Ponds need regular filtration to keep water fresh and clean.
Making a filter for pond water is important whether you decide to have fish in your pond or not. Without some kind of filtration system, the water will quickly get stagnant and turn a greenish color from algae, which will ruin the aesthetic benefits of having a pond. Garden ponds are a popular yard decoration and usually combine a small pond of water with plants and often decorative fish. Most water ponds also contain rocks, fountains and occasionally more intricate structures such as streams and waterfalls. All of this adds to the importance of having some kind of filtering in place.
Instructions
1. Rinse all materials thoroughly to remove any chemical or dirt residue that could pollute the garden pond.
2. Cut a small hole with the utility knife 3 inches from the base of the plastic bucket; make it wide enough to allow the PVC pipe to pass through it. Make a large incision in the center of the lid of the bucket creating an entry point for the pond water.
3. Use a small household hand saw to cut a 2-foot length of PVC pipe. Insert the pipe into the bucket so that 3 to 4 inches are inside the container. Use standard waterproof silicone to seal around the pipe to stop any leakage of pond water. This product comes in a small tube that is squeezed to apply.
4. Attach a garden hose to the outside end of the PVC pipe with a hose connector. The hose should be long enough to easily reach the deepest part of the pond; a standard 6-foot hose should work for most small garden ponds. These are available at hardware or garden pond stores and come in a variety of styles.
5. Cut a piece of window screen to cover the top hole of the plastic filter container. Use the silicone to seal the screen to the inside of the lid.
6. Fill one third of the bucket with clean river rocks. The second third should be loosely filled with filter mat or quilt batting. This will trap small particles while cleaning the pond water and therefore will need to be rinsed out weekly. Place the lid firmly onto the bucket.
7. Attach the 6-foot garden hose to a standard water pump and place the water pond filter and pump into the pond. Wait 5 minutes for the filter to become completely full of pond water and then switch on the pump. Water will now go in through the screened lid to be filtered by the matting and rocks and then cycle back into the pond.
