| Just how important is your koi pond filter for the | | | | areas) for debris to become clogged in and sloping |
| health of your fish and your pond? Let's just say | | | | down to the bottom drain or drains (if you have a |
| that it's importance really can't be over-estimated. | | | | larger pond you will need more than one). |
| For starters, without even taking your koi into | | | | The debris that falls or drifts into your pond, such |
| account, you can't have a healthy ecosystem in | | | | as leaves, grass and insects, should be removed |
| your garden pond without clean water. The | | | | as quickly as possible with a skimmer or net |
| demands on your filter will be much less than | | | | before it can sink to the bottom of the pond and |
| they would if you had fish in the pond so you | | | | begin to decompose. The bottom drain will collect |
| won't need as much filter as you otherwise would. | | | | what may be missed by netting and skimming |
| In fact you may only want a skimmer filter to | | | | and send it through your biological filter. |
| run now and again just to keep larger debris from | | | | The major function of your biological filter is to |
| littering your pond. Any debris that gets into your | | | | convert the by-product of your koi's organic |
| pond will eventually decompose and cause murky | | | | waste material, ammonia, into less harmful nitrites |
| water, making your pond less aesthetically | | | | and nitrates. The filter media houses beneficial |
| pleasing. | | | | bacteria that will break down the waste material |
| You might even just clean your pond manually, | | | | into these less toxic components. |
| using a net. | | | | The reason that you need to do daily water |
| However, if you want to keep your koi healthy, | | | | testing in a new pond, or if you purchase a new |
| or even alive, the water quality in your pond has | | | | biological filter is because it takes the beneficial |
| to be just right and in the initial stages of your | | | | bacteria a couple of months to colonize to a level |
| pond's life it will need to be tested daily. Your koi | | | | that will maintain your pond water quality. |
| pond filtration system should include a bottom | | | | If you shut off your biological filter in the winter |
| drain, a skimmer (the mechanical filtration part of | | | | to conserve electricity you will also have to take |
| the equation) and biological filtration. | | | | precautions in the spring while the bacteria |
| It also helps if you incorporate a koi pond design | | | | re-colonizes. |
| that maximizes the efforts of your filtering | | | | With all of the above in mind, make sure to do |
| system. You should have your pond designed so | | | | your research before purchasing a koi pond filter. |
| that there are no sharp corners (dead water flow | | | | |