10 Reasons To Buy A Pond Pump

If you decide to install a pond in your garden, and you’re new to this gardening/pond building malarkey, you might want to look at pond pump installation. If you make a large enough pond, add enough real plants and fish, it might be possible to get away with not bothering with a pump. If, however, the pond you’re planning is fairly small, and you’re worried about stagnation, pond algae and mosquitoes then read on.

Why Buy A Pond Pump?

There are many good reasons for buying a pond pump even if you don’t intend to keep fish, if you are planning on fish keeping, be sure to buy a pump that’s fish friendly. Let’s look at the main reasons for installing a pond pump

1. Increased Oxygen Levels
   In one way or another, all life on this planet is dependent on oxygen. Fish and pond plants need oxygenated water to survive. If the oxygen levels drop too low all animal, fish and plant life will die. A pump agitates the surface of the water, this gives a larger area to absorb oxygen.
2. Cleaner Water
   Pond pumps incorporate a filter to remove any dirt or debris that can foul up the pond.
3. Prevents Sediment Build-Up
   Sediment in and of itself is not a bad thing, in a natural pond sediment is relied on for the removal of the dead and decaying materials by microorganisms. The problem is the garden pond doesn’t have a large area and too much sediment build-up will be detrimental to the health of the pond.
4. Reduces The Risk Of Pollutant Build-Up
   There are pollutants in the air, in the water, in fact there are pollutants everywhere. Harmful gases and heavy metals will build-up in ponds if they are not removed.
   
   In nature the area is large enough to accommodate these harmful products without any adverse effects, ponds are not and so they need a pump with a filtration system to remove them.
5. Removes And Prevents Foul Smelling Water
   Stagnant water smells, the smell is caused through low oxygen combined with an increase of hydrogen sulphide gas. The pump agitates the water increasing oxygen levels and removing hydrogen sulphide gasses.
6. Controls Algae Growth
   The single cell algae thrive in slow moving or stagnant water and sunlight. As it is fast growing, in the right conditions algae growth will cover the entire surface area of the pond, killing all other types of life in the pond. A Pond pump keeps the water moving fast enough to slow the growth rate of algae down and the pump will remove many algae spores from the water.
   
   Ironically it’s the fast growth of algae that will kill it off in nature. Once all other plant, fish and insect life has died in the pond, the nutrients run out – No nutrients for the algae to feed on. This will eventually kill off the algae, the problem is, by this stage, everything else in the pond is dead too.
7. Prevents The Breeding Of mosquitoes
   The life cycle of the mosquito starts with adults laying their eggs on still, stagnant, warm waters. These eggs hatch into the water, become larvae that feed in the pond, until eventually maturing into the blood sucking insect we all know.
   
   Installing a pond pump will make the water have too much movement for mosquitoes to successfully lay their eggs. Any eggs that do make it into the pond will be dealt with by the pump filter.
8. Powers Any Water Features
   There is something incredibly pleasing about the sound of moving water. A pond pump can power a fountain, small waterfall or other water feature. Adding extra depth to the pond and creating that calming, peaceful sound.
9. Mimics Running Water
   If you prefer rivers to ponds, you can design your pond to look like a stretch of river. The pump will imitate the flow of the river and create that rushing water sound.
10. Creates A Nicer Environment For Fish
    Fish naturally live in bodies of water that contain a balance of oxygen, nutrients and microbes. A pond pump maintains the levels of these vital, life supporting elements making the perfect environment for healthy fish.

Can You Build A Pond Without Using A Pond Pump?

If you were to go out in nature, and walk by the side of a natural pond, start observing the wildlife, and general condition of the pond. You will notice, there is a harmony, a balance between the various organisms surviving in and around the pond. What you won’t notice, is a pond pump.

How Does A Natural Pond Survive?

Nature has its own way of dealing with things, what makes a successful natural pond thrive? For any body of water to survive it needs certain criteria,that have to be met. 

• Large Areas
  The larger the surface area, the more oxygen can be absorbed and the less of an impact the sludge on the bottom will make.
• Plant Life
  All plants grow better with more room, plus they reoxygenate the water, create hiding spaces for smaller organisms to survive in, breeding grounds for fish and use up those nutrients caused through fish poo, and decay.
• Wildlife
  Insects help to create the biodiversity needed to keep balance and harmony in the pond. Plus they provide food for the fish.
• Pond Bottom Soil
  That decaying dead matter, eventually becomes a sludgy, slimy soil like substance that is able to support plant growth.
• Micro-organisms
  These virtually invisible creatures clean the water and the sludge to create a self-sufficient pond.

What it doesn’t have included in that list, is a pond pump, and there are a few good reasons for that. Firstly if it did have a pump, it wouldn’t be a natural pond. Secondly, it doesn’t need one.

The secret to the circle of life in a natural pond is the correct balance of everything needed to keep the water fresh enough for plants, fish and animals to survive. The main secret ingredient needed to keep pond water able to support life is anaerobic bacteria.

The Cycle Of Life In A Natural Pond

For a pond to support a variety of life it needs to be large, and have a large enough surface area for oxygen to enter. Because the area is large, there’s enough space for many varieties of plants to grow. For plants to grow, they need nutrients, the more nutrients present, the more plants the pond can support. 

These nutrients come from a few different sources, many are formed from dead insect, fish and plant materials. As they rot down into the sludge on the bottom of the pond, they use up oxygen to break them down and eventually use up most of the oxygen on the bottom of the pond. Once the oxygen levels drop, anaerobic bacteria form, these guys feed on decaying matter and thrive in low oxygenated water.

The sludge eventually is turned into a form of growing medium for more plants and more bacteria to settle in, and start removing the nutrients again. Fish poo, dead rotting insects and plant life all add to the nutrient levels in ponds. Too many nutrients, and algae will start to take over.

The way algae growth is kept in check in a natural pond is by the higher up the food chain plants growing larger, and faster to literally starve the algae out of the pond. So a natural pond is a balance between nutrients, plant life, insect life, fish, and microbes. It works perfectly well in nature so why not in our gardens?

Why Do Ponds In Nature Not Have Pumps But Garden Ponds Need A Pump?

By our very nature we like to interfere, give a boy a toy train, leave him alone for half an hour and the chances are he’ll take it to pieces to see how it works. Us humans can’t help but to tinker, not for us the old saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” We’re more likely to question why it’s not broke.

Once you made the decision to set up a pond, without even knowing you at all we can tell you your first mistake. You decided to make it too small. Now that’s a generalisation but it will be true, because none of us have enormous gardens where a pond large enough to survive on its own could be justified on its size. If the pond isn’t large enough, none of the natural processes above can take place and that’s why garden ponds need a pond pump.

Frequently Asked Questions