If you love aquariums, you’ll love pond fish also. Placing fish in a pond let’s them live and thrive in an atmosphere more closely to the way nature intended them to live. In addition, you still have the pleasure of enjoying their presence every day. The most popular fish for ponds are the koi and goldfish species, but other species can thrive also.

Eventually, when you get around to adding fish to your pond, one of the first things you’re going to need to buy is a pond filter. A pond filter is essential in helping to keep it’s ecosystem clear for the fish that inhabit it. Without a good filter, you simply can’t maintain good water quality. Water filters will remove debris, waste, ammonia, odors, and many other impurities from the water.

Pond filters are also important for aesthetics. Especially if you don’t want to eventually see your pond populated by ugly algae floating on the top and around the sides of your pond.

When you buy a pond filter, it’s necessary to focus on a few main features that you want it to have. Size and capacity are probably the most important. The pond filter has to be powerful enough to be able to manage your  pond without straining. With mechanical filters, you will want one where it’s simple to replace the filter medium. If the filter is in positioned in a spot that’s not readily accessible, you will probably not change it as often as you should. Fortunately, today, almost all filters are designed with the homeowner’s convenience in mind. The focus on the majority of modern pond filters is to make sure that the filters are as maintenance free as possible.

Size Matters

Unless you have a gigantic pond, a pond filter should normally be able to completely filter the area in two hours or less. If it can’t, your filter is either too small or too inefficient and you should replace it.

When shopping for pond filters, you’ll find that they are made in two primary styles, submersible and external. If your pond is a large one, more than likely you’ll want to get the external model. But don’t leave all of the work of cleaning the pond to your filter. Periodically, you should skim fallen leaves, branches, and so on from the surface. You can also populate your pond with a few plants that will naturally consume fish waste. This will help to put less strain on your filter as well.

Pond filter maintenance is important. It's good go have a written schedule that shows when you last maintained it, when you last replaced a filter, and so on will not only help to keep your pond filter functioning in top shape, it will also make sure that your warranty remains valid.

There is no one most effective pond filter that will do everything as far as keeping your pond water clear and pristine. The most effective cleaners you can have for your pond is a combination of different types of filters. Mechanical filters to filter out the debris and toxins and a biological pond filter to get control some of the chemicals produced by the fish.