Filtration

Filtration.

Who needs to filter their ponds? If you have a pond with fish, you will need some kind of filtration. The more fish, and the larger they are, the more filtration you will need. This can be provided in a number of ways.

For instance, plants. Underwater plants help to starve algae, as well as producing oxygen. Some floaters, such as water hyacinths, feed heavily on the nitrates in the water, again, starving algae. To select the best plants for filtering, go for the ones with dense, rapid growing root systems. Water iris is a good example. When planted in gravel they will feed on the nutrients in the water thus helping with filtration. However, most fish ponds will need more aggressive measures taken in the use of filters.

The following article will consider some of the more popular types of filters. MY POND is a personal pond page with loads of information on filters and filtration.

Mechanical filtration

Your pump came with one. A little filter stuck on top or to the side. The water is drawn through it and all but the tiniest particles are trapped in the filter. Problem? That little filter is just too small. You can help it out by skimming out the leaves, twigs, dead plant matter, bugs, etc. Still, it is going to clog often. You will need to increase the filter surface.

There is an economical way to do that. It is one of the simplest ways too. Here is how you do it.

You will need:

• One milk crate.
• One bag of lava rock.
• Enough bonded polyester batting, or blue furnace filter, to line the crate.

To build it:

• Line the crate with the blue furnace filter or the bonded polyester batting.
• Add a layer of rock,
• Set the pump in.
• Add rock to cover the pump.
• Cover with more of your lining and finish off with more rock.
• Sink it in your pond.

Plug in your pump and you are in business! For mechanical filtration, you don't need to run the pump continuously. Although the more you run it the clearer the water.

Bio filters.

Similar to the filter above, the bio filter is larger, has more rocks, and must be run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to keep the bacteria alive.(24/7) As the water circulates through the rock, the fine particles of debris are sifted out. Even more importantly the bacteria colony in the rock converts the nitrogen produced by decaying organic matter, into nitrates, which are eaten by pond plants. Neat uh?

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