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Everything About Garden Pond Pumps |
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How To
Choose The Right Pond Pump
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| Pump Types Explained: |
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| If
you are like most
people who are creating their own garden pond, then you probably find
that choosing the right pump is the most difficult decision you have to
make. Most other issues are just aesthetic choices really - Do you want fish? What kind of fish, Koi maybe? What kind of plants? How big or small should the pond be? And what shape? But when it comes to pumps, it's a matter of knowing what type you need, what brand, and how powerful it should be. On this site we try to answer those questions for you. First of all, it's important to note that you can choose between external pond pumps and submersible pond pumps. A submersible pump is placed under water. The external ones are cheaper to buy, and they use less energy. But submersible pumps don't make any sound (which is nice because of course you want your pond to be a source of tranquility, not noise). Then you have the matter of how powerful the pump should be. As a rule of thumb, you can say that all the water in the pond should be moved at least once every hour and a half. So if your pond has 300 gallons of water in it, you'd normally go for a pump that has the capacity of moving at least 200 gallons of water per hour. This is just a rule of thumb and not always the exact specification you need, it can depend on the shape of your pond, and things that reduce the flow of water (like filters, vegetation, waterfalls etc). If there is not enough circulation you may encounter problems like low oxygen levels in your pond, stagnant water, or too little filtration. This eventually leads to a generally unhealthy pond. Obviously, an unhealthy pond is not a suitable habitat for your fish and plants, and will become an embarrassment instead of an asset to your backyard. So make sure to buy the proper pump, and prevent problems before they happen. Most brands of pumps have good documentation on their sites where you can fill in the specifics of your pond, and they show you the most appropriate model they have for your situation. There are a number of brands to choose from, the most well known are Hozelock, Laguna, Oase, Beckett and Tetra. It is important to go for an established brand and not a cheap pond pump that "looks like" a top range product. The reason is simple: There are many manufacturers that copy the exterior looks of well made, researched and tested brands. But they do not provide the top class mechanics inside that a top product will have. It's important to note that the initial price of buying a pond pump is not the biggest investment. The biggest difference in price is the cost to actually USE the pump, day after day, year after year. Saving a few hundred dollars initially may be the worst investment you make when buying a pump, so beware. Make sure to check out the other articles on our site, where we explain the specific types of pond pumps that are available in more detail.
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