FILTERS
Pond and fountain water is cleaned and maintained using a filter. Filters mechanically remove particles from the water by trapping them in filter pads or using other media. This is done biologically by converting ammonia to nitrites and then to nitrates. Aquatic plants will then consume the nitrates. A meditation pond needs to have a pleasing odor. It is much easier to enter a meditative state in comfort than to have some foul, non-filtered water stagnating. With the increased attention paid to meditation, yoga, and relxation, it pays to take this into consideration.
An external pond or fountain filter will work best when compared to a submersed filter. They receive needed oxygen for nitrifying the bacteria. Without bio-filtration, the ammonia level will often become too concentrated and unhealthy to support your fish.
Bio Filters provide all three types of filtration in ponds up to 2,400 gallons. Bio Filters, give the best bio-activity compared to submersed filters.
External filters allow oxygen to feed the beneficial bacteria that adhere to other choices of bio-media such as the popular Bio Balls.
TREATMENTS FOR FOUNTAINS AND PONDS
Treatments purify ponds and remove harmful agents of different kinds.
A tap water treatment, also known as a conditioner removes the chlorine from your water so that this does not become harmful to your fish.
Algae Pads – Four way action pond pad used to clear pond Algae. Algae Pads works four times better than Barley Straw and clears most ponds in four days. Algae Pads offer environmental, biological, chemical and mechanical control on over 80% of all known Algae species. This treatment can be used directly in your pond or preferably in external biological box filters.
Among other good treatments:
Pond & Fountains Start – this stimulates the natural protective slime coat on your pond fish and neutralizes chlorine, copper and other heavy metals present in tap water. Stops chloride shock and reduces stress in ornamental fish.
Pond & Fountains Water Clear – clears suspended clays and silts in new ponds within a few hours. Also removes discoloration and wastes in ornamental fish ponds.
Clear Zyme Block – this treatment has billions of beneficial bacteria and enzymes that quickly break down waste which are caused by uneaten food, fish waste, decaying plants and dead algae. Ideal for setup of a new pond, and spring start up or fall shutdown of established ponds. Helps to maintain a natural biological balance.
PONDS AND FOUNTAINS: PUMPS
Pond and fountain pumps are re-circulating, and most often submersible pumps that power your Pond Filters. Pond pumps should be chosen with care. Pond pumps run continuously and so must be energy efficient and durable. A magnetic drive pond pump is considered a good investment as they are energy efficient, compact and durable. Pond pumps are rated by the gallons per hour (gph) or per minute (gpm) produced at various heights. Your pond pump should be able to circulate at least half of the volume of pond water every hour. When your fountain filter will be powered with the pump, then the height and width of the flow rate of the pond filter must be taken into consideration. When a very high or powerful waterfall is desired, it is best to power the pond filter and the waterfall with separate pumps. A pond pump powerful enough for a large waterfall may be too much for the pond filter.
OXYGENATING DEVICES
Providing sufficient oxygen for your pond fish to breath should be a critical concern to successful pond enjoyment. Your primary concern will be transferring pure oxygen gas into fountain water and this is called the process of oxygenation. The respiration of fish and bacteria in the biofilter will deplete oxygen supply very quickly and that is why you need to replace it very quickly using an oxygenation device for your pond.
A system that is designed to transfer pure oxygen into water is made up of the following: a source of oxygen enriched gas, a control unit able to regulate gas flow and equipment to transfer the oxygen into the water.
Fountain Oxygenation Devices are designed to maximize both absorption efficiency and transfer energy costs. Some examples of Oxygenation Devices are: u-tubes, pressurized spray towers, down flow bubble contractors, side-stream oxygen injectors, pressurized packed columns, and multi-stage, low-head oxygenators.
