algal growth by reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the water (sunlight being a necessary element for plant growth).

Lastly, plants also provide both food sources and shelter for an extensive variety of insect and life and a habitat for micro-organisms, all of which perform small but significant roles in maintaining water quality and chemical balance.