A mechanical filter is a filter that primarily filters out debris in your pond. It usually consists of a variety of filter pads (course, fine, carbon-coated, etc.), beads, filter nets, etc. that will 'catch' the debris that's in your pond so you can remove it.
A biological filter is part of a filter where beneficial bacteria (which is a good type of bacteria to have), grows and multiplies. This beneficial bacteria requires a lot of surface area to grow on, so the more surface area, the more room you're providing the beneficial bacteria to grow on. When you add beneficial bacteria on a regular basis, such as Microbe Lift for ponds and water gardens less than say, 50' x 50' in size, or PlanktoniX for ponds and lakes larger than 50' x 50' in size, you're always increasing your pond's biological filter.
Sometimes, manufacturers make filters that provide both mechanical and biological filters. Beneficial bacteria can grow on the filter pads which can have a bit of surface area for them to grow on. Sometimes, there's other biological media such as bio-balls, filter floss, bio-tubes, bio-beads, etc. for the bacteria to grow on. These are all pluses. The one thing to note with biological filters is that the more surface area the biological filter offers, the clearer your pond may be - at least in some cases. Most manufacturers clearly advertise the amount of surface area their particular filter offers. Make note of this number but know that it's only part of the equation when it comes to keeping your pond water clear. There are many other factors such as:
- the quantity and size of your fish you have in your pond
- what size your pond is
- what size of filter you have
- what size of pump you have
- if the pond is in full sunlight or part shade
- how often the water is changed
- other chemicals added to the pond
- how often the water is filtered
- if you use a UV clarifier or UV sterilizer
- if you add fresh water to your pond on a consistent basis
- what your pond is made out of
There are many different types of pond filters. Some are gravity fed filters, meaning they should be installed 'uphill' where the water flows from the filter down into the pond. Other filters may be submersible and can be located within the pond itself. Some have built-in UV lights that can kill the majority of bacteria, fungus, viruses and floating algae cells while others do not have built in UV (ultra violet) lights.
The rule of thumb is to have a filter that is large enough to filter the entire body of water every 3 hours. For instance, if you have a pond that is 9,000 gallons, your filter should be large enough to filter 3,000 gallons every hour. Do know, that this is not always the case.
If you have too many fish for your size of pond, if you're not always adding beneficial bacteria on a regular basis (such as Microbe Lift for small ponds less than 50' x 50' in size or PlanktoniX for larger ponds and lakes) or a whole host of other things (see some of the things mentioned in the list above), then you still may have unclear pond water or water chemistry that is 'off'. Filtering the pond water every 3 hours is only a guideline. If in doubt, always, always, always go with a larger filter for your pond. Only you and your pond will benefit.
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