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By Gerry Fung
For any pond owner, a pond pump is a mandatory requirement to circulate your water (because stagnant bodies of water are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitos). The standard pump preferred by water gardeners is the magnet-driven submersible pump. In the old days, the main disadvantage of submersible pumps was that the pump seal could rupture and release oil coolant into the water. However, this is not the case nowadays, because newer pumps are magnetic-driven, and no longer require coolant. “Mag-driven” pumps are slightly more expensive, but they have the added advantage of consuming less electricity.
The main challenge for most pond owners is to find a pond pump that adequately addresses their needs. Are you looking for a pump for your backyard water garden? Do you want to have multiple water features such as a statue, a fountain, or a waterfall? Are you raising fish? If so, you may require increased filtration (I.e. an external filter).
You may want to consider a multi-purpose pond pump. The advantage of a multi-purpose pond pump is that you can adapt them to accommodate any pond requirements. There is no need to purchase extra pumps or hardware in order to create multiple water flows because these pumps come with built-in diverter valves. The diverter provides you with the ability to alternate the intensity of water flow (through control valves) between two water flows. For example, one of the output water flows can be used as a fountain, because the pumps come complete with a telescopic riser and an assortment of fountain heads. The other water flow could be used to supply water to your statue, spitter, filter, watercourse, or waterfall. A properly sized multi-purpose pump can easily supply water to cascading filters and watercourses.
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A second advantage of a multi-purpose pump is that they have built-in mechanical pre-filters to prevent the pump from becoming clogged. These mechanical pre-filters comprise of a special sponge mesh which is extremely effective at trapping pond debris. This sponge can easily be cleaned once every several weeks to maximize mechanical filtration; replacement sponges can be purchased to prolong the life of your pump.
We recommend both the Algreen SuperFlo and Shott Nursery Pro line of pumps because they are both high quality, energy-efficient pumps with excellent heads (I.e. maximum heights) of up to 15’. These pumps are sized by gallons per hour (GPH) and can sustain flow rates of 200 GPH up to 1585 GPH! (we recommend a pump with a GPH rating that is at least half that of the volume of your pond)
For more information about the Algreen SuperFlo and Shott Nursery Pro pond pumps, please go to http://www.gardenSM.com.
See Also...
External vs. Submersible Pumps. Which One Should You Use?
For many people, it's never been a question of whether to use a
submersible pump vs. an external pump because most people have
smaller ponds and are used to just using a submersible pump.
They're easy to install, and are pretty reliable - so why even
consider an external pump?
Building Liner Ponds
Surprisingly enough, it is usually in mid-summer that many
gardeners begin to think about installing a small pond or
water garden. Ponds don't need to be weeded or watered, and
they can supply exuberant color in the form of water lilies
and bog plants.
Japanese Gardens: The Practical Use of Stones and Boulders
There are many elements and features that are found in Japanese gardens. The 3 most important Japanese garden elements used are plants, water, and rocks. This article forcuses on the pratcical use of stones within the garden design, along with its aesthetic qualities.
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