The filter is the heart of your Koi pond. Koi pond filtration is the single most important function performed in your pond! It is what keeps the water clear and healthy for your fish.
One surefire method for having a Koi pond that fails is to spend all your hard earned money on installing a beautiful pond and then trying to save money on your filter.
A Koi pond filter serves two purposes. First, it serves as a mechanical filter that removes the organic waste produced by your fish along with anything else in the pond that would cloud the water.
Secondly, it serves as a biological filter by converting the ammonia produced by the fish into nitrites and eventually into nitrates which are less harmful to your Koi. Some filters are very high maintenance and require constant attention while others are quite easy to maintain.
The first thing you need to know when it comes to Koi pond filtration is that you can never have too big a filter. When selecting a filter, choosing one that is slightly large for your pond can turn out to be a very wise investment!
For any pond over 1000 gallons it is wise to use a pressurized biological sand or bead filter that can be back washed. There are pros and cons to each.
During the backwash portion of the operation sand, since it is heavier than water, falls to the bottom of the tank instead of flowing out through the valve with the waste. Plastic beads,since they are lighter than water, float to the top. As they are smaller than the valve-strainer's holes, they get washed out through the valve into the waste stream. More and more beads are lost during each backwash operation.
Bead filters also have limited efficiency. Smaller beads have more surface area for good bacteria colonization, but tend to get flushed out during the backwash procedure. This doesn't happen to the larger sized beads, but they have less surface area and thus are unable to filter as efficiently.
By under-loading the sand filters, and backwashing them more frequently with higher pressures and flow rates, you can take advantage of the greater food processing surface areas, while eliminating the chance of plugging. Many manufacturers recommendations for loading sand tend to be too high.
This causes the sand to plug the filter which is the main drawback of sand as a filtration medium.
Up-flow and gravity flow filters need to be cleaned regularly and it is a filthy job. The filter media is packed with rotting organic matter and foul odored fish waste.
As you clean and handle all the various parts of these filters you will find small, white feces-eating worms crawling on your hands and arms. Add to this the ambiance of the offensive odor described above and you don't exactly have nirvana!
The up-flow and gravity flow filters, though inexpensive to make, cost a fortune to purchase. So, in addition to paying a premium price to buy one, you are also spending so much time and labor that you might as well have paid at least twice the price!
If you use a pressurized filter, all it takes is the turn of a handle for 2 to 3 minutes and the filter is clean. Almost like magic! This saves lots of time, inconvenience, labor, mess, and wear and tear on your Koi. It uses slightly more electricity to operate a pressurized pump, but the savings in labor more than make up for it in most pond owner's eyes!
You can also use the waste water for your plants. It is packed with nitrogen and works even better than many of the fertilizers created especially for this purpose!
As you can see,to find the type that is right for you, you have several decisions to make about Koi pond filtration.
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