Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Mechanical Sand Filters Are Bad For Your Fish Pond

!: Mechanical Sand Filters Are Bad For Your Fish Pond

The major purpose of a biological pond filter, in any fish pond is to remove ammonia, which can be highly toxic to pond fish and other aquatic pond life. The biological process responsible for removing ammonia is known as the Nitrification process and is extremely important if you want to maintain a healthy ecosystem, suitable for aquatic life to thrive in. The secondary function of a biofilter is to mechanically separate leaves and other organic matter from the pond water. I have written this article in the hope that it will help to highlight the failings in my opinion of using a mechanical sand filter in any garden pond.

Why Are Sand Filters Bad For A Garden Pond?

Before I discuss my reasons why I believe that this filter system has no place in a garden pond, I would quickly like to add that I am referring to a mechanical sand filter and not a fluidized sand filter, which has been designed for pond use. Ammonia is present in all fish ponds where there is biological activity such as fish feeding, rotting vegetation and decomposing aquatic life. It is important to remove this toxic chemical as soon as possible.

In order for the conversion of ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate to occur, certain criteria need to be met: There needs to be a plentiful supply of oxygen flowing through the pond bio media; a large colony of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter beneficial bacteria need to present and there has to be turbulence, which mixes together water, oxygen and ammonia to speed up the breakdown of ammonia.

Disadvantages of A Mechanical Sand Filter:

* It only has a low surface area on which nitrifying bacteria can colonize.

* This type of filtration system encourages the build up of unwanted heterotrophic bacteria that is bad for pond water quality, unlike nitrifying bacteria that is necessary. If you allow heterotrophic bacteria to develop in your pond you will see some nasty results, including the production of hydrogen sulphide (rotten egg smell), ammonia and carbon dioxide. Let's think about that! We are using a sand filter to remove ammonia but it actually produces ammonia.

* A sand filter is costly to operate as it needs to be back flushed between 5 to 6 times per day for at least 5 minutes each time. This requires a lot of water, which means that if you are on a meter it can be quite costly.

* As water flows through the sand bio media, channelling starts to occur. Channelling (holes in the sand) allows water to flow straight through the sand without being filtered. This requires even more back washing.

What Type Of Biological Pond Filter Should I Use?

As far as I am concerned the only viable solution for effective pond filtration is to use a biofilter or a veggie filter, although a veggie filter can be high maintenance. If you have a small to medium sized fish pond then a pressurized biological filter is a really good choice, for the following reasons:

* It is compact and is easily hidden from view, preventing it from being a bit of an eyesore. Traditional black box filters are larger and are harder to disguise.

* Pressurized bio filters have an inbuilt back flushing system which makes it easy to purge unwanted organic waste such as trapped leaves and grass. This makes routine cleaning easier.

* The pressurized operation means that this filter type can be located away from the pond edge and not at the highest point of the pond, unlike a box type filter which relies on gravity. My recommendation would be to use either the Oase Filtoclear, Hozelock Bioforce or the Fishmate Powerclenz, mainly due to their cost, reliability and excellent warranties.

For large Koi ponds the best form of biological pond filtration is a bead filter or a vortex Koi filter. Bead filters contain up to 600,000 beads per cubic foot. This means that there is an extremely high surface area on which beneficial nitrifying bacteria can colonize. These beads are suspended in a turbulent chamber of water that is constantly full of oxygen and ammonia. This provides optimum conditions for ammonia to be broken down. A vortex filter is the preferred choice for many professional Koi keepers as it is low maintenance and has been tried and tested over the years.

The 2 equations below show the quantity of oxygen needed by nitrifying bacteria to oxidize ammonia (oxygen is represented by O2). As you can see it is needed in abundance.

* For Nitrosomonas: 55NH4+ + 76O2 + 109HCO3- ---> C5H7O2N + 54NO2- + 57H2O + 104H2CO3

* For Nitrobacter: 400NO2- + NH4+ + 4H2CO3 + HCO3- + 195O2 ---> C5H7O2N + 3H2O + 400NO3-

To conclude this article I would seriously advise you not to install a mechanical sand filter in your garden pond. If you currently use this type of filter, remove it and replace it with a biological filter that will purify the water and not pollute it.


