How to select a pond biofilter the basics
To specify an appropriate biofilter it is important to know the volume of water in a pond to say about 80% accuracy. A filter is specified in terms of what capacity it can handle when the pond is stocked normally which needs some interpretation
Typically therefore a filter will claim to handle or purify up to 5,000 litres of pond water. The claim will be based upon qualifications such as fish stock density, amount of food fed and so on. If you can afford it always go slightly bigger to get better performance.
Installing a biofilter is no guarantee of clear water (although it is possible you will be told it is do not believe it) because clear water is dependent not just upon the filter design. It is dependant upon other system components like churning because too large a water flow is passing through the pond. Another reason for cloudy water is the presence of algae, which are far too small to be taken out by all the pond filters on the market that I am aware of. However a well-designed filter will go a long way to giving you clear water (where the lack of clarity is resulting from solid particles and not algae). *****
If you intend to keep fish you must have a biofilter unless you want impure water and dying fish. I will discuss natural biofilters later.
Do reconsider your intention to build a pond if you are not prepared to spend money on a biofilter. You will be wasting money if you go ahead without a biofilter and I promise you will do it sooner or later or you will turn the pond into a sand pit.
*****| UV + Bio Pond Filter Selection Table ... By clicking the link below you can review a wide range of biofilters both with and without UV sterilizers. | ||
Fish-Mate Includes UV Sterilizer (see below ... if you're looking for a low cost well tested UV + filter combo for a small to medium fish pond this would be my recommendation) |
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| UV + Biofilter for ponds to 1,000 gallons | UV + Biofilter for ponds to 2,000 gallons | UV + Biofilter for ponds to 3,000 gallons |
| Combo UV + Biofilter for ponds to 4,000 gallons | UV + Biofilter for ponds to 5,000 gallons | UV + Biofilter for ponds to 6,000 gallons |
"The Complete Pond Solver" by Tony Roocroft
2005 Edition. Essential reading for anybody who wants or has a garden pond. Get 12 Excel pond calculators free as well as "Water Lilies and Pond Aquatics" ebook also free
Let me try hard to debunk this myth of Pond Filter size
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