Choosing a Pond Pump

When Choosing a Pump for your Koi Pond, thereare many different factors to consider.The Pump must be able to properly aerate the water. It also must be able to properly operate allpieces of the filtration system, from the filter to the UV Sterilizer, andanything else connected to your pond.The pump must be able to operate in a wet environment, either externallyor submerged, and it must also be able to push water through all the twists andturns of the plumbing system.

To determine how much water your pump shouldmove, it is first necessary to figure out how much water is in your KoiPond. To determine how many gallons ofwater are in your fish pond, multiply the cubic feet of water by 7.48. It is this total volume that must be movedthrough the filtration system at least once per hour. Keep in mind that the entire pond must be aerated, not just thereturn area. It may be necessary tooversize the pump by quite a bit to add additional outlets. These can be plumbed to prevent stagnantflow, and may be a necessity on larger ponds.

Submersible pumps are the more common of thepumps. They can be simply dropped intoa pond with an outlet plumbed to external waterfalls, fountains, or filtrationsystems. They can also be included onsubmersible filtration systems, and are often attached to decorativefountains. External Pumps are generallymore powerful, and may run with less electrical cost. They must be plumbed in a dry location, and must be carefullychosen, as they must be manufactured to run in wet locations. A water-proof enclosure may have to beconstructed to keep the external pump dry, depending on manufacturer'sspecifications.

Pump Charts and Head Pressure are two foreignterms to most Pond Owners. Pump Chartsare included with most Pumps, and show how much water the pump moves based onhow much head pressure is applied. Thisis important because in order to operate a filtration system effectively, thepump must move the entire volume of water through the filter each hour. Head Pressure is a generic term for frictionloss through pipes, tubing, and fittings.Without getting into advanced physics, you can calculate basic headpressure by adding a foot of head pressure for every foot of straight pipe ortubing, and for every fitting used.Always oversize the pump, and always attempt to turn move the entirevolume of water through the filtration system at least once per hour.

As long as the proper amount of water is moved,the pump choices are less meaningful.There are minor differences in electrical consumption amongst pumpmanufacturers, but it should definitely be checked. There are definitely manufacturers with a good reputation, and aswith most things, you tend to get what you pay for. Always be wary of excessively inexpensive pumps, as it is thecenterpiece of your filtration system.The most important thing is to choose a pump that will run your systemeffectively.