Pond Pumps, Ultraviolet Clarifers Etc Etc
Article written by James Buchanan
Filtration is the number one aspect to consider when building a pool, allowances need to made for electrics , hoses, and pipework and can all be easily accommodated when building from fresh or re-lining.
Filter boxes have two main functions
1 To physically catch the pools waste within brushes and sponges ready to be washed out in a bucket of pond water for immediate removal from the system.
2 Biological filtration this is performed by a plastic or ceramic filter media designed to create the maximum surface area within the box to grow beneficial bacteria whos primary function is to break down the harmfull byproducts given off by rotting waste such as ammonia into less harmfull nitrite and then relatively harmless nitrate which is used as a food source by you plants.
When installing filters we always try to set them up for ease of cleaning and maintenance, we will give full instruction on the use and cleaning of the filter for the best results.
A common misconception most people have with filters is that you turn it on and leave it alone and the bacteria will break it all down for you ! WRONG waste is constantly being produced by fish ,plants and other garden wastes in fine quantities being blown into the pool this causes a slow build up of sediment which eventually envelops your pump or rapidly clogs your filter and starving the bacteria of oxygen, we usually recommend spending just 10 minutes a week to clean the first stage of your filter removing the largest waste before in breaks down into smaller particles and cleaning all the sediment from the box every 4-6 weeks to remove the finer waste.
When done regularly this process is quick and simple if left 1,2,sometimes 3 months the filter clogs and its a long smelly process to get clean.
When kept in optimal condition and if when feeding your fish you quickly scoop out any loose leaves and debris the pool can stay clean indefinitely.
ULTRA VIOLET CLARIFIERS
These units when used in conjunction with a filter box give sparkling results, you pump pool water through a watertight tube containing an ultraviolet bulb, this when having an appropriate water flow over it helps clump water borune green algae into larger particles to be removed by your filter box, the algae is usually to fine to be removed by the box as it just passes straight through.
They are fairly maintenance free , you just replace the bulb every spring (or every 6 months if you have lots of fish or lots of direct light) and clean and deposits off the quartz sleeve that the bulb is located inside to ensure full penetration of the bulbs light.
VEGETABLE FILTERS
Nitrate which is the end product produced by your filter and also sadly to say a chemical which comes down regularly in the rain from the pollution of our industrialised world , will slowly rise in the pool , while safe in low quantities it can provide many problems if fish are exposed to high levels for a prolonged period. Algae and hairy blanketweed can be a real nuisance smothering plants and chocking pumps , more often than not it is due to high nitrates ,in nature plants consume nitrate ,within the average pond many people do not have enough plants to consume the nitrate which in turn grows blanketweed which then smother the few plants they do have to become the dominant plant in pool.
The key is to try to get as many plants as possible in the pool to prevent the blanketweeds march. Any mraginal plants help to remove nitrates but underwater oxygenators are the best for this as they are fast growing and use alot of nutrient if you can get a nice dense covering in your pool approx 30 - 40% this not only provides alot of shade but usually keeps the algae back, oxygenators are them selves highly invasive but are very easy to trim and remove compared to the blanket weed(they also make good compost!) Plants can be hard to grow in pools with many fish or no planting shelves and this is where the vegetable filter works well.
The normal filters of the pool rely on half the pools volume passing through them every hour to operate best, with the veggie filter a small amount of water between 15=20% of the volume is pumped through a smaller tray or box containing fast growing oxygenators or roots of nutrient sapping rushes to help reduce the levels these are cheap and require only a small bit of maintenance to ensure no sediment builds up and that the roots don't completely clog the flow.
Pumps
Filtration boxes need 50% of the pools volume passing over them every hour to function correctly. Many pumps come with pre filter sponges within the pump its self and are the cause of many a dirty pond, these pumps unless cleaned very regularly sometimes 3-4 times daily!!! reduce the flow to the box and stop it function ing properly, they are realy only suitable for fountains as they help prevent the holes clogging with debris.
Wherever possible we install solids handling pumps, these pumps pump solids from 6-12 mm depending on the model, straight upto your box , maintenance on a healthy pool is usually just to lift it out once a month ensure no plants are covering the holes and swoosh it in a bucket of water to remove any loose debris from within the pump casing (they are perfectly safe with small fish!)
Bottom Drains
Whenever we install a pool requiring a large filter a bottom drain is always recommended, not all situations can use them but when you can they work very well. Usually a 4" pipe with a domed cowell to stop the fish entering is located at the lowest point of the pool this feeds water directly into the filter box (which needs to be buried at ground level) this method removes almost everything except large leaves. The pump is located within the box so access to it does not involve fishing around in the pond. This is by far one of the most effective methods especially when keeping koi and other large messy fish.
Vortex Filters
Vortex sediment filters when used with a bottom drain usually remove so much waste by the time the water reaches your filter box there is rarely not much waste left. They work by feeding the water into a round tank at a 90 degree angle as the water enters it shoots around the outside edge in a circular motion causing a whirlpool effect this causes any suspended particles to be drawn slowly into the center water column and deposited down on to the bottom of the vortex ready to to be removed via a simple twist of a valve to flush it out !!! pure genius
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