Like water lilies oxygenating plants belong in the deeper regions of the pond. Oxygenating plants remove large volumes of nutrients from the water and compete for the dissolved mineral salts on which algae thrive, thereby starving the algae out. The purpose of oxygenators is to produce oxygen, some of which is absorbed by the water. The oxygenated water is more efficient in terms of promoting the natural breakdown of waste materials in the pond water. This prevents rotting in the bottom layers of the pond bed. Oxygenators are available in pots and in loose bunches. The bunches can be planted in baskets filled with aquatic compost or substrate and covered with gravel. 5 bunches per cubic metre is the recommended quantity.