There are three basic types of pond filtration systems for you to consider when you are setting up your pond. You will want to read up on these as much as possible before you make the decision to purchase one, as you will want to ensure you select the right pond filtration system for your pond set up.

Biological filtration is one of the basic types of pond filtration systems. This is an almost completely natural process by which the bacteria living in the pond’s water are able to consume and convert ammonia into nitrites then to nitrates. These powerful bacteria must have oxygen to survive, so having a pump to aerate and circulate water is very important. In the very lowest areas in a pond, there are additional bacteria which do not need oxygen and they then use the nitrates to form gasses, which will then leave the pond and become absorbed by the atmosphere. It is not uncommon for the ecological system of a pond to die when pumps stop working because those bacteria (and fish in the pond as well) will literally starve from a lack of oxygen.

Mechanical filtration is the second of the three types of pond filtration systems. This system works with a simple drain which is able to siphon of large particles in your pond to eliminate them from your pond thereby preventing them from breaking down into the ecological system of your pond creating an imbalance of bacteria. These mechanical filtration systems offer many features regarding style and the method by which they are able skim waste items from the pond. There is much debate as to which of these systems works best or better than their competitors. These will need regular maintenance of their own, in addition to the maintenance of the pond.

The third of these types of pond filtration systems for you to consider is sterilization. This uses ultraviolet rays to destroy bacteria in the pond water. The water is cycled through tubes which have ultraviolet light bulbs and when it is cycled through the rays from the bulbs are able to damage the structure of the algae to the point at which it is no longer to sustain itself and it subsequently dies, which also kills the bacteria in the water. The major downfall to this system is that the healthy and beneficial bacteria die right along with the bad.

Ultimately, you will have to research the methodology of the types of pond filtration systems to find the one that will suit you and your pond best.