Pond Filter Media - What is it?
There are all types of filter media out there. Man made media and of course, lava rocks. There is even bio-ribbon!
All of these serve an important function. They provide just the right surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize. This bacteria is what makes your water – LIVING water! The pond is alive and the living bacteria, the aquatic plants and other microorganisms are what consume the nutrients that will otherwise be used to fuel algae!
Which one is better?
Good question. Let’s look at the pros and cons of a natural material like lava rock, versus man made filter media like Bioballs.
Lava rocks
- Pros
- Very porous and therefore offer great surface area
- Are difficult to clean
- Have less surface area than manmade filter media
- Can become very heavy
- May contribute to water hardness
- Degrade over time
BioBalls
- Pros
- surface area (all the flat small areas within the Bioballs) creates more surface area than lava rocks.
- Easy to clean (just hose them down)
- They do not contribute to water hardness
- Do not degrade over time
- Light weight
- Made of plastic
Our Pick
Good filtration is the backbone of a healthy Colorado pond (and every where else too!). A combination of aquatic plants and man made filtration like filter pads, Biofalls and Bioballs will keep your pond clean. While I do generally prefer something natural like lava rocks, when it comes comparing lava rocks to Bioballs, the clear choice is the Bioballs.
BioBalls or lava rock, or some tubular bio media, actually any kind of bio-media is not a fix all. They are one piece of a balanced LIVING WATER eco system! What else do you need? My favorite is Aquatic Plants. Looking at the whole picture – read about The Pond Ecosystem!
