Sometimes picking the right filter media for your Koi pond can be as confusing as the filtration system itself. A visit to your local Koi shop will certainly bear this out. I get asked frequently to help clear up the confusion.
There are two types of filtering to be accomplished - mechanical and biological. All media performs one or the other or both. They are both required for your Koi pond so what do they do? Well the mechanical filtration media removes large particulate waste material. Biological filtration fosters the growth of beneficial bacteria that breaks down pollutants in the water.
For biological filtering Japanese matting is one of your best choices. It is made from thousands of tiny fiber strands formed into a sheet or mat. The only thing to remember is not to use for mechanical filtering. The large waste particles will clog it quickly. You end up cleaning it very often and it will finally fail.
Another good type of biological filter medium is bacballs. They are easy to work with and clean. Again, don't use them in the early stages of the filter system as they too may become clogged and require cleaning often. Bioflow and flocor are plastic pieces that are light weight and easy to clean and good for biological filtering. Aquarock is another good media for biological filters.
I highly recommend a vortex chamber as the first stage of your filtration system to remove the large waste particles. If you don't have one then you will want to use brushes in the first stage to trap the large particles. They are easy to work with and clean and they will need cleaning often depending on the size of the Koi pond and the number of fish
So what is a good setup? Well the answer might be different depending on who you ask but here are some suggestions. If you have a pump-fed multi-chamber system without a vortex you would want to consider having brushes in chamber one, followed by flocor or bioflow in stage two, followed by Japanese matting in stage three. If you have additional chambers consider adding matting, foam or Aquarock.
Whatever your setup, do a little homework before you select the best setup for your Koi pond. A little planning up front will pay off in few headaches and lower costs in the long run.
More Information:
John Stoner is an author and Koi Fish Enthusiast. Learn more about
Koi pond care and get many other tips in his latest book on
Koi care.
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