Pond filters – filtration problems

Problems with your filter? Not happy with your water quality? Keep your fish and pond healthy by solving your pond filter problems.

Ammonia in a fish pond and aquarium

Controlling Ammonia in a Fish Aquarium

Keep garden pond and aquarium ammonia under control and understand the nitrate cycle for tank health.

Ammonia is sometimes referred to as one of the “invisible assassins” in aquaria (along with nitrite). The only acceptable ammonia level in an aquarium is zero. . . . → Read More: Ammonia in a fish pond and aquarium

Ammonia in a koi pond

Ammonia is a wonderful thing when you’re washing your windows. It’s not so wonderful when you’ve got a pond, especially one with fish. Ammonia can be very harmful, even deadly, to koi and goldfish, smells bad and can promote soupy green algae. Luckily, it’s easy to . . . → Read More: Ammonia in a koi pond

Bead Pond Filters. To bead or not to bead?

Bead filters represent a departure from ‘traditional’ pond filtration. How are they different, what do they offer and could you or your fish benefit from bead filtration?

Pond keeping, especially if it involves koi can be an expensive business. As more of us focus our creativity to . . . → Read More: Bead Pond Filters. To bead or not to bead?

Biological Pond Filtration

How it works. Biological Filtration

Our ponds are home to far more living organisms than the fish we have stocked and see swimming around ever day. A pond is quite literally alive with micro organisms that have colonised to exploit the food and favourable conditions for their . . . → Read More: Biological Pond Filtration

Do I need an aquarium filter?

It is the role of the aquarium filter to maintain a stable and safe water quality within an aquarium.
If the water quality is ideal then the fish will thrive and be less likely to develop health problems.
An aquarium filter is effective removing solids and breaking down . . . → Read More: Do I need an aquarium filter?

Garden pond filtration

It is a long time since I last watched The Wizard of Oz (I didn’t catch it this Christmas) and I can’t recall the finer details of the ending. But what I do remember is towards its conclusion, experiencing a real anti-climax when we were shown . . . → Read More: Garden pond filtration

Good Pond Filtration Bacteria

The role of beneficial bacteria in maintaining a healthy pond.

Bacteria fulfil so many vital roles in shaping life on earth that we are still discovering new ways in which they affect the world we live in.

They are so adaptable that they are found in every ecosystem . . . → Read More: Good Pond Filtration Bacteria

Koi food affects pond water quality

Every environment shares problems if the inputs into the system are out of balance with the rate at which they are removed or broken down. Currently, on a global basis, this is the case with CO2 and the earth’s atmosphere and it is also true for . . . → Read More: Koi food affects pond water quality

Koi pond filtration

The most appealing part of koi keeping is marvelling at a pond full of ornamental beauty. The challenge in achieving that ultimate goal is to be able to understand and master the many practical demands put on a koi keeper. Some of these practical challenges, on . . . → Read More: Koi pond filtration

Koi pond filtration

Installing a bio filter is the price we have to pay for wanting to keep koi in an artificial pond. It performs the functions that occur naturally in a lake or river within a compact unit and is arguably the single most important factor that makes . . . → Read More: Koi pond filtration

Mechanical pond filtration

Whenever koi pond filtration is discussed, attention tends to be focused on the biological aspects, with the emphasis being placed on maturation rates, testing for ammonia and nitrite and avoiding new pond syndrome at all costs. But effective pond filtration results from the combination of a . . . → Read More: Mechanical pond filtration

Milky water problems in koi pond

I have two separate queries which I would like some advice on please. I have a half in and half out 4,400 gallon koi pond.

The pond is filtered on a gravity fed system into a three chamber filter. Filter dimensions are 8ft x 3ft x 3ft. . . . → Read More: Milky water problems in koi pond

New Pond Syndrome can cause problems in a new garden pond

Dear Ben,

Could you please tell me what ‘new pond syndrome’ is all about? I have heard this term before but never really understood it, and I think it’s about time I did, since I am moving my koi to a new pond very soon. Does this . . . → Read More: New Pond Syndrome can cause problems in a new garden pond

Pond filter in spring

Our gardens, and everything in them cannot avoid the seasonal variations in temperature – responding accordingly with periods of inactivity and growth in winter and summer respectively. As spring approaches, life within our garden and koi pond is not be able to resist nature’s call to . . . → Read More: Pond filter in spring

Pond fish food to filters

When I was discussing this article I suggested a ‘How it works’ series, covering anything from food right through to filters. My offer was misunderstood and I was taken quite literally at my word (and was asked to write ‘How it works – from food to . . . → Read More: Pond fish food to filters

Pressurised pond filters.

Pressure filters for garden ponds first appeared on retailers’ shelves just over 10 years ago. Most of us were then more familiar with the aquarium pressurised canister filters. These top-end pieces of aquarium hardware  worked perfectly, undisturbed for months hidden inside the aquarium cabinet . Many . . . → Read More: Pressurised pond filters.

The Skimmer Filter – Savio

I suspect that the koi hobby is just like any other in that it benefits from a thriving grapevine. Fuelled by speculation, conversation and innovation, word soon seems to travel through the industry, especially when a rare nugget of information is unearthed. This was certainly the . . . → Read More: The Skimmer Filter – Savio



Kill blanketweed and string algae.