Water Filtering System

Water gardens and other kinds of water features can be a wonderful addition to any landscape, especially if they are done right. However, there is one piece of equipment necessary to a successful water feature that many people tend to over look—the water filtering system. Without a properly planned and implemented water filtering system in place, even the most beautiful fount can quickly turn into a huge stinking mess, literally.

Here are a few things about water filtering systems that you need to consider as you plan your water feature. As you will soon see, a proper water filtering system isn't that hard to implement. In many cases the pond, river, or fountain itself is part of the overall water filtering system, which not only lowers the cost of maintenance, but reduces the cost of having to replace anything in the future.

• Size. When looking to install a water filtering system in your water feature, you need to know the exact size of the water feature. Since there are different kinds and sizes of water filtering systems you need to know the exact amount water that will be running through it. If you get a filter system that is too small, it will not clean everything as it is supposed to, while if you get something too large, you are simply wasting money. This is one time that size really does matter.
• Flow. Flowing water is an integral part of a good water filtration system. Moving water helps reduce the ability of harmful algae growing, while also promoting aeration of the water. Another great side benefit of having a good water flow is that it helps remove excess organic matter from the ecosystem you are creating, which is a really good thing if you have a koi pond. Be careful, though, if you have the water flow too high it can actually harm your water feature by killing the good kinds of bacteria that are needed to promote growth and health.
• Gravel. Promoting a healthy ecosystem is one of the main jobs of a water filtering system, and gravel or similar materials can help do that in water features such as streams and ponds. The gravel, while not directly part of the water filtering system, will help shelter and promote the growth of the good kinds of bacteria, while also helping to break up the waste mater of any fish you may have. Therefore, the design of your running water feature should include gravel.
• Mechanical filtration. There are basically two kinds of mechanical filtration that you can use—ultraviolet and organic. Ultraviolet filters use light from the ultraviolet spectrum to get rid of harmful bacteria and algae, while organic filters use certain kinds of bacteria to accomplish the same task.
• Location. As with many things in the world, location means a lot. When you are deciding where to place the mechanical portion of your water filtering system, you need to keep the filter above the maximum level of water. This helps promote functionality and keeps your filter from breaking down. Also keep in mind that some filters may not be able to work if placed directly into the water. If your filter is that type, keep your filter nearby but run water through it by using a pipe.