Pond Maintenance: Water Filtration And Circulation
When it comes to pond maintenance, choosing the right filter, pump, and liner is absolutely essential in order to maintain healthy water. Not only does the right filter and pump system help to keep water clean but it also ensures proper water movement and circulation and prevents stagnation, which can lead to bacterial growth and cloudy water. Similarly, choosing the right liner, specifically an EPDM liner, helps to prevent leaks and maintain overall pond health.
Choosing A Water Pump
A water pump can be highly beneficial to a pond and is an integral part of pond maintenance, ensuring an oxygen rich environment and helping to facilitate water circulation. If you plan on using a water pump, keep in mind that the general rule of thumb is that pond water should be entirely circulated at least once every two hours. So, if you have a 200-gallon pond, you need a pump capable of generating a minimum flow of 100 gallons per an hour. If you have a 1000-gallon pond you will need a pump capable of generating a minimum flow of 500 gallons for an hour. Ultimately, the larger the pond the larger the pump required. And for optimal pond health, it is generally a good idea to buy a larger pump than is required.
Choosing A Filtration System
Like a pump, a filtration system is an important part of proper pond maintenance. There are essentially three types of pond filtration systems: biological filtration, mechanical filtration, and chemical filtration. In a mechanical filtration system, water is pushed through some kind of mechanical apparatus that collects dirt and debris in order to maintain clear, clean water.
A biological filtration system relies on beneficial bacteria to breakdown harmful toxins. A biological filtration system can be especially beneficial in pond maintenance of a pond where there are fish, helping to breakdown waste generated by the fish, such as ammonia. In contrast, chemical filtration systems rely on chemical additives to control the quality of the pond water. However, if you plan on relying on chemical filtration system for your pond maintenance, be wary, especially if you plan on keeping fish. Before adding any kind of chemical to your pond water it is important to make sure that it is fish friendly. Many chemicals, such as chlorine, can seriously harm and even kill fish.
Choosing A Liner
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, you need to choose the right pond liner. Choosing the right liner helps to prevent leaks, which can have catastrophic implications on your pond’s health. Ideally, you will want to choose an EPDM pond liner, such as the PondPro liner. Impervious to UV-rays, 100% waterproof, and resistant to extreme temperature fluctuations EPDM is incredibly durable and has an incredibly long lifespan.
Furthermore, an EPDM PondPro liner will help to maintain the water quality of your pond. An EPDM PondPro liner will not crack, flake, or peel in anyway and will therefore not contaminate your water. In addition, EPDM is an inert substance and does not give off any kind of toxic material. Therefore, it is perfectly safe for plants and animals, making it an ideal liner.
