COLDWATER
Clearing Oxygen Weed from a Neglected Pond There are 4 plants commonly called oxygen weed in NZ and 3 of them are Class B noxious weeds. The only permitted one for aquaria and ponds is Elodea canadensis. You may possess Class B noxious weeds but you may not sell, or pass them on to others. This article refers to one of the noxious varieties and I have it in my pond because it is rampant throughout the local waterways and I collected it for free from a local park before I realised it was a noxious weed. My pond is approximately 3m x 8m and has been running for 15 years. A step-bystep article of the build, with photos, was in the May 2006 Aquarium World with an update added in the next issue. The main plants in it are lilies and oxygen weed with a 38 ∙ Aquarium World
article & photos by Caryl Simpson
large umbrella palm at one end and a lot of peppermint (or spearmint) at the other. Note how any area not covered by lilies or mint, is choked with oxygen weed. Last year the oxygen weed flowered profusely for the first time I can remember. Before that, I was unaware it flowered at all! It made a beautiful show across the water surface. In 2016, Kaikoura was devastated by a massive earthquake. Damage was also done up and down the east coast, including Marlborough, where I live. Our concrete pond started leaking after this event and we wondered what was best to do about it. Empty it and repair the leak? Empty it and line it? Empty it then fill it in? Decisions,