Mechanical Sand Filters Are Bad For Your Fish Pond

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Fish Mate 1000 Submersible Pump

!: Saved Fish Mate 1000 Submersible Pump Best Quality

Brand : Fish Mate
Rate :
Price : $101.39
Post Date : Nov 15, 2011 16:12:19
Usually ships in 24 hours



A world leading range of energy efficient submerisble pond pumps with output up to 5350 gph and over 28-Foot 10-Inch head. Featuring pond-life friendly anti-clog intake design and very low running costs. All pumps include a divertor value and fountain heads.

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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Maintain a Clean Garden Pond - Keep Your Fish Healthy

!: Maintain a Clean Garden Pond - Keep Your Fish Healthy

What is actually meant by a clean fish pond? Would you assume that sparkling, clear pond water is a sure sign of a healthy, clean pond environment? In actuality this could not be further from the truth. It does not necessarily mean that ammonia and nitrite levels within the pond are under control. Lurking below the surface is a potential disaster waiting to happen. It is critically important to remove chemical impurities, to obtain clean, purified pond water.

Garden pond filters break down toxic ammonia and nitrite into nitrate, a source of fertilizer for aquatic plants, under the influence of oxygen. Crystal clear pond water does not necessarily mean that the water quality is safe for fish and other aquatic life to live in. Adversely slightly murky, green ponds may not look healthy but providing the ammonia and nitrite levels are under control will be perfectly safe for your Koi and goldfish. In fact Koi and goldfish prefer a pond with some algae; they nibble on it, it provides shade from the sun and protection from predators.

Be wary of salesman advising that big filters are for big ponds and small filters are for small ponds. This is not always the case. The key to any successful biofilter is the choice of pond filter media. It is perfectly feasible for a small well matured filter with a high surface area biomedia, containing a large colony of nitrifying bacteria to be more effective than a larger filter using an inferior pond filter media. If you have a small to medium sized pond choose a Fishmate pressurized filter, as this product ships with the excellent Supra bio media as standard. Supra, known as Alfagrog in the UK has a large surface area on which nitrifying bacteria can live and subsequently encourages larges colonies of these bacteria to form, making for effective biofiltration. For large Koi ponds a bead filter is your best bet in the USA. They have been specifically designed to handle the large volumes of water, chemical impurities and solids found in Koi ponds. The Aqua Ultima range by Aqua Ultraviolet is the best selling bead filter range.

Life Is Life and a Filter is A Filter Right?

Wrong! A rather silly sounding statement I agree. I had to try to get your attention somehow! The point I am getting at is that not all filters are suitable for use in a water garden or fish pond. Take a swimming pool filter for example; this is normally a sand filter, which does an excellent job of keeping your swimming pool water crystal clear and clean. Sand filters are actually extremely bad for garden ponds, as they encourage unwanted heterotrophic bacteria to develop, with potentially catastrophic results for the pond water quality and fish population.

The swimming pool filter removes particulate matter found floating in the pool. The water looks clear and shiny. Any bacterial organisms are destroyed by adding chlorine to the water, making for a safe pool in which to swim. If only it was that simple in a fish pond. If you were to add high doses of chlorine to your pond you would soon kill off the fish population.

What Happens To Pond Water As Fish Eat?

Fish need to eat in order to grow and develop. As they eat, they excrete solid and liquid waste into the pond water. This along with any uneaten fish food and organic matter such as leaves, if not removed from the pond, will sink to the pond floor and start to rot, producing ammonia. This situation makes for an excellent heterotrophic bacteria ridden environment with high ammonia and nitrite levels. If the bacteria do not kill your fish, the ammonia eventually will! This is where your biological pond filter starts to earn its money. It successfully removes these pollutants from the pond, leaving you with clean, purified pond water.

Always make sure that you provide a constant supply of oxygen to the biofilter media via a reliable, energy efficient pond pump. Remember that a pond pump needs to supply much needed oxygen to the nitrifying bacteria colonies 24/7. Without oxygen for between 5 to 6 hours the colony will die off. For this reason you should never switch off your pond pump for more than a couple of hours while you carry out routine pond maintenance work.

If your aim is to achieve purified pond water and a pond free from organic debris such as leaves, pollen, twigs and other debris then a pond skimmer is a great idea. For the vast majority of small to medium sized ponds, a floating pond skimmer is your best bet. A floating skimmer, skims the surface of the pond, sucking up any debris, trapping it in a filter basket, which can be easily emptied. This is a great way to remove micro particles such as pollen and silt that would otherwise cause the pond water to appear cloudy.

