Essential pond equipment
Q. Why do I need a pump and filter in my pond?
Investing in Your Fishes’ Future
One of the most important decisions you will make when setting up your pond is what equipment to put in it.
These are three basic pieces of ‘essential’ pond equipment.
1. Pump: Essential for water movement and for the use of any other equipment.
2. UV Clarifier: To prevent green water and enable you to have a clear pond.
3. Filter: Essential for removing pollutants and maintaining water quality.
Failure to get this right will potentially result in water quality problems, and consequently this will lead to unhealthy fish.
In order to provide an environment that is suitable for fish, a number of water quality parameters have to be met. Fortunately,Tetra produce a range of pond equipment that is specifically designed to maintain these water quality parameters, and therefore keep your fish healthy and happy. Getting the right equipment will ensure that your pond runs smoothly and efficiently, making it more enjoyable and stress free for you.
Pumps
The pump is essential if there is to be any water movement in the pond. In essence it can be thought of as the “heart” of the pond system, and as such is perhaps the most important piece of equipment.There are many different types and sizes of pump, and so it is important to carefully decide which one you need. Tetra’s range of pond pumps are designed for a wide range of situations, and are clearly packaged to allow you to select the right model.There are a number of decisions to make that will affect the size of pump that you need. It is beyond the scope of this leaflet to run through every scenario, but it is vital to know what determines pump requirements, so that your dealer can give you the best advice.
- Fountains: Not only attractive to look at, but they also help to aerate the water by splashing its surface and increasing the area over which oxygen can diffuse into it. Tetra’s range of FPX and CPX pumps come with all the necessary attachments for making an attractive fountain display.When selecting a pump, you must bear in mind how large a fountain you want. Ideally, the maximum height of the fountain should be half the width of the pond, in order to prevent water being blown out of it.
- Waterfalls: Particularly attractive addition to the pond, as well as being extremely good at re-oxygenating the water. They do, however, require a reasonable amount of water to make them look effective.As a rough rule of thumb, for every cm width of water you need approximately 90 –180 litres per hour (50 –100 Gals per hour for every inch width), depending on how bold a flow you require. For instance, if you wanted to have a waterfall that was 30cm (12in) wide, you would need a pump that could produce 2700 l.p.h. (600 Gals) for a gentle trickle of water, or 5450 1.p.h. (1200 Gals) for a strong flow. It is always best to slightly over-size the pump in order to allow room for error, remember you can always reduce the flow rate, but you can’t turn it up
- System Head: Another important point to bear in mind is the height to which water is being pumped. This relates to the distance between the surface of the pond and the maximum height to which the water is being pumped, and is also termed the system “head”. The greater the head, the more powerful a pump you will need. Once you know the system head and the required flow rate, you can then select a pump based on this information. If you want a waterfall as well as a fountain then you will need to go for a bigger pump in order to do this.
Tetra’s OFX pumps have been specially researched and developed to provide constant water flow rates to waterfalls and filters.They can handle large debris without becoming clogged and therefore will run for long periods with virtually no maintenance.They are ideally suited to running waterfall displays, where maximum effect with minimal maintenance is required.
- Filter and UV Clarifier: It is also important to match pump flow rates to any other equipment. Putting too much or too little water through a filter system can affect its performance.Therefore, you need to check the recommended flow rates on equipment, before purchasing it.
Even if you are not sure which pump you need, having the necessary information about what you want it to do, will help your supplier to accurately select a suitable model. If in doubt, always opt for a bigger model than you need in order to allow you a margin of error. It is strongly recommended that you seek the advice of the water gardening expert at this store before selecting a pond pump.
Care of your Pump
In order to keep your pump running smoothly for a long period of time, you must take care of it.The type of pump you have will determine what you have to do to look after it. Tetra’s FPX and CPX pumps should be cleaned as needed, and the impeller should be checked and also cleaned if it has become dirty or covered in limescale.The OFX pumps will require virtually no maintenance. Occasionally they should be checked for limescale build-up, and this should be removed if necessary.
In the winter, pumps can be kept running, providing there is no danger of them becoming iced up. If there is, they should be removed, cleaned, and stored in a frost-free location. The pump should ideally be placed on one of the pond shelves during the winter, as this will minimise disturbance to the fish that will be resting at the bottom in warmer water.
