Choosing A Koi Pond Filter
Installing a koi pond filter is a key step in caring for you koi. Your koi pond needs regular maintenance to keep you fish healthy. Over time, food and waste will collect on the bottom of the pond. As this material decays, toxic chemicals are released. Adequate pond filtration will help to keep this problem under control.
When building your koi pond choosing the type of filter is one of the most important decisions you have to make. Koi will release lots of waste into your pond water. Koi have weak immune systems and good water quality is essential to their health. High levels of nitrates and ammonia can can kill your fish. Also you do want to keep the water clear in your koi pond so you can enjoy watching them!
Due to the size of koi ponds you will need a high quality filtration system. The cheap small garden pond systems just aren’t up to the task. Spend the money on a quality filter system please, it will save you money in the long run! A filtration system that can handle a large volume of water is necessary. The filter you choose for your koi pond will also need a mechanical component responsible for filtering out solid waste and debris.
Koi pond filtration is a two step process, the filter you choose for your pond will need a mechanical component for filtering out solid particles. The filter system will also need a biological component for filtering out the organic matter that cannot be filtered in the mechanical component. Both components
are very important and should not be ignored. Ease of maintenance should also be considered when finding a location to install your filter system.
The first step in koi pond filtration is a mechanical filter that removes solid particles from the water. The water is first passed through a screen that collects larger solid particles. The finer the screen the smaller the particles that are filtered out. There are two ways to draw the water through the screen, by gravity or by pump. Generally speaking the gravity filter is superior, it is less complicated and virtually no moving parts.
Next a biological filter uses bacteria to eliminate the nitrates and ammonia from the water. Biological filters use a varied sort of mediums on which ammonia and nitrate eating bacteria can grow and thrive. The media used can range from crushed gravel to up to two inch smooth stones. You can experiment and see what works best in your situation.