Koi Fish Pond Filtration – Natural Filtration Water Plants & Lilies | Koi Fish Care Information
When having a koi fish pond, pond filtration is very important and nothing keeps water better then natural filtration by using water plants and lilies. Yes you still need to use a good type of pond filter but you can maximize your pond filtration system by using a combination of many other types of water plants and pond lilies. You may ask yourself why water plants, water lilies and other pond plants helps with your overall filtration of your pond and I’m going to explain how.
Lets say you have your koi fish pond and you have slopes leading down to your deepest part of your water garden. Now you keep care of your koi, feed them everyday and have plenty of pond plants.
What happens is your koi produce waste that slides down to the bottom of your pond and the fish waste acts as a fertilizer for your water lilies and other types of hardy marginals or tropical depending on your zone. Now your hardy or tropical water lilies are being fertilized naturally by your koi. This is just one of the benefits of having plenty of water plants for your pond and shows how it helps with your overall pond filtration.
Another great water plant to have for your koi fish pond is water hyacinths which is a floating aquatic plant and they are extremely effective in filtering your water for your pond. In the United States and other places around the world they actually use water hyacinths for sewage treatment.
They work great! A good suggestion for people to do for pond filtration is have an upper box built where water is pumped up with the use of your pond pump where it contains all your water hyacinths that acts as a pond filter. The water will pass through the roots of the water hyacinths and will filter your water as it then goes back to your main pond and down your pond waterfall. Water hyacinths work extremely well at filtering a koi fish pond.
To fully undertstand how water plants help you need to know a little more about the nitrogen cycle. As koi fish eat they then produce waste which then beneficial bacteria begin to break it down creating ammonia, then to nitrite and then to nitrate and water plants and other pond plants feed on this and helps keep levels low and within safe range for koi to live. Natural pond filtration is the best source to filter a koi pond but using a combination of plants and a good pond filter you will have a great looking pond with crystal clear water.
Remember a pond that is about 70% full of water plants and water lilies will keep algae blooms away as they feed on the same nutrients as algae does therefore starving algae to death.
So next time your looking at your koi fish pond filtration consider using a natural approach as well with water plants such as water hyacinths, water lettuce, water lilies and other types of pond plants can really help your overall pond filtration plus they make your water garden look amazing.
Buy a good pond filter and buy plenty of water plants to fully enjoy your water garden each and every year.
Wishing you much success with your koi fish pond!
