Any fish hobbyist would know that water filter is a vital equipment to ensure clean and healthy water for your fish.
Hence, people who are interested in maintaining a Koi garden need to get a Koi filter installed in their pond to keep the pond free of debris and other dirt.
Installing a Koi filter becomes all the more vital since generally Koi ponds are situated outdoors.
Fish excreta contain a lot of ammonia.
As a result if you don't have a Koi filter in your pond, the water will start smelling and even develop a green appearance.
This will lead to the built up of toxic nitrates.
As a result within no time you would notice a lot of debris and other substance floating on the pond surface like sticks, leaver, rotten fish food and even dead insects.
This toxic built up may even kill your Koi fish! Hence, it's essential to install a filter in your garden pond.
Koi filters function has two components which are mechanical and biological.
The debris and other pollutants are removed physically by the mechanical filtration.
The ammonia and nitrates are taken care of by the biological filtration which converts them into harmless by products.
Hence both kinds of filtration actually aid in enhancing the cleanliness of your Koi pond thus ensuring the health of your Koi.
Sand, beads and pads aid in mechanical filtration.
These components trap the dirt and other foreign particles so that they are not circulated in the pond.
However, to ensure optimum filtration, a water pump plays an important role as well.
According to the experts a good water pump can take care of about 33% of the total water capacity of a Koi pond.
According to the size of the pond, you can either get a re-circulating pump or a submersible pump.
Generally re-circulating pumps are more durable and powerful but noisy, hence work well in large ponds where the water flow can take care of the noise.
The biological aspect of filtration is quite a complex affair as compared to the mechanical aspect.
The waste eliminated by the fish includes ammonia.
When the bacteria present in the pond act on this ammonia, it is converted into nitrates.
Though nitrates are harmful to the fish, due to the presence of the anaerobic bacteria present in the biological filter are converted into harmless nitrites.
A good Koi filter will ensure the health and a longer life span for your Koi.
Another way to ensure the cleanliness of your Koi pond is to build a drainage whole in the lowest portion of the pond.
This will ensure that the pump is able to suck out the dirt which can be collected by the filter chambers.
This can help your Koi filter to work efficiently.
You can also include an aerator which ensures the optimum supply of oxygen in your Koi pond.
Hence your Koi filter accompanied by an aerator and pump can give your fish a beautiful pond that can make ensure their health and longevity.
Moreover, it can give a relaxing pastime that can take away all your stresses while adding to the health of your garden.