"Why do I need a filtration system for my pond?"

If you did not hoover your house, what would happen? Over time, dust and dirt would build up eventually covering the carpets, encouraging germs to breed and create a potentially unhealthy environment. The same occurs in ponds. Not only to the fish need to excrete (harmful chemicals), but aquatic life dies and decays, leaves and debris fall into the pond from it's surrounds, dust falls in from the air and in summer, algae and be rife due to sunlight.

Filtration units act like the dust bag of your hoover. The pond pump passes the visible (particulate) dirt and invisible (chemicals - ammonia and nitrates) dirt that accumulates in the pond through the filter and optional UVC and the dirt is removed by being trapped in the filter medium. There are two main types of filter - gravity flow filters and pressurised filters. Gravity flow ones are, in layman's terms, the old fashioned ugly box that sits on the side of the pond. Pressurised filters however can be buried up to their necks and be located pretty much where you like, discretely out of the way. The important part of filtering your water is to keep the filters cleaned regularly!

An ideal depth for your pond is around three feet. This allows the fish to hibernate in deeper, warmer water during winter months. Unfortunately, some of the ponds we have attended in the past (without filtration systems) have suffered from most of this depth being taken up by debris. Below are some examples of dirty ponds.