Veggie Filter For Koi Pond

Veggie Filter, Photo http://www.atlantakoiclub.org

A Veggie Filter have a beneficial effect on the water conditions in fish tanks. Because Veggie Filter absorb minerals including some metabolic waste products from the water, converting these into plant mass. A veggie filter (natural biofilter) is a separate water feature about 1 to 1 1/2 feet deep that is home to lots of aquatic plants (pond plants) that are deliberately starved of nutrients.In order to survive they absorb the nutrients directly from the pond water. These nutrients (nitrates) are present due to the activities of the Nitrogen Cycle, taking place in the fish pond.

How Veggie Filter Work

The simplest refuge for freshwater plants is just adding another tank, with water exchange between the two. The arrangement I have used most often has taken advantage of those commercial tank stands holding one tank at normal seated viewing level, and a second tank (usually of the same footprint but lesser height) below it. It is this arrangement that I will discuss as an example, but many others are possible.


Once the dirty pond water has passed from the pond into the bog filter and then back into the water garden it has been purified. A plant filter is both cheaper to purchase and to run than a UV biofilter and it provides a natural eco system for your goldfish, koi and other fish to live in. It is however much more difficult to maintain.

Step By Step Design Veggie Filter

• Step 1: Calculate the pond volume - Length x Width x Depth e.g. 10 ft x 10 ft x 10 ft = 1000 cu ft.

• Step 2: Convert to gallons by multiplying by 7.48 - 1000 cu ft x 7.48 = 7480 gallon.

• Step 3: As a general rule of thumb the volume of your veggie filter must be at least 10% of the volume of your water garden or fish pond. If your pond is 1000 gallon then you need a plant filter that is 100 gallon . obviously a bigger veggie filter of say (150%) or 150 gallon would be better if you have fairly large fish loads, particularly koi.

Source:
http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/veggiebio.htm
Photo, http://www.atlantakoiclub.org
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article69.html