As any successful pond owner knows, the key to having a healthy pond is to have a clean pond. In my previous posts I’ve discussed how you can utilize pond skimmers and pond vacuums to clean dirt and debris from your pond’s water. However, in order to keep your pond water as clean and healthy as possible, it’s also necessary to install a pond filter.
Out of all the pond supplies your water garden needs to flourish, pond filters are one of the most important. These small machines work around the clock as mini sewage systems for your pond. Every day fish waste, extra food and other organic material falls to the bottom of your pond. All of this debris can dirty your pond water, and as it starts to decompose it can also release harmful toxins. Without pond filters, your pond water would be permanently murky and any dangerous toxins would build up and start to affect the health of your pond life.
Pond filters utilize filter media to break down harmful toxins and remove debris from your pond water to create a healthy environment in which pond life can flourish. They come in different sizes and offer varying degrees of filtration so you can shop around until you find one that meets your pond’s specific needs.
Any good pond filter is designed to perform three functions:
• Mechanical Filtration
• Biological Filtration
• Chemical Filtration
Mechanical filtration is utilized to remove actual detritus from your water. Dirty water flows into the filter and the mechanical filtration media traps any dirt before sending clean water back into your pond.
Biological filtration tackles the toxins that form when fish waste and other organic material breaks down. This filtration media allows beneficial bacteria to grow that can biologically break down the harmful toxins in your pond water.
Chemical filter media and pond plants manage any remaining compounds by controlling and changing the specific water conditions that are negatively impacting your pond.
As you can see, pond filters work hard to keep your water sparkling clean. Be sure to utilize this pond product to keep your pond life happy and healthy this season.
Image provided by psd on Flickr