Water hyacinth

Question
Hi, i just had a few questions reguading my water hyacinth.  Right now they are in a 95 quart storage bin full of water.  IN with them are some water lettuce, very little duckweed and 9-15 feeder comets.  My questions...  I have noticed my hyacinths arent growing. and the area where the new leaves form, there are not traces of new leaves.  Some of the hyacinths leaves have been completely striped of the green color on the swollen stem.  All you see is the inside white spongy looking stuff.  I wanted to know if you knew what would cause this.  Its not harming my watter lettuce and my hyacinths are starting to die.  It looks like there is damage to the leaves like they are turning yellow and some look like theve been eaten.  If this is a bug how to i get rid of them?  If something else, what?  Is it the fish?  PLease help.  thanks

Answer
Is this bin outside or inside?  What is the water temperature?  If it's inside, what kind of lighting are they getting?  Water hyacinth need strong light and warmth.  They also need a lot of nutrients which should be provided by the goldfish.  If the water hyacinth are warm enough with enough light, then they may have a deficiency in something like potassium or perhaps something like aphids.  The comets may have nibbled on the hyacinth; they will do that but mostly like to eat the roots.  Do you see any insects on the plants?  There are some weevils and moth larvae that eat water hyacinth.  See my section at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/plants/plantpests.htm#lettuce for more.  You can try mosquito dunks or Microbe Lift liquid Bt as Bt kills some insect larvae.

Good luck!