An occupational hazard for the vast majority of pond keepers, particularly those living in warmer climates, with more sunshine hours is the dreaded algae bloom. This is caused by high levels of nitrogen in the pond, in the form of nitrate, produced by the result of ammonia and nitrite being broken down by your pond filter. The algae bloom multiplies rapidly, turning your pond into a murky green hole. The algae will not only stop your pond water from appearing clean and preventing you from seeing your fish but will also starve the pond of oxygen.

The best way to prevent algae blooms from developing is to use a UV sterilizer. Avoid pond algaecide chemicals as they provide a short term fix, interfere with nitrifying bacteria colonies and if the dosage is too high can make your fish ill or even cause fatalities.


Maintain a Clean Garden Pond - Keep Your Fish Healthy

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Saturday, November 5, 2011

Pond Filter Selection - Your Garden Pond Deserves the Best

!: Pond Filter Selection - Your Garden Pond Deserves the Best

Once you know the volume of water in your pond you can start to consider your options. A word of caution here! Please be aware that a US gallon is 3.7854 liters, whereas an Imperial gallon (UK gallon) is 4.54609 liters. This issue may need to be considered when you are looking at product specifications for imported products.

What Are The Most Common Pond Filter Types?

* Pressurized pond filters have over the last 10 years or so started to dominate the pond keeping market, particularly in the small to medium sized pond category, which is the category the vast majority of pond keepers fall into. The reason for the success is due to: their outstanding reliability; the compact, space saving design; the pressurized operation that allows the filter to be placed away from the pond, out of sight and the fact that the water leaving the filter is still under pressure which means that it can be used to supply a water feature or waterfall. Another major advantage is the inbuilt back flushing system which allows waste matter to be expelled from the filter, simply by pressing a button or turning a handle. This makes routine cleaning easier. The three best choices in my opinion are the Fishmate Powerclenz pressurized filter range, Hozelock Bioforce range and the Oase Filtoclear models. All three brands are supplied with excellent warranties (5 years with Oase) and have been engineered to keep running costs to a minimum. If you are looking to prevent green pond water then look at the integrated UV clarifier models.

* A gravity return filter, also known as a gravity discharge filter is probably what the vast majority of us think a pond filter looks like, if we were asked to describe one. These rectangular box type filters are still extremely popular, throughout the world, despite loosing some of their market share to the pressurized pond filter variety, over the last decade. The major advantages of this type of pond filtration system are the low initial purchase cost, the ease of installation, the availability of different models and because the design has been around for so long, most of the kinks have been ironed out. This submersible pump fed system relies on a pond pump to power pond water to the filter, where it is purified of debris and ammonia before flowing back into the pond under the influence of gravity. For this reason it needs to be positioned at the highest point of the pond. I would recommend the Fishmate gravity return filter because it is supplied as standard with Supra bio media (Alfagrog in the UK). This low cost filter media encourages large colonies of ammonia oxidizing bacteria to colonize, ensuring that ammonia is removed from the pond water quicker than it would be if plastic coils or lava rocks were used.

* Fluidized bed filters, more commonly known as bead filters are professional pond filtration systems aimed at pond owners with large ponds and large fish loads, particularly Koi. The secret to the effectiveness of a bead biofilter is the design; the biological chamber is home to upwards of 500,000 tiny beads that are suspended in water in a pressurized environment. The violent thrashing together of fresh water, oxygen, beads and ammonia (NH3) provides the best possible scenario for quickly and efficiently breaking down ammonia. There are some disadvantages however; they can be very expensive to purchase; the beads will after a period of time clump together in what is known as channeling. This reduces the effectiveness of the beads in oxidizing ammonia and will require a back flush to break up the solid mass of beads and pond waste. Occasionally some of the tiny beads break and become lodged in the internal laterals of the filter unit. In the USA the leading bead filter is the Aqua Ultima range by Aqua Ultraviolet. Other popular models are the Aquadyne range by Koi Camp Aquariology, the Aquabead and Biotek range by Grand Champion Technologies (GC Tek) and the Challenger and Econobead filters by Fluidart Technologies. Some of the models are supplied with a lifetime warranty.

