How to Make Koi Fish Pond Filter

 

One of the important things to note when you want to do koi fish cultivation is the condition of koi ponds. A clean and well-maintained pond will make the koi fish you have healthier and not easily affected by diseases. While unkempt ponds can make koi fish more susceptible to disease, fading the color of koi fish, can even lead to death.

Therefore, it is important for you to maintain the quality of water and koi fish ponds. One way to maintain the condition of koi fish ponds is to make filters on koi ponds. Well, for those of you who want to make koi fish filters, here are some things you need to learn first.

Basic Principles of Fish Pond Filter

In the wild such as rivers, water always flows so that the supply of oxygen to fish will always be fulfilled. In addition, the open natural conditions, with rainwater or waterfalls also help the entry of oxygen into the water. Thus, the oxygen condition in the water will always be satisfied.

However, in artificial ponds, water turnover cannot happen on its own. Therefore, you have to find a way to keep the oxygen supply in the water always fulfilled. The presence of this oxygen will help koi fish in carrying out the digestive process.

Furthermore, the results of this digestion will be excreted in the form of ammonia along with fish manure. Aside from fish manure, ammonia also comes from the remains of fish food. The presence of this ammonia should be discarded due to its toxic nature to koi fish.

In nature, the disposal of this ammonia occurs naturally. While in an artificial pool, you should use specially designed filters. In addition to filtering ammonia, filters on fish ponds also help you clean the pond from carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other solid particles that make koi fish ponds look dirty.

For more details, here is an explanation for each of these filters:

1. Mechanical Filter

There are two methods of making mechanical filters. The first is to pass water through a certain container that has been filled with materials for the filter. And the second is to drain the water into a separate chamber so that the particles of dirt can settle at the bottom.

2. Biological Filter

In biological filters, the filtration process is carried out by utilizing certain bacteria to decompose toxic chemicals that exist in the pond into something that is not harmful to fish. This biological filter process usually follows a series of nitrogen cycles, i.e. converting ammonia into nitrites, then into nitrates.

How to Make a Simple Mechanical Filter for a Small Pond

The creation of mechanical filters can actually be done alone if you know how. For small ponds, you can create filters using small electric pumps that you can easily find at ornamental fish stalls.

This pump is used to pick up and suck up pool water and drain it on the filter. For maximum results, use a pipe that corresponds to the size of the pump exit hole.

Next, water from the pump will be flowed to the tub that serves as a filter. You can fill the filter with a cotton filter that has fine pores. However, for more maximum results, you can create filters with the following materials:

>Cotton / foam / foam filter

>Small or medium size zeolite stone

>Activated charcoal

>Cotton / foam / foam filter

>Large size zeolite stone

>Cotton

Place the ingredients in order from top to bottom. Then make a hole at the bottom of this filter tub for water exits.

Filter models like this have a good level of effectiveness for small pools. You can use this filter even for koi fish kola which is about 2 meters long. In addition, this filter is also quite cheap and easy to make.

How to Make a Simple Mechanical Filter for a Large Pool

For larger pools, then you need a different filter design. Usually, the filter used is a filter with tandon. If your pool has a capacity of about 5,731 liters to 8,597 liters, you can use one drain to the filter tub. As for pools with a capacity above 22,710, then you need two drains to the filter tub.

The most efficient filter body is usually V-shaped or commonly known as Vortex. In a Vortex-type filter tub, water will spin and dirt will accumulate in the center. That way, cleaning the dirt will be easier.

To create a mechanical filter for a large pool, you can use a drum, barrel, or bucket with a customized size. Then make an entry hole at the top of the side to create a whirlpool.

On the inside of the drum, you can fill it with filter media such as kassa or other sieves as needed. Then the bottom of the drum you can hole and plug the pipe to line out the water. Water that has passed through this mechanical system can be flowed to the biological filter for more maximum results.

Biological Filters for Koi Fish Ponds

Biological filters typically use nitrifying bacteria that can convert ammonia into nitrites. One of them is the bacterium Nitrosomonas. Furthermore, nitrites are converted into nitrates using Nictobacter bacteria.

Nitrobacter bacteria also act as cleaning bacteria and require oxygen in the process. Therefore, you need to make a room of deposition. The suction chamber is used to separate the sediment so that the amount of oxygen in the water does not decrease.

In addition to using bacteria, the biological filtration process can also be done by using water plants. Water plants used are plants that have the ability to absorb nitrates that have not been processed.

In general, the water plant used is water hyacinth. But, in addition to water hyacinth there are also water plants that are commonly used. For example water jasmine, tifa, umbrellas - umbrellas, and water plants butterfly leaves - butterflies.

Typically, the use of water plants as biological filters is put at the last process of the entire filtration process. Precisely before the water is returned to the koi pond. That way, the water back to the pond is clear, clean water, and also has enough oxygen supply for koi fish.

Well, that's an easy way to create filters for koi ponds. With a good filter and correct, the water quality in koi fish ponds will also be better. So, the health condition and beauty of the color of the fish - koi fish that you have can be maintained.