Water pumps - Filtration Systems - Ultra Violet clarifiers

Before you purchase any of the above, be sure you know how many gallons of water your fish pond contains. If your pond holds 1000 gallons you must be sure the pond pump,filtration system and u/v [ultra violet clarifier] are all adequate enough to ensure the total volume of water is turned over at least once, every hour and half. This also helps to keep your fish pond nice and clean. If, when choosing your pond pump you would like to incorporate a filter system, waterfall feature or water fountain, you should ensure the pump you purchase is powerful enough. If you are still unsure, seek advice from a aquatic centre or pet shop,who will match all three items to your personal needs.   Choosing a garden pond pump As there are so many different kinds of pond pumps,choosing the right one that best meets your needs is not an easy task. Careful thought should be given to the overall performance you expect your pond pump to achieve, i.e Gallons to be pumped per hour, and if you intend to run a waterfall feature from the same source etc. Any decent aquatic centre or pet shop will point you in the right direction. A very big thankyou to Fredrik Jacobsson (Sweden) for supplying the link below How to select a pond pump http://www.pump-demo.com

The garden pond pumps above are submersible

Pond pumps come in either of two types [submerged and external].Submerged pumps have the advantage of being located out of clear sight,below the surface of water.

Are located outside of the pond. They do the same job as submersible pumps but in a different way. With this type of pump it is very easy to clean and maintain, without having to put your hands into the water. External pumps tend to be cheaper in price than the equivalent submersible pumps, but are just to powerful for the average garden pond.

On the debit side , surface pumps are easily damaged by moisture. This sounds crazy I know, but it is very true. Although the pond water passes through the pump, the motor actually remains very dry. The only part that gets wet is the impellor that actually forces the water through the pipe work and back into the fish pond.

Also surface pumps should be housed in a well ventilated and waterproof chamber. Another precaution is to raise the housing slightly from the ground with wooden blocks or bricks.

Although it is not compulsory to install a filtration system,I would recommend you do, as it can make a substantial difference.Not only to the clarity of the water,but more importantly, it helps to purify the water by eliminating toxic waste products such as ammonia and nitrites, both having a detrimental effect on fish, which could lead to diseases and ultimately death.
I realise that filtration systems may be a bit of an eye sore, but this can easily be rectified by building a model house around it, thus creating another feature to your garden.

Here are two typical biological filtration systems