When water is being circulated and unnecessary debris is being removed there is less of a possibility that your fish will get ill or your pond will become infested with algae. Thankfully, you don't have to worry about spending a lot of money to get a great bio-filter for your pond. Learning how to make a Koi pond filter is a great do-it-yourself project that anyone can handle.
DIY Koi Pond Filter Video
Requirement For DIY Koi Pond Filter
Everything you need to make your filter can be found at your favorite home improvement store or online. A good filter can circulate approximately 50% of the water in your pond per hour.To be able to accomplish this task you need to make sure that the pump you buy for your filter has enough power to move the amount of water needed. If you install your filter and your pump can't effectively move the water than you will have to disassemble the filter and start over. Remember, poor filtration will not keep your pond healthy or your Koi happy.
Here's your list of items that you'll need to make your Koi Pond filter. The first thing you'll need is a large tub, basin, pot, or container. This vessel should be big enough to hold 5-10% of the amount of water in your pond. Therefore, the larger the pond means the larger the container will have to be.
The second thing you'll need is filter media. What is filter media? Well, you have several options. You can use lava rock, bio-balls, gravel, river rocks, or even golf balls. Pretty much anything that is non-toxic or harmful to fish that can be piled up so that water can go through can be used as filter media. It is in the media that helpful bacteria will gather. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't clean your media. You should clean it once a year to make sure that nothing clogs the filter.
The third thing you'll need is your pump and the tubing to connect the pump to the container and the water. To help create the proper balance for your pond you may want to introduce helpful bacteria if it is not already present. There are test kits available to let you know if this is a necessary step. If you do need to add the bacteria it can be purchased in liquid, granular, or powder form.
To construct your filter you need to place your container on one side of the pond so that the top of your container is higher than the water level of your pond so that the clean water is allowed to spill back into the pond. Because of the similarities to a waterfall many people prefer to hide the filter inside an arrangement of rocks to look like a water feature. This has the added benefit of bringing the soothing sound of moving water into your space. Just make sure you are able to get to the container for cleaning.
The pump for your filter goes directly into your pond. You’ll need access to an electrical outlet to power your pump. You can add tubing that goes from your filter into deeper parts of your pond if necessary. There will also be tubing that will go from the pump into your container. You can drill a hole in your container to insert the tubing through, but be sure to seal the hole around the tubing so that only clean water is inside the container. This tubing needs to be secured beneath your media so that the water coming in from the pond filters through your lava rocks (or whatever media you used) before filling the container.
As an addition to the standard filter you can attach a UV sterilizer unit to the tube that runs from your filter back into the pond. Using a UV sterilizer will kill any harmful bacteria that somehow made it back out of the filter. This is not a necessary step, but many pond owners like the added protection for their Koi.
Now that your filter has been installed you can turn it on. If everything has been hooked up properly then you should notice the water circulating after the container begins overflowing back into the pond. If the water is not moving than there may be a connection that has come apart. Turn off your system and check all of your connections. If everything is fine and the water is still not moving well then you may need a more powerful pump. Hopefully, nothing like that will happen and your DIY filter will work like a charm!
Learning how to make a Koi pond filter will help you be able to save money while keeping the ecosystem of your pond stable. This will not only keep the water in your pond clean and clear it will keep your Koi healthy. Now that your pond is in great shape you can sit back and enjoy the serenity of your Koi pond.
Source:
http://www.articlereaders.com/Art/85768/263/The-DIY-Guide-on-How-to-Make-a-Koi-Pond-Filter.html
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