Identifying pond equipment and what it is or does can be tricky.
Let us help.
Your feature may not have all of these pieces of pond equipment. This is a photo guide to help you figure out what you’ve got.
The Skimmer
If there is a box on the edge of the pond that the water flows into, that is your skimmer. There are many different skimmers. They may even be round! This piece of pond equipment is very common, although not all ponds have them.
There are many different skimmers, they may even be round! Generally, there is a fake flat rock as a lid, or a black lid. They usually have a debris basket or net, and a filter pad. Under that you will find the pump!
An Autofill
It is really important that you identify if your pond has this piece of pond equipment (or not). There are several different types. It may look like a toilet float. It is found in the skimmer.
Some autofill valves are in the skimmer directly in the pond. The on in this photo is called a Hudson Valve.
This particular autofill is larger.
Keep going - there is MORE pond equipment!
A Wye Strainer with Pressure Reducer
We use a wye strainer in the pipe right before the Autofill. It reduces the pressure so that it is not too much for the autofill valve. It also has a little screen that stops minerals in the water from clogging it up. If it gets clogged, the autofill might stay on and overfill the pond! If your autofill was installed without a wye strainer, I highly recommend adding it.
An IonGen
If you have a copper probe like this, it is called and IonGen or an Ionizer. When it is plugged in it slowly releases copper ions. It specifically treats string algae. The ions coat the roots, causing them to die.
This equipment can be very affective. You must really understand how this product works because if mis-used it can kill your fish. You should see a digital control panel near where the equipment is plugged in. Read more about it string and other types of algae.
A Pressure Filter
There are a variety of pressure filters. Usually they are buried and you can only see the top. They will be along the pipe that begins at the skimmer that goes up to the top of the system. It filters the water and is excellent for keeping green cloudy water at bay.
Most pressure filters have a UV light inside them that kills suspended algae (green cloudy water). Remember, these are pressurized and you need to read the instructions before trying to open it. Read more about green cloudy water and what to do.
The Bio Fall
A large container at the top of the stream will fill up and spill out into the waterfall. This one specifically is an Aquascape BioFall.
Water enters the Biofall at the bottom and filters up and out. There are filter pads just above the pipe inlet.
Some features do not have this at all, and just have a pipe coming out at the top.
Lava rock, bio balls, macaroni noodle shapes or even ribbons or other similar biofilter media give beneficial bacteria the nooks and crannies to colonize.
Filter media is usually in a bag for easy removal to wash out. Bio balls come in different variations and different sizes, but they all do the job!
Bio balls may float up, a good size rock will keep them under the water in the bio fall.
A rock tray on the top of the bio fall allows you to put rocks or plants to hide the bio fall.
A UV Light
A UV light may be found in a box, or buried or laying on top of the ground.
They come in many different sizes and shapes. Bulbs should be removed during the winter and could be one of many different bulb options.
Pumps
Your system may have one or more pumps. Options for their locations:
- submerged in the skimmer. Some ponds will have a skimmer that is a little bit back from the pond. It may have an extension tunnel from the pond to the skimmer.
- directly in the pond – submerged (you will see a pipe coming out somewhere).
- outside of the pond, not submerged in water. This is called an external pump and is usually located in a box or small shed.
They come in many different sizes and shapes. UV Bulbs should be removed during the winter and could be one of many different bulb options.
Sometimes when you move into a new house in the winter, you may find a bucket with a pump in it. Pumps are often stored this way over the winter and put back into the pond in the spring. Usually there is water in the bucket to keep the pump valves from drying out.
The pump may not be seen easily. Look for a pipe that goes down into the skimmer. The pump will at the end of the pipe. If the end of the pump has 5 sides (a pentagon) then it is a Little Giant pump.
You might see this - a ball valve
This ball valve is simply something that allows you to stop or slow the flow of water. When the blue handle is the same direction as the pump as shown here, the valve is open. When it is going across the pipe it is closed. You’ll see it with pipe (probably black) coming out of both sides.
An Aerator
Look at the pond. If you see air bubbles coming up, then you have an aerator! The aerator motor is found outside of the pond. It pumps air into the water for better oxygenation. It will have some sort of diffuser. This may get gunked up and have to be cleaned now and then.
The air bubbles here are from the aerator.
An Automatic Doser
If you see this, it will likely be near the skimmer and you will only see the top of it. They are roughly the size of a large loaf of bread. The XL version is larger. They both dispense beneficial bacteria into the pond.
What kind of alien thing is this? A pond DEICER!
A pond deicer (often referred to as a pond heater) is necessary if you have fish in Colorado. Read about which Pond Deicer is best.
Thermometer
You might see this control panel. The ball is actually attached to a wire and will be found down in the pond. It is a smart thermometer by Aquascape. You can use it with your phone to always know the water temperature of your pond! Yes I have one, and today my pond temperature is 74.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
Read more about How the weather affects the pond temperature.
Aquatic Lights
Lights in and on the edge of the pond or waterfall may look something like this. They may be hidden by rocks.
Your pond may have other equipment as well. If you need help identifying it or figuring out if it is working, just give us a call!