Pond Filters

Building a pond is only half the story. A pond needs constant maintenance and care for the health of the pond and also the fish and plants in it. Having a pond filter can make the task of maintaining the pond a whole lot easier.

Pond filters serve two main purposes. Firstly, they clean the pond of large visible particles. Secondly, they also remove microscopic particles and organisms that are invisible to the human eye. They can clean both dirt and debris and also biological factors like fungus and algae. Sometimes both of these functions are carried out by the same components whereas in other filters there are two separate elements for these. Read this article to get a better understanding of filters. This will help you make the right choices when you are shopping for them.

Different types of pond filters for your backyard

Freshwater fish cannot survive in a pond even for a day if there is no filtering mechanism. This is because a lot of minute waste particles get into the pond water all the time. A filter will constantly remove algae, debris, and dirt from the pond and preserve its balance to make it habitable for fish. But not all the filters work the same. You will need a filter that is suitable for the size of the pond and also for the fish in it. Here is a list of the four most common types of filters out there. 

Pond skimmer filter 

This type of filter is suitable for ponds that are larger than a hundred gallons, or three hundred and seventy litres. You need to mount it at the water level outside the pond liner. The main benefit of this filter is that it can remove larger debris that might fall into the water even before it sinks. The filter achieves this by continuously taking in the surface water and filtering it out. So, it can keep the debris that falls into the pond from decomposing and dirtying the water. But the downside is that it is not really effective if the water is already dirty or if the debris is dense enough to sink immediately.

Pre-filter

Pre-filters are suitable for small ponds that are between six hundred and a thousand five hundred gallons. Pre-Filters usually sit on the intake section of the pond pump. It is basically a porous material like a sponge and does not have any active mechanical components. As the pond pump draws in water from the pond, the pre-filter collects dust, dirt, and debris that is larger than the sieves of the filter. Because there are no active elements in this filter, it is really cheap to install this filter. All you have to do is to clean the dirt that the filter collects.

Pressure filter 

This is a more advanced form of pre-filter. It consists of a filtering material, like a sponge, and a mechanical pump. The pump in the filter pressures the water to flow through the filtering material. So, the benefit that this filter has over the pre-filter is it works separately from the intake pump of the pond. So, you can use it even while you are not moving the water in or out of the pond. To kill harmful microorganisms in the water, it is usual for this type of filter to have an additional UV filter as well.

UV sterilisers 

Technically UV sterilisers are not actually filters. However, because what they do is to clean the pond, it is common for manufacturers to categorise them under other filters. Rather than working as a stand-alone device, most people use sterilisers along with some other form of active or passive filters. Sterilisers are essential to prevent microbial growth in the water and to keep it looking clear. Fungus and algae can make the water look slightly greenish and make the pond look unsightly even when the water itself might be safe.