What is wrong with my water lilies?

[sns26]

I have two water lilies that are sending up leaves regularly, but they quickly look like this. I would guess it's a snail problem but the pond is pretty new, and I haven't seen much of a snail population.

[Cristy Keister]

What kind of soil and fertilizer do they have?

[sns26]

Both lilies are potted in heavy clay soil and each has a commercial lily-specific fertilizer tablet.

[Cristy Keister]

I use a partially mineralized top soil as well as a clay.

[sns26]

By the way, I eventually figured out what the problem was. China moths!

http://www.victoria-adventure.org/water ... page1.html

I found the caterpillars all over the undersides of a few pads. They were doing the initial damage and then the snails were exploiting the damage. I had to trim one lily down to the bare root, and it never recovered.