Every Garden Pond Needs A Pump and Filter Including an UVC for Algae Control
Every fish pond needs some basic well specified low maintenance products if the pond is to remain a pleasure and not a hassle....
There are numerous types of ponds that can be essentially split into the following categories: above ground, below ground, made from flexible rubber or PVC liner or preformed glassfibre ponds. For larger ponds concrete is often used.
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The Pump ... is the heart and soul of a pond. The pump circulates water through the pond filter so that it can be purified. Fish in a pond automatically contaminate the water and unless a biofilter runs 24/7 the pollutants build up to excessive levels that cause great stress to pond fish and ultimately death through poisoning. The pump, indirectly, via waterfalls and fountains is also responsible for adding oxygen to the pond water replacing that consumed by living creatures and plants in the pond.
The Pond Filter or bio filter ... this is a unit through which pond water is continuously pumped. Dirty water goes into the one end, passes through filter media such as foam, brushes and solid or plastic components and the purified water comes out the other end. Modern filters operate under pressure such as the Hozelock Bioforce but such a filter is not at all essential. Many filters consist of a basic black box with plastic and foam components inside. What's important is to get enough biomedia into the box to generate large colonies of bacteria needed to clean the pond water.
The UVC or ultra violet light is best incorporated into the filter for ease of maintenance and operation but it can also be a totally separate unit. An UVC unit consists of a low wattage ultra violet light source inside a plastic tube arrangement normally. Pond water is pumped through the UV unit in close proximity to the UV lamp and the radiation from the lamp kills any algae suspended in the flowing water. In this way pond water stays clear and does not go green and murky.
Plants are an important component for any pond ... they offer shade to fish, and improve the aesthetics of any pond. Plants also play a vital role in keeping pond water clean and healthy.
The easiest way to start pond keeping is to buy a kit. You can choose from a variety offered by Bradshaws:
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