Basic Pond Equipment
LINERS
This can be either a rigid pre-formed pond or a flexible sheet liner. Both are easy to install and extremely durable. A pre-formed pond has the advantage of ready made planting shelves and areas for placing submersible pumps though a flexible liner allows you more creativity and a more individual design. Pre-formed ponds tend to be limited in size, when choosing a liner purchase a good quality preferably butyl liner with a 20 year plus guarantee, protect the underside of the liner by removing sharp rocks, and placing a thick layer of soft sand beneath the liner.
PUMPS
A pump is essential for circulating water through filtration systems. Pumps are also used for creating moving water displays such as waterfalls or fountains which, as well as being attractive features, will help to maintain oxygen levels during warm weather. Your pump should be able to pump at least half of the pond’s water volume per hour. There are a wide range of pumps on the market, bear in mind the pump will be running 24 hrs a day, so check out the pumps wattage, low wattage=low running costs, If you choose a solids handling pump you,ll have less maintenance, and no prefilters to clean, they are also good at removing debris from the pond bottom, to the filter were it can be removed.
FILTERS
Your filter keeps your pond water clear and healthy, they will use both mechanical and biological filtration to achieve this. Biological filtration utilises bacteria on the pond filter media to break down fish waste and organic matter. Mechanical filtration captures particles in a physical filter for removal during filter cleaning. A good pond filter will achieve both. Your garden pond filter should filter half the pond volume every hour at a minimum. Garden ponds that are exposed to the sun for more than 6 hours a day, or have Koi, should have a slightly larger filter to cope with this extra demand.UVC
An Ultra-Violet Clarifier is highly effective in keeping your pond free of water-borne algae which will make the pond water green, free-floating single celled algae cause green water in ponds. This algae is too small to catch even with an effective mechanical pond filter. UVCs expose the algae particles to enough UV light so that they clump together (flocculate). These larger particles can then be easily filtered out as they pass through the pond filter. LIGHTING
Lighting can really add a creative dimension to your pond at night. Lighting can be inserted into the pond, behind a waterfall, in a fountain, above the water, and even placed around the perimeter of the pond. Being able to see your pond at night can add a warm, relaxed mood or feeling to your garden. Pond lights are simple to install and will enable you to create magical effects at night time.