May 10, 2021

Get to Know Your Pond: Filters & Filtration

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This is the second topic in our series, "Get to Know Your Pond." We’re taking a deep dive into the key components that make up healthy water features. Check out our basins post, too.

Learn About Pond Filtration

At Good Earth Water Gardens, we create and maintain ecosystem ponds. These ponds are constructed using filtration methods that mimic Mother Nature. These ecosystems keep water clear, fish healthy, and maintenance minimal. Plus, all the filtration components are disguised within the water feature. So, there’s no need to hide unsightly equipment.

Ecosystem ponds have two main types of filtration, plus a bonus that acts as clean water insurance. Here’s what you need to know:

Biological Pond Filter

The biological filter is a home base for beneficial bacteria. These bacteria are effective in removing ammonia, nitrogen, fish waste, and plant debris. Left unchecked, these materials can cause issues with water quality and hurt fish. We like the Aquascape BioFalls Filter. At Good Earth Water Gardens, we use Aquascape products exclusively. Aquascape is the industry leader in water feature components and their quality and warranties can’t be beat. The BioFalls filter has a unique design. Water from the pump enters the swirl chamber at the bottom of the filter. From there, the water rises through two filters:

Biological filter mat: This textured mat has lots of surface area for bacteria to colonize on.
BioBalls: These specially designed balls are 1 ½” in diameter, but they offer 19” of surface area where beneficial bacteria can live.

The problem with most biological filters is their appearance. Let’s face it: most are ugly and difficult to incorporate into a pond landscape. However, the BioFalls can be hidden in the ground to start a stream or positioned higher to begin a waterfall. It’s easy to camouflage the filter with plants and stones to make it the blend into your landscape. The BioFalls Filter is durable and low maintenance, too.

Mechanical Pond Filter

The BioFalls works especially well when paired with a mechanical filter called a skimmer. This component removes most of the larger gunk from pond water: leaves, grass, and larger objects that could decompose in the water. The skimmer grabs this stuff before it even reaches the BioFalls. Together, the skimmer and BioFalls are a dynamic duo that produce high-quality pond water. Skimmers are buried in the ground and are designed to be used with a pump (or two). The skimmer is made up of two components:

A basket, which catches debris. The skimmer basket is easy to remove so that you can empty it of any collected waste.
A filter mat, which removes smaller dirt and debris. Rinse the mat down periodically to keep the filter running like a champ.

Aquascape skimmers can be buried on the edge of your pond. Like BioFalls, they’re easy to camouflage. And all Aquascape skimmers come with a lifetime warranty.

Automatic Dosing System

We recommend adding beneficial bacteria to any water feature. The easiest way to do this with a pond is with the Aquascape Automatic Dosing System. It adds the proper amount of water treatment at just the right time – so you don’t have to worry about it. There are four types of pond water treatment:

Maintain for Ponds: We always recommend this treatment, alone or in conjunction with the other, specialized treatments. Maintain for Ponds contains lithotrophic, heterotrophic, and photosynthetic strains of beneficial bacteria. It also includes a flocculate to address hard water, a detoxifier to make it safe for plants and fish, and a phosphate binder to help prevent water quality problems.
Clean for Ponds: This treatment addresses sludge buildup. It breaks down and reduces organic matter like fish waste, plant debris, and uneaten plant food. Clean for Ponds makes it easier to wash your filter mats and helps clean in hard-to-reach places like between rocks and gravel.
Clear for Ponds: If you have water-quality issues in your pond, this is the treatment for you. It addresses suspended debris and discolored water. And it includes a phosphate binder to prevent future water quality issues.
Protect for Ponds: This treatment protects fish with tea tree oil and other plant-based products. It helps heal scrapes, cuts, and breeding abrasions. Protect for Ponds also protects from disease and stress, so it’s great to use after cleanouts or handling your fish. You can use it with other treatments, too.

The great thing about the Aquascape Automatic Dosing System is that you can easily switch between treatments. Just seal the bags of unused treatment and store them for later use.

Low-maintenance Pond Filtration

All of these factors create an ecosystem that keeps your pond healthy and beautiful – with very little maintenance. If you’re ready to create the pond of your dreams or if you need help adjusting the one you have, Good Earth Water Gardens is here to help. Email us or give us a call at (816) 720-7577.

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