The Importance Of Pond Skimmers In Koi Fish Ponds

By Author: Koipond fever
Total Articles: 4
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A gently splashing water feature brings soothing sound and motion to a backyard space. A koi fish pond gives life to that space. As part of an overall landscape design, a koi pond can be the focal point of a garden, it can serve as a natural buffer or border between different areas of a backyard space, or it can be part of a smaller area set aside for quiet reflection within that space. Koi ponds are a natural form of entertainment. They attract butterflies and other interesting creatures. Their aesthetic appeal enhances the quality of life of all who dwell on the property.

Koi are a colorful and playful variety of wild animal. The graceful and attractive fish can be kept in back yard ponds year-round and are not at all difficult to maintain. Koi are an ideal candidate for water gardens and ponds because they are hardy and interact well with humans. People are often pleasantly surprised to learn that these delightful fish will take koi food directly from their outstretched palms. A well-designed and maintained koi pond will insure that the owner's fishes will remain alive, active and healthy for many years. Proper maintenance ...
... of a healthy backyard fish pond includes the installation of a suitable water filtration system. These water filters rely upon pond pumps for the circulation and aeration of the water in which the fish live. The filtration systems also include surface pond skimmers and sometimes water heating elements to keep the pond water from freezing solid in very cold climates.

A healthy koi pond requires that the water in it be circulated continuously 24 hours a day. Powerful pumps capable of circulating a minimum number of gallons of water per hour are a necessary element for the safe operation of a koi pond. Because each pond is different, it is important to know that these pumps need to be sized properly to enable each system to recirculate the full volume of water in a pond roughly one time each hour of operation to maintain water quality. A complementary air pump should be installed when the pond design or the volume of fish calls for additional dissolved oxygen in the water.

There are two types of backyard pond pumps -- submersible and external. Submersible pumps rest on the bottom of a pond completely under the water. They are very easy to install requiring nothing more than a hose-to-filter connection and an electrical power source. External pond pumps are often more energy efficient than the submersible variety and are easy to maintain with respect to surface debris collection. They frequently come with removable leaf pond skimmers that are easy to unclog. In the main, external pumps are far easier to get at and repair, and the often last longer than submersible pumps.