water lilly in unfiltered 'pond'

I have a water lilly in one of thoes big plastic containers with handles. There is no pump/filtration and the water is now very cloudy/murky and I noticed tiny little black things swimming around the top of the water all round the edge. Should I be changing the water? Thanks

 

I had a waterlily in a still pond for a couple of years, I put some charcoal in a hessian bag and weighted it down, sited it so it wasnt full sun all day and that seemed to work ok.

I think your pond is stagnating so a bit of a water change might improve it a little. NOT tap water though, rainwater is best, or leave a bucketful of tapwater out for a day or two to get rid of the chlorine.

where is it sited?

Hope this helps

Loopy

 

Hi How are you

I just top mine up with water as you are growing them just like me by then selves also no fish either as they would eat the the "tiny black things" are mosquito babies and they come to the surface to breathe if you watch them carefully

Spruce

 

Hiya, the container is sited on a south facing flower bed. with other plants all around. Sometimes in direct sun. Is this wrong? Should it be in a shadier area?

 

Full sun never shade especialy if you want flowers ,, just change all the water sounds like old leaves from last year rotted

Spruce

 

with ponds you need to balance sun and shade - i think full sun all day will encourage algae and pond weed to bloom. The water lily will need sun to flower and thrive. Also, just to make it a bit more difficult waterlilies dont like moving water so a pump and filter in a small pond wont be welcome for the lily!

my little pond had full sun until mid afternoon then was shaded by the fence

Its a balancing thing - rainwater top up is probs your answer

loopy

 

I have no idea what the correct approach is ... but our water lilies are in moving water (three ponds (Higher, normal and Lower ones) and a pump that circulates the water round (no filter, but the volume of water is quite large). The fish are in the middle one with the water lilies. Water is about 2' deep. We fill it up from the tap when the water level falls 4" or 5" and nothing seems to mind ... but like I say that may not be the best way, just that we seem to get away with it.

 

I think any pond without some kind of weed,( Elodea) or similar, is not likely to form a balance.

The full sun idea I go along with, as, as the water lilly grows its leaves create the shade required to stop algae growing, and weed also takes nutrient directly from the water, also tending to starve out algae.

Personally I'd try to get away without changing the water.