Choosing the Right Koi Filter for Happy Koi Fish
When raising Koi fish, it is very important to have an appropriate Koi filter in place in your pond. As Koi fish are particularly sensitive to their watery surroundings, careful thought is needed when buying your choice of Koi pond filters. Koi pond filtration is the process of removing waste products and other harmful substances from the Koi pond. This is a basic requirement if you want to keep your Koi for a long time. Without filtration, several things can happen: 1. The pond will turn green. 2. Parasites and other harmful creatures will form and easily spread from one fish to another. 3. Water in the pond will become foul-smelling and unsightly, and will be deadly to the fish. Just like planning for aeration, planning for the proper Koi pond filter is also important. A poorly set-up filtration system can damage the whole project if it fails in a crucial moment. You can lose your most valuable specimens this way. Some Koi experts recommend a Koi pond filter volume of not less that 33% of the total pond water volume. Therefore, a 3,000 gallon pond should have a filter capable of handling 1,000 gallons of pond water at any given time. At the very least, it should not be less than 10%. There are two types of pumps available: 1. Submersible Recommended for small ponds and waterfalls because of their unobtrusiveness and silence. 2. Re-circulating Recommended for large ponds because of their efficiency and long life span.
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Choosing the Right Koi Filter for Happy Koi Fish | www.KoiFiltersOnline.com
Any pond filtration system usually has two stages for mechanical filtering and another two for biological filtration. Mechanical filtration Consists of trapping the wastes and debris in the water physically. The most commonly used materials are sand, beads, pads and brushes. Biological filtration This system employs a natural biological process to convert the harmful wastes into less invasive compounds. Koi excrete ammonia, which in large doses are deadly to themselves. Certain anaerobic bacteria convert ammonia into nitrites, which are also noxious to Koi. There are, however, good aerobic bacteria that convert nitrites into nitrates, which are benign to Koi. These good bacteria are also known as nitrifying bacteria. Apart from these two Koi pond filter systems, there is also the bottom drain where dirty water is sucked out by a pump for transfer to filter chambers. It should be located in the deepest part of the pond bottom. A pond with no bottom drain will need to be cleaned frequently. Aeration A Koi pond needs aeration to keep it and the Koi healthy. Fish need oxygen to survive. They breathe the oxygen dissolved in the water. Lack of it will result in the death of your Koi. You need to get that needed oxygen into the water. To do this you need a system for aeration.
Waterfall over a large koi pond http://www.flickr.com/photos/76376176@N00 /37689204/
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Choosing the Right Koi Filter for Happy Koi Fish | www.KoiFiltersOnline.com
There are two factors that affect the amount of oxygen in the water: 1. Algae growth which depletes oxygen level 2. Too many fish for the size of the pond. Either situation requires oxygen supplementation. One way to aerate the pond is to add a waterfall. Besides being pleasant to hear and to look at, the splashing of the water also increases its oxygen content. There are bubbling devices like airstones and rings that you can use if constructing a waterfall is not possible. An air pump is needed to use these devices. These are especially useful in aerating the bottom of the pool that is farthest from the surface and receives less oxygen. Zelma Griffin has been an avid Koi fish enthusiast for many years. As the editor of www.KoiFiltersOnline.com, Zelma is creating a center of advice and guidance on Koi pond filters and other Koi pond equipment. Please take a moment to visit the site.
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Choosing the Right Koi Filter for Happy Koi Fish | www.KoiFiltersOnline.com