What Does A Koi Filter Do?

So...how does koi pond filtration work? There are several aspects to koi filtation and different types of koi pond filters. It is widely agreed upon that a combination of mechanical and biological filtration works the best.

Skimmers and koi pond nets are two ways of dealing with larger pieces of debris such as leaves, twigs, insects, etc. You can purchase a skimmer separately or even get a bigger filter that combines mechanical filtration with biological filtration. If you get a combo type unit you will have less plumbing and electronic equipment to deal with.

Your skimmer will do just as it says and skim the larger chunks of debris, allowing only the finer sediment through the biological filter. This filter is populated with beneficial bacteria that feed on, and eliminate the ammonia from your pond, changing it into nitrites and nitrates. A biological koi filter take time to develop a large enough population of bacteria to operate at peak efficiency, so prior to this you will want to monitor your pond water more frequently and make adjustments as needed.

Your koi pond filter is the "heart" of your pond, keeping the water clean and healthy for your fish!

The oxygen level in your pond is one of the most important factors in the health of your koi! Without enough oxygen your koi will die.

During daylight hours plants and algae give off oxygen. But at night this process is reversed and they actually consume oxygen. Many people think they'll conserve energy by turning their koi pump off at night. This is a mistake that could prove deadly to your fish!

The most common way people choose to aerate their pond water is with a koi pond waterfall. You need an air pump and waterfall bulkhead...or you can get a waterfall kit. If you see your fish spending a lot of time near the waterfall or at the surface of the pond you'll know you need to add more oxygen.

Some other ways to do that are with a fountain or air stones. A nice benefit of air stones is that they bring up water from the bottom of the pond, where there is the least amount of oxygen, to the surface. When the bubbles break the surface oxygen is mixed into the pond. Anything that breaks the surface of your koi pond will increase the oxygen levels.

So pick your favorite method of increasing koi pond aeration, or better yet mix and match. Incorporating more than one method will insure that your koi have enough oxygen for optimal health and growth!

The fact of the matter is, anything that breaks the surface of the water adds oxygen to your pond.