Ponds are enormously beneficial to the
biodiversity, that's why i dug a small liner pond with steps for growlevels close to my veggie patch. I've got mostly
local wild plants, which attract a lot of insects, frogs took residence and hunt for slugs at night. I tried waterspinach, but it didn't grow fast enough, i need a cold hardier version than the one i ordered. I've got arrowheads in this year, (Wapato is that a mix of water-potato?) willow is shading the pond, the overflow goes into the veggie patch where i have a rhubarb and cranberries. Watermint has had prolific times, watercress didn't succeed, i grow penny royal mint close by the pond. Water chestnut works better in hotter places. Still would like to get some acorus sweet flag for it's
medicinal properties.
Because my pond is close to my house and i can't stand the noise some frog types make, i got fish. I never feed them except small slugs which i lob in from the veggie patch. They're roach or rudd. Which eat plants but not all year. Be carefull what fish you throw in your ponds, no koi/carb! They eat all your plants and disturb the mud, water pigs. I've not
aerated for three years, but when the fish got bigger i noticed them at the surface in the summer in the morning. The big ones died so i needed aeration.
If i'd have different ponds i'd grow different edibles in each of them, let them establish first until they colonize the whole pond, observe and learn, then add other plants and irisses only in the smaller ones. Pond plants can grow voraciously. First get what you want to colonize at least quite a bit then slowly introduce companions.