Information About Filters

Pump Pre-filters

A pre-filter is a filtering unit that is submersed in the pond water that filters the water before it enters the pump.  By having a prefilter you eliminate a lot of debris and silt from entering your pump and other water features.  By decreasing the amount of debris your pump receives, it will make the pump last longer and will also keep a lot of junk out of your biological filter where all the toxic ammonias from fish wastes, decaying mattter, etc. are turned into helpful nitrates.  Pre-filters are nice to have but they are not a must.  Some prefilters come in "combo" options that offer a pre-filter, pump and fountain all in one.  You can find those here.  There's different sizes to choose from, so select which one fits your pond.  These are nice to have for small to medium size outdoor ponds and can be used indoors as well.  As a matter of fact, any of our pond products can be used either inside or outside.

Filters

As you know from our Ponds Online Course, there are 2 kinds of filters:  biological and mechanical.  Biological filters create a living environment where beneficial bacteria can live and and grow.  These beneficial bacteria "eat up" toxic ammonias & nutrients that are produced from fish wastes, decaying food, decaying leaves & debris, etc.  They are a MUST to have in a pond with fish.  Having a good biological filtering system can be achieved in many ways such as a biological filter and having other medium for the bacteria to grow on, like rocks, filter pads, bio-balls, aquamats, etc.  The more surface area you have within the biological media, the more colonies that can grow and the more work they can do for your pond.  Some filtering units are both mechanical and biological filters which means that they have coarse and fine filter pads (mechanical filters)  to filter out any "junk" from your pond (silt, small debris, some fish wastes, etc.) and have some type of biological medium within the filter for the bacteria to grow on before the water re-enters the pond.  These are nice units to have.  Having a prefilter in addition to this other mechanical/biological filter helps keep the bio-filter cleaner for a longer period of time and provides cleaner, clearer water to be pumped to other water features.   Prefilters will also keep your pump running more efficient for a longer period of time.