Dragonflies need water gardens or ponds to reproduce!

Published August 25, 2023

Written by Ashley Waggoner

Pond Prodigy Ashley Waggoner
Pond Prodigy Ashley Waggoner

In the past few weeks, I’ve noticed several customers dealing with excessive algae and other maintenance issues. There can be several reasons why you are experiencing these issues but some of our customers just don't have enough filtration!

Over the year(s), as your pond matures, fish waste, uneaten fish food, leaf litter, etc. will start to build up. As everything accumulates on the bottom of the pond and starts to break down, algae will use this to grow and thrive on the excessive organic matter. To help prevent excessive organic matter or “sludge” from building up you need some kind of filter to help you remove those materials.

Every pond should have both mechanical and biological filtration. Mechanical filtration will remove larger debris and sediments that have not settled at the bottom of the pond. Biological filtration will remove fine particulates while growing beneficial bacteria that will keep the water safe for ornamental fish!  There are several different ways to filter your pond. This week we are going to specifically highlight pressure filters.

 

The 750 is good in ponds with no fish and in the shade up to 750 gallons but with fish and in full sun it is only good up to 350 gallons. The max flow rate is 1000 GPH and can fit ¾”,1”, and 1-¼”.

 

For the 1200 it is good in ponds with no fish in the shade up to 1200 gallons while with fish and in full sun is 600 gallons. The max flow rate is 1200 and can fit ¾”,1”,1-¼”, and 1-½”.

I (and ALL the pond pros at HCWG) love pressure filters for several reasons. One is almost all maintenance is performed outside of the pond. There is no need to crawl into the pond to remove the filter and manually rinse filter pads with a hose. Additionally, pressure filters have both biological and mechanical filtration in the same unit.

We carry two different lines of pressure filters. The main difference is that one comes with a UV sterilizing light within the system, and the other comes with pre-seeded bacteria in the filter beads but no UV light. Our pond in-house specialist would love to go over the other differences and help you select the right size pressure filter for your pond. When you come in, please know what size pump you have, what size tubing, and how many gallons are in your pond, or the dimensions of your pond. We can calculate the gallons and get you set up with the right filter for your ornamental pond.

DISCLAIMER: All pressure filters need to run for 8 weeks before being back-washed. The nice new filters need some time to get funky in order to grab smaller particulates! So please, be patient... let the bacteria colonize, and future you will reap the benefits of your new filter system 8 weeks later.

If you're reading this portion of the email we will extend the discount to Aqua brand Products so you can choose what brand is right for you and your pond! (offer Expires 8/14/2023)

Pressure filters can be easily installed after a pond is built or during the building process. In most cases one or two hours for a DIYer! If you're interested in having one of our pond specialists install a pressure filter for you, let your cashier know at checkout or send us a request here. Installation starts at $250 and is paid upon completion.

CALL 512-260-5050