Pond Filters explained

Pond filters play a vital role in keeping ponds clear and free of debris. They remove nutrients such as fish waste, food scraps and leaves, and reduce the ammonia and nitrogen levels in your pond.

The addition of aquatic plants to your Pond Filters will help the filter reduce nitrates. However the plants can't remove all ammonia. Choose a filter suited to your pond size for the best possible results.

Biological Filtration

A biological filter can be added to any pond system to add a biological component. Beneficial bacteria will treat the water as it passes through, breaking down ammonia and nitrogen to produce nitrates which plants can use for nourishment. While biological filter play an important role in maintaining a healthy aquatic ecosystem, mechanical filters can be more effective in removing floating debris.

To thrive, bacteria on a biological filter must have access to vital nutrients like carbonaceous and nitrogenous wastes. This can be achieved by using expanded clay or biochar as a media.

You can increase the efficiency of a bio filter by increasing its temperature. It may be possible to encourage the growth of more bacteria and increase their ability of breaking down ammonia, nitrite and other contaminants in water. Use of this strategy is not recommended as an increase of temperature can lead to the death of microbes and thereby slow down the entire process.

A disadvantage of biological filters is the time it takes for the bacteria populations to grow enough to start working and breaking down ammonia, nitrite and other compounds. This can take several weeks with new filters that must settle in and build up an ideal bacterial population before they are effective. The biological filtering process requires hard water, which is not always available.

Combining biological filters with mechanical or chemical pond filters will maximize the effectiveness. Combining biological filters will make them much more powerful. For instance, when they are used in conjunction with a skimmer for collecting floating debris which is then sent straight into a biological filter to be broken down by natural bacteria activity.

Chemical Filtration

Chemical filters react with contaminants to neutralize them or absorb the pollutants. This eliminates small pollutants that are too small to be caught by mechanical filters. Chemical filtration allows tanks to be rid of potentially dangerous substances that are otherwise left behind due to biological or mechanical processes.

Physical Pond Filters involves using materials to physically trap waste particles. This is why it's the method of choice for most fish keepers who want to clean their water. Fish keepers use physical filtration in many ways. Filter pads are used in filter socks to sift the water and collect debris. Protein skimmers, which physically remove hydrophilic waste through foam fractionation, are also used.

Other chemical-based techniques, such as activated charcoal and ion interchange resins, are available to target organic contaminants that are hard for biological and mechanical filters to filter. Granulated carbon is forced to interact with water using centrifugal and gravity forces, or a partial vacuum beneath the filter. This draws the water through the activated carbon so its chemicals can react with toxic compounds that are created during decomposition.

Adsorption has a limited effectiveness. All the chemicals in carbon will eventually be depleted, and carbon must be replaced. This happens usually when water begins to turn yellow from carbon. Ion-exchange resins can be more effective in removing calcium, magnesium and other ions that cause hard water. However, their effectiveness is limited by the nitrate content of the water.

Manufacturers have been mixing GFO, carbon and resin to create a "chemifilter" filter media. They sell this as a replacement for more traditional mechanical or biological filters. Sadly, the exhaust rates of each chemical media are different, so it is impossible to predict how long they'll last before you need to replace them in your tank.

Mechanical Filtration

Mechanical Pond Filters may be made of any material that is capable of trapping large debris. The filter media can be foam, sponges or loose bonded floss. Sand is also a good option.

The biological filter system is more effective in removing ammonia, but it does not have the same capacity to remove nitrites or ammonia. This means that they cannot maintain the water quality of systems with fish waste floating freely. Combining both systems may be required in order to protect aquatic life and plants.

Some aquariums and fish tank owners are also at risk because mechanical filters tend to reduce the oxygen level in water. It happens because the medium they use to trap particulate matter can deplete oxygen in their system as it passes through. This causes fish to lose oxygen and die from lack of oxygen. The mechanical filters may leave your aquatic friend struggling for air, unable to perform its natural functions properly and wither.

Some aquarists choose to eliminate mechanical filters from their aquariums. They use sump filter systems with large settling tanks that can be vacuumed to remove sediment during water changes. Note that this type of system will not be effective in removing organic pollution like nitrates.

As a natural alternative to mechanical filtering, aquatic plants are also effective at absorbing wastes and regulating water temperature. Additionally, shade protects the water surface while also helping to regulate temperatures.

Maintenance

The best pond filters create a healthy, hospitable environment for fishes and other aquatic creatures. By using biological filtration, ammonia levels are reduced by bacteria that consume waste products such as fish wastes, uneaten meals, organic matter, and decaying plants at the bottom.

These bacteria break down toxic substances into Nitrite. Once this is done, other beneficial bacteria can then convert it into harmless Nitrogen, which plants can absorb. By removing green, murky water, biological filtration reduces the use of chemicals.

Prefilters are used with biological Pond Filters when clogging is a concern. Prefilters are designed to use skimmer-based technology to remove debris like waste, leaves and other foreign material that can compromise biological systems.

Skimmer filters work well for large ponds with a lot of debris, such as leaves and branches that can fall into the water. These filters can either be placed at the surface of water or deep within it, depending on what amount of sediment is needed to be removed.

The UV clarifiers may also be used in conjunction with chemical or biological pond filters. This will remove the unsightly green water caused by an algal bloom. These filters break down algae cells using UV light, making them less able to thrive. Perfect for anyone who wants clean clear water but struggles with maintaining it. This solution provides another non-chemical option to maintain cleaner environments.

It is important to note that filters are not the only component needed to create an ecosystem pond. Include fish, gravel, aquatic vegetation, and rocks in the design of your garden pond to create a balanced ecosystem. Regular maintenance is required for mechanical and biological filters.