Sometimes picking the right filter media for your Koi pond can be as confusing as the filtration system itself. A visit to your local Koi shop will certainly bear this out. I get questioned frequently to help clear up the confusion.
There are two types of filtering to be accomplished – mechanical and biological. All media performs one or the other or both. They are both required for your Koi pond so what do they do? Well the mechanical filtration media removes large particulate waste material. Biological filtration fosters the growth of beneficial bacteria that breaks down pollutants in the water.
Japanese matting has become one of the most well loved and widely used for biological filtering. It is made from thousands of fiber strands formed into a sheet or mat. Do not use this medium for mechanical filtration since it will easily clog and require repeated cleanings that will eventually lead to disintegration.
Another well loved type of biological filtering medium is bacballs. They are simple to use and clean. But again, don’t use them in the early stages of filtration or they will clog as well. You can also use Bioflow and flocor for biological filtering. They are pieces of plastic that are light weight and simple to clean.
If you don’t have a vortex chamber as your first stage of filtration, you will want to use brushes in the first stage to trap the large solid waste material. Brushes are simple to work with and clean. You can be sure they will need frequent cleaning depending on the waste load of your Koi pond.
So what kind of setup is a excellent one? Well the answer might be different depending on who you question but here are ways to start. If you have a pump-fed multi-chamber system without a vortex chamber you want to have brushes in the first stage. Follow this with flocor or bioflow in stage two. Have Japanese matting in stage three. And if you have more chambers add matting, foam or Aquarock.
Regardless of what your exact setup is, there are many options available. Do a small homework and see what is available. Alternatively the setup I have described will serve you well.