* A gravity fed pond filter needs to be installed adjacent to the pond, and at the same level. Pond water is fed into the system via a bottom drain. This multi chamber filter incorporates a pump in the final chamber that forces water back into the pond under pressure, often via a venturi. As a result the pond surface will always be slightly higher than that in the filter, causing water to pass through to the filter via the bottom drain under gravity. This type of bio filter is tricky to install and is usually used in large Koi ponds. A vortex Koi filter is an example of such a system and is the preferred filtration system in the UK and in Japan, the ancestral home of Koi. The major advantage of a vortex filter is that waste matter is not able to come into contact with the nitrifying bacteria. This helps to ensure better pond water quality and less opportunity for heterotrophic bacteria to pollute the pond and cause fish diseases.

What Factors Affect Pond Filter Choice?

The choice of pond filter type is dependent in the most part upon the volume of water in your pond and the number and type of fish stocked. As a rule of thumb if you have a pond up to 1000 US gallons I would recommend either a gravity discharge filter or a pressurized pond filter, as the larger Koi pond filter systems would be far to expensive for your needs and would also be over kill. These larger Koi pond filters are better suited to use in large Koi ponds where there are large volumes of water, ammonia and solid waste matter. When looking at a particular brand, take a look at the manufacturers website where you will often be able to find downloadable user guides and installation manuals.

Retailers will often advertise big filter models for big ponds and smaller models for smaller ponds. On the whole this is a marketing ploy as it is not the size of the filter that influences its effectiveness! It is the size of the bacteria colony available to break down ammonia, along with the availability of oxygenated water allowed to mix with the bacteria. Remember that the single best way to improve biological pond filtration in gravity discharge filters and pressurized filters is to use a filter media with a high surface area, as this allows more nitrifying bacteria to colonize. It is a numbers game! The more bacteria available, the quicker ammonia will be broken down. In addition a biomedia with a higher surface area means that you will need less of it, which means that you physically need a smaller filter in which to store it. Supra pond filter media is an excellent low cost, porous product with a high surface area.


Pond Filter Selection - Your Garden Pond Deserves the Best

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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

FishMate Pond Pump Service Kit for Model 1500/2000

!: Catalog FishMate Pond Pump Service Kit for Model 1500/2000 quick

Brand : FishMate
Rate :
Price :
Post Date : Nov 01, 2011 12:48:27
N/A




This FishMate Service Kit fits the Model #277 and #278 (AN-278 & AN-279) Model 1500 & Model 2000 Pumps.

Includes:

  • Rear bearing
  • Impeller assembly
  • Magnetic rotor
  • Bearing gasket

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Use a Vortex Koi Filter With Japanese Matting For Superior Pond Filtration

!: Use a Vortex Koi Filter With Japanese Matting For Superior Pond Filtration

Why Is A Vortex Pond Filter And Japanese Matting So Successful?

A biological pond filter, no matter what shape or design is responsible for converting toxic ammonia into nitrate. The breakdown of ammonia requires plenty of oxygen, a filter media with a high specific surface area for nitrifying Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria to live on and last but not least turbulence. Turbulent conditions encourage maximum contact between ammonia, oxygen and the nitrifying bacteria, which in turn speeds up the rate at which ammonia is oxidized.

Vortex pond filters have been designed in such a way and when combined with Japanese matting are one of the best Koi pond filtration systems available. The home of Koi keeping and the foremost experts when it comes to this prized ornamental fish are the Japanese. In Japan, vortex filtration is used used extensively due its proven effectiveness, low maintenance and reliability.

How Does A Vortex Filter Work?

A vortex filter must be installed as the primary filtration system prior to pond water flowing into the biological chamber, housing the nitrifying bacteria. As pond water containing particulate matter such as leaves, fish excrement and decaying organic matter, from the bottom of the pond is pumped into the vortex chamber the swirling motion of the water causes the waste matter to fall to the bottom of the chamber. The settled matter is easily removed at a later stage by opening a purge valve. The major advantage of this filtration method is its ability to remove the vast majority of the waste matter before it has a chance to mix with the beneficial nitrifying bacteria living on the Japanese matting. This is beneficial in the following ways:

* Any unwanted heterotrophic bacteria, that causes water quality problems and fish health problems is removed from the water before it has a chance to contaminate the pond.

* The particulate matter does not have a chance to come into contact with the Japanese matting and is therefore unable to block the openings in the matting, resulting in the extremely large surface area being maintained.

