When you want to install a pond in your backyard, what materials do you need? The answer may seem obvious: just dig a big hole, line it with some stones, and fill it with water. The addition of fish and grass might be a good touch, and decorative features like waterfalls and lighting can spice it up further. What more could you need?
Plenty more, as it turns out. Everything mentioned above is rather surface-level, but the pond needs certain fixtures to make it actually function. One such product is the pond skimmer. We have written in the past about how pond skimmers keep the pond clean. Here, we will go into greater detail and explain everything you need to know about them.
What is a Pond Skimmer?
The pond skimmer is a mechanical fixture that provides filtration for constructed ponds. Water enters the device through one end and comes out the other free of most debris. The equipment itself consists of several components, which generally includes:
- A weir at the opening, which regulates the amount of water flowing into it. It should also be designed to keep fish from getting inside. Weirs with floatation attachments allow it to function well regardless of any fluctuations in water level.
- A basket for collecting larger debris. It must be made of mesh, wire, netting, or another material with holes big enough to permit water, yet small enough to catch most objects.
- Another filter, brush, or sponge on the inside that catches smaller particles. Two-part filtration systems can increase the effectiveness of the pond skimmer.
- A pond pump, which sucks the water inside, pushes it through the system, and returns it to the bottom of the pond. Alternatively, it can redirect water out of a waterfall, if your pond uses such a feature.
What Do Pond Skimmers Do?
When you picture your backyard pond in your mind, you might imagine a pristine pool of water, so clean that it reflects your smile. It might look like that when you first set everything up, but a great deal of hard work goes into keeping it that way. This is especially true if your pond is near any bushes or under any trees. Leaves, twigs, nuts, insects, and all kinds of random objects can fall onto the water, spoiling that image. Rainy weather may sweep even more foreign matter, such as dirt, into the pond.
Pond skimmers handle much of the work needed to clean and maintain the pond water. Their primary duties are renewing the quality of the water and removing any debris. Both tasks are connected in keeping the pond unsoiled and habitable for any fish you may own.
Why is Pond Skimming Important?
Even after this description of the services that pond skimmers provide, you may still not be entirely convinced. After all, the equipment is an extra expense for a project that can be quite costly on its own. Maybe its functions just are not that important to you. Besides, is there not something romantic in the image of leaves floating on the surface of a pond?
Unfortunately, this is a rather, well, surface-level perspective. Those leaves, as well as any other organic material that lands in the water, will eventually sink to the bottom of the pond. There, out of sight and out of mind, they will begin to decompose. Part of that process is the release of ammonia, which, in excess, can prove toxic to fish and damaging to the pond itself.
Unless you find beauty in the sight and scent of death and decay, there is nothing romantic about a dirty pool of water. Natural ponds have natural ways of balancing out the effects, but manmade ponds require manmade solutions. Pond skimmers are designed to catch organic material before it can sink. By accomplishing this task, they nip the potential problem of mass decomposition in the bud.
Other Benefits of Getting a Pond Skimmer
You could certainly take care of the pond skimming on your own without installing any additional machinery. With that said, a pond skimmer makes maintenance much easier and essentially does the job for you. It is true that you cannot be totally passive — human hands are still required to empty the skimmer of debris. On the plus side, instead of having to trawl the entirety of the pond, you can trap all the contaminants in one convenient place.
Additionally, maintenance is a recurring chore because contaminants do not abide by a schedule. They can get into the water at any moment, and you may not have much time before they sink. Luckily, pond skimmers do not abide by a schedule either. Your equipment can take care of filtration while you are asleep or away.
Foreign waste is not the only kind of debris that a pond skimmer can clean up. Pet fish need a clean environment, which can be complicated because they swim in the same environment where they expel waste. When you keep them in an aquarium, you just need to hold the fish in a temporary container and clean out the tank. Draining a pond in a similar fashion would be a different kind of waste. Pond skimmers can draw in and filter any matter in the water, saving you plenty of trouble.
Order Pond Skimmers Online
Good filtration is vital to the life and longevity of a backyard pond. Now that you know what you need to do for your pond, you just need to find a high-quality pond skimmer. Aquatic Ponds is here for those who only want the best.
We offer several distinct models of pond skimmers and products related to pond skimmers. These range from nets to mats to UV clarifers to spare parts and other accessories. Everything in our collection comes from out partnerships with distinguished manufacturers like Atlantic Water Gardens, Aquascape, Helix, Oase, and Savio. Best of all, if you shop on our website, you can receive free shipping for all orders that exceed $75.