When thinking of creating a garden pond it is easy to over look an important piece of equipment – the garden pond filter. You may think there is nothing quite like sitting beside your garden pond watching the fish and listening to trickling water. However this can be a short-lived pleasure if you don’t look after your fish and your garden pond.
A garden pond filter is a critical part required to keep a garden pond clean and healthy.
One of the reasons that pond fish die and the water becomes murky is that the water is not being filtered .Garden pond filters are necessary to maintain clear clean water and healthy pond life.
Garden pond filters are important to keep your pond free of dirt, and leaves and other foreign matter. When leaves and debris fall to your pond they often bring bacteria that can be dangerous to the health of your fish. The garden pond filter will prevent dangerous bacteria growing and keep the pond water healthy and clean.
A garden pond filter is used to purify the pond water by removing toxic chemicals produced by the fish and other pond creatures as part of their metabolism, and keeping the bacteria from multiplying, which make your garden pond fish sick. Failure to control the buildup of harmful chemicals causes your fish to become ill, stressed and die.
Garden pond filters are very effective in preventing harmful chemical buildup. Your garden pond has a double benefit when you use a biological pond filter. This is because your garden pond has the benefit of the combination of the biological pond filtration and the action of the ultra-violet light from the sun which clarifies the water. These two factors ensure that your pond water is always clean, healthy and clear.
There are three main types of garden pond filters available for purchasing for your pond. By doing some research either online, or consulting with an expert you can establish which type of filter will suit your garden pond best. To keep your pond filter working at maximum efficiency you should clean it regularly, and in doing so it will work well for years.
The first type of pond filter to consider is mechanical filter such as a Sunterra Pre-filter box or the Tetra Inc. Submersible Flat Box Pond Filter. This is the simplest and cheapest type of pond filter available. Water is pumped through the filter which removes the dirt and debris in the water. This mechanical pond filter type needs to be cleaned quite regularly to avoid clogging.
A second type of filter is a UV pond filter. Sunlight which contains UV radiation is able to clean micro organisms and algae from the water. When a UV filter is installed it kills the algae and microorganisms which endanger fish.
The third type are a biological garden pond filters. These work by cleaning the microorganisms that can be dangerous to the health of your pond fish and encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria. This type of garden pond filter takes longer to work than the other types of filters.
The best type of garden pond filter to consider is a combination of two or all three types of filters in one. For example the Pondmaster PMK190 Pump and Filter is a combination mechanical and biological filter and includes a pump. The Ani-Mate Inc. produces a bio and UV pond filter , The Aquascape Design UltraKlean Pressurized Filter series combine mechanical, UV and biological types in one machine.
Garden pond filters can be installed inside or outside of the pond. There are advantages and disadvantages to each one of these garden pond filters, and it is advisable to talk with someone who knows about ponds to find out the best type of garden pond filter for your pond.
