How many plants and what plants to put in a 300 gallon pond?

Question

How many plants and what plants to put in a 300 gallon pond?

Answer 1

It is a small pond. You need one water lily to keep the surface covered. You need some sinking oxygenators like Canadian pond weed. You can accommodate a maximum of 30 inches of fish, so you can get say 5 small goldfish and watch them grow.

You need a filter system - preferably a sponge-based biofilter. You need some way to oxygenate the water (fountain or waterfall). Feed the fish minimally so that you don't get too much nitrogen in the water. Change 1/3rd of the water every month.

Answer 2

300 gallons?  That's not a pond, it's a fishtank.

Answer 3

A good very general rule is that about 60% of your pond surface should be covered by plants.

A 300-gallon pond is a nice compromise between a tiny and a large pond.  My pond is 1000 gallons, and I just installed a 100-gallon pond for my mother-in-law.

I use water lilies (rooted) http://www.blupete.com/Nature/PictureFlo... and water hyacinths (floating) http://img2.travelblog.org/Photos/18940/... my pond.

Water lilies will overwinter if your area freezes, but water hyacinths must be purchased every year if your temperatures drop below freezing.

Water hyacinths are illegal in some states, as they can spread and choke waterways if temperatures don't freeze.

Be sure to add fish - even cheap goldfish and minnows help keep your water balanced.