Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Pond with no plants?

When we first moved to our house, our 2.5 acre pond had no plants at all. Nothing on the shorelines, nothing on the water.

Is that a bad thing? Will fish not grow in the pond with no vegetation? I'm trying to find out if there are any negatives to no plants in the water.

Plants, microscopic to large leafy marginal one all use nutrients. They compete for nutrients and space. No visible plants around the edge of an older pond is very unusual. No or too few plants means lack of competition thus one or two species usually then predominates, grows profusely and is or becomes a nuisance. No plants in an older pond (prior owner) that is barren to me first suggests chemical contamination from a prior owner; although various exceptions occur. New ponds can be barren until nature establishes various types of plants starting immediately with microscopic forms. Nature's goal is to fill the pond in with sediment, dead plants, and have plants growing again across the top of the pond = aquatic succession.

All sorts of illegal or long term harmful residual chemicals in an older pond could have been added to stop nuisance plant growth. If the water is always muddy / murky then this will strongly reduce underwater plant growth by limiting light penetration which all green plants need. If the water has a strong green hue then this means there are very high numbers of microscopic plants present called phytoplankton.