Filter
The filter is an essential part of the pond set-up, as it removes solid waste and ammonia from the water.Without it, there is no efficient and reliable way of maintaining the water quality in your pond. It is therefore unkind to keep fish in a pond without adequate filtration. It is important, therefore, to have an understanding of how a filter does its job, and how to look after it.
How Filters Work
In traditional gravity-fed filters, water is pumped into the top and then allowed to run down through the filter.This relies on gravity, and therefore these filters have to be at the highest point in the system - usually above a waterfall. Modern pressurised filters, like the TetraPond PFX, are easier to conceal and can in fact be partially buried.This is because water is forced through them under pressure, so it can continue to move upwards on exiting the filter. Solid waste is sieved out of the water as it passes through the filter’s foam sponges. These can then be easily removed from the filter and cleaned. Toxic ammonia is removed by special bacteria that live in the filter - either in the sponges, or in separate 'biological media'.TetraPond PFX filters have separate biological media for increased efficiency. This should be washed in pond water as needed, and never under the tap. If you have a filter that only contains foams, these must also be washed in pond water.
Starting Your Filter
Before the filter can efficiently remove ammonia and nitrite from the pond water, it must first become fully colonised with nitrifying bacteria.This can take some time and is a process known as filter “maturation”.
Each time a fish is put in the pond it will add to the total amount of ammonia being produced.The ammonia level will therefore increase slightly. Because there is more ammonia for the bacteria to utilise, they start to multiply until there are enough to use all of the ammonia being produced. The ammonia level will then fall back to zero.As the ammonia level falls, the amount of nitrite produced by the bacteria will start to increase.Therefore, the level of nitrite in the pond will rise.The increasing nitrite level means that the bacteria that break it down can start to multiply until, as with the ammonia, there are enough to use up all the nitrite that is being produced.The nitrite level can then fall to zero.As this occurs, the nitrate level increases.
In order to avoid dangerous peaks in ammonia and nitrite levels, the pond should be stocked slowly, allowing the filter to “catch up” with each new addition of fish.As a general rule, a few fish should be added every one to two weeks. Once the pond is fully stocked, the ammonia and nitrite levels should remain permanently at zero.
It can be very useful to have a couple of test kits during the initial stages of getting the filter going.Tetra produce kits for testing levels of ammonia and nitrite, which are easy and quick to use. By testing, you will know if the ammonia or nitrite is getting to dangerous levels, and be able to take remedial action before any damage is done.The best way to decrease levels is to dilute them by doing a partial water change, using tap water conditioned with TetraPond AquaSafe.
Keeping your Filter Running Efficiently
Depending on how much waste is being produced in your pond, you will from time to time need to clean the media inside your filter.
The filter foams can be removed and sprayed clean with the hosepipe, taking care not to get any water onto the biological media. This is the media (usually plastic ‘rings’) that beneficial bacteria live on.The biological media should only be cleaned if it needs it (i.e. if it is has solid waste on it), and this should be done in a bucket of pond water. Under no circumstances should you clean the biological media using water from the hose.The low temperature and chlorine content will kill off the nitrifying bacteria, leading to severe water quality problems.
Ultraviolet Clarifiers
Ultraviolet clarifiers are designed to prevent green water forming in the pond.They work by killing the algae responsible for green water, allowing it to clump together so that it can be sieved out by the filter. Once in operation, they will keep the pond clear, so that you can observe your fish easily and enjoy your pond more.They also prevent imbalances in water quality that can be caused by green water (see the ‘Curing Green Water and Blanketweed’ leaflet). TetraPond ultraviolet clarifiers have been designed to efficiently remove green water from the pond, and stop it reoccurring.
Getting the most from your UVC
In order to keep your UVC working efficiently the bulb should be replaced approximately every 8000 hours (around once a year).The best time to do this is in early spring/late winter, before the algae starts to grow again after the winter. The quartz sleeve should also be kept clean using a soft cloth, as a build up of limescale will cut down the amount of light that hits the water. Sizing your unit carefully is very important, as the effectiveness of the ultraviolet light is dependent on its contact time with the water. Flow rates that are significantly above or below recommended values will reduce the efficiency of the unit. TetraPond UVCs are clearly labelled, allowing them to be easily matched to your pump and filter system.
Installing the correct equipment from the start will ensure that your pond provides an environment which will keep your fish healthy and happy.
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