When it comes to pond filtration there are many different kinds being used today. However, they all fit under one or both of two types. The two types are biological and mechanical filtration. Biological filtration is designed to grow the necessary bacteria for keeping a pond healthy. Mechanical filtration is used to remove debris, and nutrients from the pond manually. Both types are necessary for achieving a healthy, balanced, and clean pond. But no matter how sophisticated these filters become they will never be able to accomplish what nature is able to do so efficiently.
A bog filter is an area where plants are growing in a bed of gravel (usually above the pond level) and water is being passed over and/or through the root system via a pump and then back into the pond. It is the most effective, and natural form of filtration available to any pond owner. Mechanical filtration takes place when the waste and debris is trapped in the gravel. Biological filtration occurs when the bacteria that is growing on the gravel detoxifies and converts the waste to plant food. At the same time the plant roots are networking their way through the gravel to feed on all the available nutrients. The plants do all the work getting rid of the nutrient build up in your pond, leaving very little for the algae to feed on.
The work required in maintaining such a filter would be to trim back or harvest the overgrown plants at least once, maybe twice, a year (winter is a great time to undertake this project). So the benefits to the pond owner are less work cleaning out the filters, less algae growing in the pond and waterfall, a clearer pond and beautiful plants growing in the background. It’s the best all around filtration a pond owner could have. Whether you are currently designing your pond, or considering adding to your existing pond, we can help. Give us a call.
