Pond filtration system installation in Boise, Idaho

Pond filtration system installation in Boise is what I'm usually called for when someone says, "My pond is pea soup by July, and I'm tired of fighting it." Green water almost always points to the filter. Either the pond doesn't have enough of one, it's the wrong kind, or it isn't set up to move water across the whole pond. Chemicals can clear the water for a week. A good filter clears it for the season.

I'm Kabe Hockema. I install pond filtration with Aquascape components and the ecosystem approach. Instead of one box doing all the work, several parts share it.

Why the water turns green

Algae feeds on nutrients from fish waste, extra fish food, decaying leaves, and lawn fertilizer that washes in. Add strong sun and hot weather, and algae grows fast. Treasure Valley summers bring long, hot days, so a weak filter shows up quickly here.

A good filtration system does three things:

• Removes debris before it sinks and rots.
• Breaks down waste with beneficial bacteria.
• Takes up nutrients so algae has less to eat.

The parts of an ecosystem filter

Skimmer

The skimmer sits at the edge of the pond at water level. It pulls floating leaves, seeds and debris into a net basket before they sink. Behind the net, filter mats catch finer bits. The pump sits inside the skimmer, where it's protected and easy to reach.

Biofalls filter

The biofalls sits at the top of the waterfall or stream. Water is pumped up from the skimmer, flows up through filter media inside the biofalls, and spills out over the waterfall. That media is home to beneficial bacteria, the tiny living things that break down fish waste. The waterfall then adds oxygen as the water drops.

Rocks and gravel

Rocks and gravel on the pond floor and shelves give bacteria a huge amount of surface to live on. That turns the whole pond into part of the filter, not just the boxes.

Aquatic plants

Plants pull nutrients straight out of the water. Water lilies also shade the surface, which slows algae down. Plants are one of the cheapest and best parts of the system.

Beneficial bacteria

Adding bacteria helps the filter get going in spring and after cleanings, and keeps it strong through summer.

Sizing the system to the pond

A filter that's too small is the most common mistake I see with pond filtration system installation. I size the pump so it moves the full volume of the pond through the filters about once an hour. Then I match the skimmer and biofalls to that flow. Fish matter too. A pond full of koi needs more filtering than a pond with a few goldfish. For more on picking and placing the pump, see my pond pump installation page.

Placement matters as much as size. I put the skimmer at one end of the pond and the biofalls at the other. Water moves across the whole pond, with no dead corners where muck and algae collect. If your pond has trouble with stagnant spots, my page on pond water circulation systems goes further into that.

Upgrading the filter on an existing pond

Many older ponds around Boise were built with a pump sitting on the bottom and a small box filter, or no filter at all. You can often add an ecosystem filter without tearing out the whole pond. Here's how that usually goes:

• Look at the pond. I check the size, depth, fish load and current equipment.
• Plan the layout. I find spots for a skimmer and a biofalls that move water across the full pond.
• Cut in the skimmer. This means opening the liner at the edge and sealing the skimmer in place.
• Set the biofalls. Often this means rebuilding the top of the waterfall around it.
• Plumb and start up. I run the pipe, start the pump, add bacteria and plants, and watch for leaks.

If the liner is old and brittle, it may make more sense to rebuild. A fully biofiltered pond installation gets the filter right from the first shovel.

Filters through Idaho seasons

In spring, I clean the filter media and add bacteria to restart the system. In summer, the skimmer net and mats need frequent emptying, and the bacteria are working hardest. In fall, a pond net keeps leaves from overloading the skimmer. In winter, many owners shut down the pump and waterfall, while a de-icer or aerator keeps a hole open for fish.

Some owners also add a UV clarifier, a light that clears green water as it passes through. It can help in hot spells, but it works best as an add-on to a good filter, not as a replacement for one.

What drives the cost

• Pond size, which sets pump and filter size.
• New pond or retrofit. Cutting a skimmer into an old liner takes extra care.
• Fish load.
• Waterfall rebuilding around a new biofalls.
• Add-ons like a UV clarifier or auto-fill valve.

I install pond filtration in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Star, Middleton, Kuna, Garden City, Hidden Springs, Sun Valley and Ketchum. For everything else I do with ponds, visit the pond contractor page or see my water features work.

Fix your pond with filtration installation in Boise

If you want clear water this summer, pond filtration system installation in Boise starts with a look at your pond. Schedule a consultation or call (541) 961-7269, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.