Hornwort
Ceratophyllum demersum
🐟Aquarium fish safe🐶Dog no data
Garden pond
Water lilies, marsh edge, dragonflies
A pond in zones: deep water, shallow water, marsh edge. Plants clean the water and provide habitat.
☀️Light4–6 h of sun
💧Humidity—
🌡️TemperatureHardy plants; min. 80 cm depth for fish
🪴Water & substrateTop up with rainwater; lean substrate
Build
Step by step
Marsh (0–10 cm)
Shallow (10–40 cm)
Deep (60–120 cm)
- 1
Mark out and dig the zones as terraces; remove stones and roots.
- 2
Protective underlay, then EPDM liner; build a capillary barrier at the edges.
- 3
Lean clay-sand in planting baskets – never potting soil!
- 4
Plant by zone; cover 50–60% of the surface.
Plant list
What to plant
Background
Yellow flag
Iris pseudacorus
🐟Aquarium fish no data🐶Dog mild
Midground
Pickerelweed
Pontederia cordata
🐟Aquarium fish safe🐶Dog no data
Arrowhead
Sagittaria sagittifolia
🐟Aquarium fish safe🐶Dog no data
Foreground
Marsh marigold
Caltha palustris
🐟Aquarium fish no data🐶Dog mild
Water mint
Mentha aquatica
🐟Aquarium fish no data🐶Dog mild
Floating plant
Water lily
Nymphaea
🐟Aquarium fish safe🐶Dog no data
Accent
Dwarf cattail
Typha minima
🐟Aquarium fish safe🐶Dog no data
⚠️ Common mistakes
- Potting soil or fertiliser – algae bloom.
- Too few plants, too many fish.
- Toxic marginals (marsh marigold, iris) near a dog run.
Member setups
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