Water Garden Filter
Another
feature needed in your design is your water garden filter. There are several filters to choose from,
but for quality and efficiency, we recommend using a mechanical filter,
biological filter, or a skimmer. The filter will help sift the impurities out
of your water cycle and keep it clean.
To create the balance of all the elements within your garden pond, take
the time to educate yourself about the proper filter and what is needed to
combat the growth of algae.
Mechanical
filters, with the aid of a submersible pond pump, will recirculate the water
volume every 1- 2 hours. Mechanical
filters distribute water through ecologically safe granules and strain all the
unwanted dirt and algae from your system.
Most mechanical filters come without a built in pond pump, so make sure
that you get a pump with a minimum GPH (gallons per hour) of over half of your
garden ponds water capacity. Mechanical
filters perform the best when placed on the bottom of your garden pond, but if
it is deep you can always elevate it on a platform of clean bricks or flat
rocks to give you an easier access to clean it. The advantages of mechanical filters are a modest cost, easy set
up, and simple maintenance.
A good
filter will help sustain the “healthy appearance” that is needed by fish and
plant life in your garden pond.
Biological filters work similar to mechanical filters, but have a
different type of cleaning process. The
water enters the filter and suspended debris meets with live bacteria that
absorb ammonia and nitrites. Your
filter should be able to maintain a good level of nitrate and ammonia within
your water garden. The biological
filter cycle will detoxify the impurities.
Skimmers
are another form of filtration, but have a little more to them than just the
regular set up. A skimmer has a
submersible pond pump attached to it that helps to draw water into netting that
is waiting to catch debris that depletes oxygen levels in your pond such as
leaves. When debris enters your
skimmer, it is trapped within the netting and does not re-enter your pond. When leaves decay and sink in your garden pond,
they rob your water of oxygen and produce toxic gases which are not good for
fish life. In the winter when the water
freezes, these gases are trapped inside with your fish causing them to
die. A skimmer will help keep debris
from your pond by the constant flow it generates from one end to the
other. Placing your skimmer downwind
will help generate the flow more naturally, but you can also increase the
efficiency of your skimmer by placing a fountain or waterfall at the opposite
end. This helps to naturally divert the
flow of the water towards your skimmer.
The mechanical and biological filters and
skimmers are dependable and reliable systems if given the proper care. A good way to keep your system clean and
properly running is to make sure that the submersible pump intake filter is
free from debris and algae. A good
quality pond pump will last for several years given the proper care and
attention. During the springtime, check
the filter at least once a week and during the summer and fall try checking
twice a week.
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