koi and plants

[Jerry]

plants just don't survive with the koi.
 Yet I see photos of superb plants in koi ponds.  Is it just for photos?  if they do survive...HOW ? :'(

[Lynda]

I've not been able to have plants with koi since my koi were fingerlings.  Plants are just a salad bar as far as my koi believe.  I have 30-inch koi, though....they can uproot and devour a water lily in about 2 seconds flat.

[Kat]

The ponds at the Texas Fairgrounds have wire caging around the lilies to stop turtles & fish from messing with the lilies.  I've also wondered if someone could use dark colored laundry baskets with the rim at the surface to keep koi out.  I would imagine some koi would work their way over the edge to get to the plant though.

[greenthumbnails]

My Dad said that he had tried to protect some hornswort from the koi by putting it in floating spaghetti strainers but the koi would flip the baskets over and help themselves. He finally sandwich tied two spaghetti strainers together and had floating balls of hornwort. 

[KatFish]

I have had decreasing luck with plants and my koi each year as they grow.  I have thrown in the towel and have put in a second pond for plants.  It's connected to the main fish pond, but safe from their clear-cutting ways.  'Luckily' it was a bad winter for plants so I have to start over.  I had WAY more lilies than I had room for.  I will be looking at the sale/trade forum soon!  I do give the jerks floaters to play with and duckweed to eat - they LOVE that stuff.  Wire, cages, inverted planters - nothing has kept my lilies safe from the fish =(

[Jerry]

My buddy visited a body shop and saw 3 big red ears in an aquarium. The owner said "take 'em!
Marty did. Guess where they are now??   < not really mad.