I have in this article so far discussed the benefits of vortex filtration. There are however some disadvantages for the average pond keeper with a small to medium sized fish pond, up to 1000 gallons (US):

* They are designed for use in large ponds by Koi professionals and will probably be over kill for the majority of smaller fish ponds. For those pond keepers with smaller ponds I would suggest a pressurized pond filter from industry recognized manufacturers such Fishmate, Oase or Hozelock, as their pond keeping products are supplied with excellent warranties and have been designed to keep running costs to a minimum.

* They can be expensive to purchase and can be tricky to install. When installing a vortex filter it is important to choose a model that is correct for the size of the pump flow rate that you require. If you choose a model that is too small for the required pump flow rate then the water containing particulate matter will pass straight through to the next filtration stage. A bigger models has a longer retention time and therefore provides a much better opportunity for the solid waste to settle in the primary vortex chamber, where it can be easily removed.

Having said this if you compromise the health of you fish by using an inferior biofilter then you may wish that you had used a professional biofiltration system in the first place. Koi can be very expensive to replace and are susceptible to stress, unlike their hardier goldfish cousins.

If you are looking for the best Koi pond filtration system available then a vortex Koi filter and Japanese matting is the option that many professional Koi keepers choose. The design not only removes up to 80% of solids in the pond water but will also remove large quantities of ammonia quickly and easily.


Use a Vortex Koi Filter With Japanese Matting For Superior Pond Filtration

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Saturday, October 22, 2011

Fish Mate 2000 Submersible Pump

!: Used Fish Mate 2000 Submersible Pump discount

Brand : Fish Mate | Rate : | Price : $141.02
Post Date : Oct 22, 2011 09:51:50 | Usually ships in 24 hours


  • Solids handling capability up to 1/4-inch
  • Anti-clog intake design
  • Includes fountain set with 4 options
  • 2000 gph
  • 24 ft power cord

More Specification..!!

Fish Mate 2000 Submersible Pump

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Sunday, October 16, 2011

Fish Mate 3000 P-Uv with Powerclenz

!: Low Cost Fish Mate 3000 P-Uv with Powerclenz compare


Rate : | Price : $319.95 | Post Date : Oct 16, 2011 19:04:45
Usually ships in 24 hours

Pressurized Models offer the greatest installation versatility as they can be buried and installed above or below desired outlet levels, i.e. at the bottom of a waterfall. Fish Mate pressurized models feature a unique slim-line lid making the units inconspicuous when buried. A variety of models are available featuring Powerclenz - the patented automatic cleaning system whic enables the filter to be cleaned a the twist of a knob.

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Friday, April 22, 2011

Pond Filter Selection - Your Garden Pond Deserves the Best

!: Pond Filter Selection - Your Garden Pond Deserves the Best

Once you know the volume of water in your pond you can start to consider your options. A word of caution here! Please be aware that a US gallon is 3.7854 liters, whereas an Imperial gallon (UK gallon) is 4.54609 liters. This issue may need to be considered when you are looking at product specifications for imported products.

What Are The Most Common Pond Filter Types?

* Pressurized pond filters have over the last 10 years or so started to dominate the pond keeping market, particularly in the small to medium sized pond category, which is the category the vast majority of pond keepers fall into. The reason for the success is due to: their outstanding reliability; the compact, space saving design; the pressurized operation that allows the filter to be placed away from the pond, out of sight and the fact that the water leaving the filter is still under pressure which means that it can be used to supply a water feature or waterfall. Another major advantage is the inbuilt back flushing system which allows waste matter to be expelled from the filter, simply by pressing a button or turning a handle. This makes routine cleaning easier. The three best choices in my opinion are the Fishmate Powerclenz pressurized filter range, Hozelock Bioforce range and the Oase Filtoclear models. All three brands are supplied with excellent warranties (5 years with Oase) and have been engineered to keep running costs to a minimum. If you are looking to prevent green pond water then look at the integrated UV clarifier models.

* A gravity return filter, also known as a gravity discharge filter is probably what the vast majority of us think a pond filter looks like, if we were asked to describe one. These rectangular box type filters are still extremely popular, throughout the world, despite loosing some of their market share to the pressurized pond filter variety, over the last decade. The major advantages of this type of pond filtration system are the low initial purchase cost, the ease of installation, the availability of different models and because the design has been around for so long, most of the kinks have been ironed out. This submersible pump fed system relies on a pond pump to power pond water to the filter, where it is purified of debris and ammonia before flowing back into the pond under the influence of gravity. For this reason it needs to be positioned at the highest point of the pond. I would recommend the Fishmate gravity return filter because it is supplied as standard with Supra bio media (Alfagrog in the UK). This low cost filter media encourages large colonies of ammonia oxidizing bacteria to colonize, ensuring that ammonia is removed from the pond water quicker than it would be if plastic coils or lava rocks were used.

