Choosing the Right Koi Filter for Happy Koi Fish
When raising Koi fish, it is very important to have an appropriate Koi
filter in place in your pond. As Koi fish are particularly sensitive to their
watery surroundings, careful thought is needed when buying your choice
of Koi pond filters.
Koi pond filtration is the process of removing waste products and other
harmful substances from the Koi pond. This is a basic requirement if you
want to keep your Koi for a long time. Without filtration, several things
can happen:
1. The pond will turn green.
2. Parasites and other harmful creatures will form and easily
spread from one fish to another.
3. Water in the pond will become foul-smelling and unsightly, and
will be deadly to the fish.
Just like planning for aeration, planning for the proper Koi pond filter is
also important. A poorly set-up filtration system can damage the whole
project if it fails in a crucial moment. You can lose your most valuable
specimens this way.
Some Koi experts recommend a Koi pond filter volume of not less that
33% of the total pond water volume. Therefore, a 3,000 gallon pond
should have a filter capable of handling 1,000 gallons of pond water at
any given time. At the very least, it should not be less than 10%.
There are two types of pumps available:
1. Submersible Recommended for small ponds and waterfalls
because of their unobtrusiveness and silence.
2. Re-circulating Recommended for large ponds because of
their efficiency and long life span.
Choosing the Right Koi Filter for Happy Koi Fish | www.KoiFiltersOnline.com
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Any pond filtration system usually has two stages for mechanical filtering
and another two for biological filtration.
Mechanical filtration Consists of trapping the wastes and debris in the
water physically. The most commonly used materials are sand, beads,
pads and brushes.
Biological filtration This system employs a natural biological process to
convert the harmful wastes into less invasive compounds. Koi excrete
ammonia, which in large doses are deadly to themselves. Certain
anaerobic bacteria convert ammonia into nitrites, which are also noxious
to Koi. There are, however, good aerobic bacteria that convert nitrites
into nitrates, which are benign to Koi. These good bacteria are also
known as nitrifying bacteria.
Apart from these two Koi pond filter systems, there is also the bottom
drain where dirty water is sucked out by a pump for transfer to filter
chambers. It should be located in the deepest part of the pond bottom.
A pond with no bottom drain will need to be cleaned frequently.
Aeration
A Koi pond needs aeration
to keep it and the Koi
healthy. Fish need oxygen to
survive. They breathe the
oxygen dissolved in the
water. Lack of it will result
in the death of your Koi.
You need to get that needed
oxygen into the water. To
do this you need a system
for aeration.
Waterfall over a large koi pond
http://www.flickr.com/photos/76376176@N00
/37689204/
Choosing the Right Koi Filter for Happy Koi Fish | www.KoiFiltersOnline.com
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There are two factors that affect the amount of oxygen in the water:
1. Algae growth which depletes oxygen level
2. Too many fish for the size of the pond.
Either situation requires oxygen supplementation.
One way to aerate the pond is to add a waterfall. Besides being pleasant
to hear and to look at, the splashing of the water also increases its
oxygen content.
There are bubbling devices like airstones and rings that you can use if
constructing a waterfall is not possible. An air pump is needed to use
these devices. These are especially useful in aerating the bottom of the
pool that is farthest from the surface and receives less oxygen.
Zelma Griffin has been an avid Koi fish enthusiast for many years. As the
editor of www.KoiFiltersOnline.com, Zelma is creating a center of advice
and guidance on Koi pond filters and other Koi pond equipment. Please
take a moment to visit the site.
Choosing the Right Koi Filter for Happy Koi Fish | www.KoiFiltersOnline.com
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