* Fluidized bed filters, more commonly known as bead filters are professional pond filtration systems aimed at pond owners with large ponds and large fish loads, particularly Koi. The secret to the effectiveness of a bead biofilter is the design; the biological chamber is home to upwards of 500,000 tiny beads that are suspended in water in a pressurized environment. The violent thrashing together of fresh water, oxygen, beads and ammonia (NH3) provides the best possible scenario for quickly and efficiently breaking down ammonia. There are some disadvantages however; they can be very expensive to purchase; the beads will after a period of time clump together in what is known as channeling. This reduces the effectiveness of the beads in oxidizing ammonia and will require a back flush to break up the solid mass of beads and pond waste. Occasionally some of the tiny beads break and become lodged in the internal laterals of the filter unit. In the USA the leading bead filter is the Aqua Ultima range by Aqua Ultraviolet. Other popular models are the Aquadyne range by Koi Camp Aquariology, the Aquabead and Biotek range by Grand Champion Technologies (GC Tek) and the Challenger and Econobead filters by Fluidart Technologies. Some of the models are supplied with a lifetime warranty.

* A gravity fed pond filter needs to be installed adjacent to the pond, and at the same level. Pond water is fed into the system via a bottom drain. This multi chamber filter incorporates a pump in the final chamber that forces water back into the pond under pressure, often via a venturi. As a result the pond surface will always be slightly higher than that in the filter, causing water to pass through to the filter via the bottom drain under gravity. This type of bio filter is tricky to install and is usually used in large Koi ponds. A vortex Koi filter is an example of such a system and is the preferred filtration system in the UK and in Japan, the ancestral home of Koi. The major advantage of a vortex filter is that waste matter is not able to come into contact with the nitrifying bacteria. This helps to ensure better pond water quality and less opportunity for heterotrophic bacteria to pollute the pond and cause fish diseases.

What Factors Affect Pond Filter Choice?

The choice of pond filter type is dependent in the most part upon the volume of water in your pond and the number and type of fish stocked. As a rule of thumb if you have a pond up to 1000 US gallons I would recommend either a gravity discharge filter or a pressurized pond filter, as the larger Koi pond filter systems would be far to expensive for your needs and would also be over kill. These larger Koi pond filters are better suited to use in large Koi ponds where there are large volumes of water, ammonia and solid waste matter. When looking at a particular brand, take a look at the manufacturers website where you will often be able to find downloadable user guides and installation manuals.

Retailers will often advertise big filter models for big ponds and smaller models for smaller ponds. On the whole this is a marketing ploy as it is not the size of the filter that influences its effectiveness! It is the size of the bacteria colony available to break down ammonia, along with the availability of oxygenated water allowed to mix with the bacteria. Remember that the single best way to improve biological pond filtration in gravity discharge filters and pressurized filters is to use a filter media with a high surface area, as this allows more nitrifying bacteria to colonize. It is a numbers game! The more bacteria available, the quicker ammonia will be broken down. In addition a biomedia with a higher surface area means that you will need less of it, which means that you physically need a smaller filter in which to store it. Supra pond filter media is an excellent low cost, porous product with a high surface area.


Pond Filter Selection - Your Garden Pond Deserves the Best

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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Fish Mate Foam Replacement Filter 6000/9000

!: Comparison Fish Mate Foam Replacement Filter 6000/9000 Buy Now

Brand : Fish Mate | Rate : | Price :
Post Date : Apr 11, 2011 05:44:38 | Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Change out the foam in your Fish Mate Pond Filter to keep your ponds crystal clear and algae free. Also includes piston and brush.

  • Includes filter foam, piston and brush
  • For use with Fish Mate 6000/9000 PUV Pond Filters

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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Use a Vortex Koi Filter With Japanese Matting For Superior Pond Filtration

!: Use a Vortex Koi Filter With Japanese Matting For Superior Pond Filtration

Why Is A Vortex Pond Filter And Japanese Matting So Successful?

A biological pond filter, no matter what shape or design is responsible for converting toxic ammonia into nitrate. The breakdown of ammonia requires plenty of oxygen, a filter media with a high specific surface area for nitrifying Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria to live on and last but not least turbulence. Turbulent conditions encourage maximum contact between ammonia, oxygen and the nitrifying bacteria, which in turn speeds up the rate at which ammonia is oxidized.

Vortex pond filters have been designed in such a way and when combined with Japanese matting are one of the best Koi pond filtration systems available. The home of Koi keeping and the foremost experts when it comes to this prized ornamental fish are the Japanese. In Japan, vortex filtration is used used extensively due its proven effectiveness, low maintenance and reliability.

How Does A Vortex Filter Work?

A vortex filter must be installed as the primary filtration system prior to pond water flowing into the biological chamber, housing the nitrifying bacteria. As pond water containing particulate matter such as leaves, fish excrement and decaying organic matter, from the bottom of the pond is pumped into the vortex chamber the swirling motion of the water causes the waste matter to fall to the bottom of the chamber. The settled matter is easily removed at a later stage by opening a purge valve. The major advantage of this filtration method is its ability to remove the vast majority of the waste matter before it has a chance to mix with the beneficial nitrifying bacteria living on the Japanese matting. This is beneficial in the following ways:

* Any unwanted heterotrophic bacteria, that causes water quality problems and fish health problems is removed from the water before it has a chance to contaminate the pond.

* The particulate matter does not have a chance to come into contact with the Japanese matting and is therefore unable to block the openings in the matting, resulting in the extremely large surface area being maintained.

I have in this article so far discussed the benefits of vortex filtration. There are however some disadvantages for the average pond keeper with a small to medium sized fish pond, up to 1000 gallons (US):

* They are designed for use in large ponds by Koi professionals and will probably be over kill for the majority of smaller fish ponds. For those pond keepers with smaller ponds I would suggest a pressurized pond filter from industry recognized manufacturers such Fishmate, Oase or Hozelock, as their pond keeping products are supplied with excellent warranties and have been designed to keep running costs to a minimum.

* They can be expensive to purchase and can be tricky to install. When installing a vortex filter it is important to choose a model that is correct for the size of the pump flow rate that you require. If you choose a model that is too small for the required pump flow rate then the water containing particulate matter will pass straight through to the next filtration stage. A bigger models has a longer retention time and therefore provides a much better opportunity for the solid waste to settle in the primary vortex chamber, where it can be easily removed.

Having said this if you compromise the health of you fish by using an inferior biofilter then you may wish that you had used a professional biofiltration system in the first place. Koi can be very expensive to replace and are susceptible to stress, unlike their hardier goldfish cousins.

If you are looking for the best Koi pond filtration system available then a vortex Koi filter and Japanese matting is the option that many professional Koi keepers choose. The design not only removes up to 80% of solids in the pond water but will also remove large quantities of ammonia quickly and easily.


Use a Vortex Koi Filter With Japanese Matting For Superior Pond Filtration

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Monday, March 21, 2011

Choosing the Right Koi Filter

!: Choosing the Right Koi Filter

Hey, there. It may interest you to know that it is extremely important when raising Koi that they get the correct Koi filter system in their pond. This is because Koi can be more sensitive to the water than most other fish you might come across. So it is important that they get good clean water and that you get a good filter for your Koi.

The main advantage of a good pond filter is that it will get rid of and filter out all the bad chemicals, waste or anything that may harm your Koi or other life from the pond. It may interest you to know that in the wild Koi have much more space so the waste is filtered out naturally but in the pond the waste will just build up and overload if you dont have a good filter.

It may interest you to know that there are two types of filters. The first type is the sort that sucks up all of the bad particles and stores them up into a Storage department so the owner can then come and clean it out.

The 2nd filter method which is good is to put pond cleaner in the pond, this is not harmful in any way to your fish and will help clean out all of the bacteria, algae and particles that will fester up the pond if you don't get rid of them.

When it comes to choosing the size of the filter you need I am sure you know that large ponds will need a larger filter than a smaller pond. Most people won't need a large filter and a normal sized one will do.

It's exciting to know that a great way of filtering your pond as an extra help is to add a waterfall or a fountain. This will keep a flow of oxygen going through the pond which you Koi will love and it will help to filter the pond slightly. Fountains will look nice in your pond as well as keep the pond thriving with life.

In conclusion to this article on your Koi filter just remember to get the right sized filter, think about using pond cleaner and think about getting a water fountain or something and before you know it you will have a great filtered pond where your Koi are just as happy as you are to have them.


Choosing the Right Koi Filter

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