CHOOSING A POND SKIMMER
One of the key pieces of equipment that should be included in any water garden project is a pond skimmer. Skimmers are a type of mechanical filter, which means that some sort of net, basket or screen is used to capture debris as the water passes through.
What is the Purpose of a Skimmer?
The main problem a pond can face is the build up of organic material. Organic material includes leaves, sticks, grass, fish waste or anything else that can decay over time.
As organic material sinks to the bottom of the pond and decays, ammonia is produced as part of the decaying process.
High levels of ammonia are bad for a pond ecosystem and are highly toxic to fish. The first step in preventing ammonia build up is to trap floating organic debris before it can sink and decay. This is where a skimmer comes in.
ATLANTIC OASIS SERIES
Smaller Ponds with Submersible Pumps
The Oasis Series is Atlantic's line of user friendly products made to contractor-grade quality. Excellent for DIY water gardeners, or professional contractors putting in a smaller pond. Features a strong top lid, a steel-framed trap net for capturing debris and Matala filter mat for secondary mechanical filtraiton.
ATLANTIC BIG BAHAMA SERIES
Larger Ponds with Submersible or External Pumps
The Big Bahama series is Atlantic's line of professional products made for contractors, or DIY water gardeners wanting the best. Features over the Oasis series above include thicker walls, larger size for larger pumps, and a heavy-duty brush panel providing more advanced mechanical filtration. Comes in three sizes for ponds of all sizes.
HELIX POND SKIMMER
FISH FRIENDLY, INNOVATIVE DESIGN
Our Favorite Skimmer
The Helix Pond Skimmer was the recipient of the 2012 Pond Trade Show Product of the Year Award for revolutionary design. It's one of the only skimmers on the market where fish can simply swim in and out of the skimmer without getting trapped. The Helix automatically adjusts to the pond water level and flow rate making it ideal for small fish ponds all the way up to large Koi ponds.
Helix Pond Skimmer | |
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Flow Rate | 1,500 - 8,000 GPH |
Weir Door | 15" |
Size (WxDxH) | 19" x 18" x 35" |
Face Plate | 12" |
Price | $499.99 |
In Pond Skimmer
FOR EXISTING PONDS
The Oase in pond skimmers are an easy way to collect debris off of the surface of your pond. You just add the skimmer into the body of water without needing to attach it to the edge of a pond/liner. Use these if you have a concrete pond, a fibre glass pond or a pre-existing pond. They are not ideal for larger ponds as their debris baskets are much smaller, thus requiring more frequent debris removal. We have two models available: The free floating Oase SwimSkim with aeration and the Oase AquaSkim that connects to a pump.
Oase AquaSkim | |
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Size | 14" diameter x 32" high |
Flow Rate | 1600 - 4200 gph |
Faceplate | 12" |
Price | $104.00 |
Oase AquaSkim | |
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Size | 13"L x 12"W x 10"H |
Flow Rate | 800 gph |
Faceplate | 12" |
Price | $104.00 |
Model | Size | Flow Rate | Price | Oase AquaSkim | 14" diameter x 32" high | 1600 - 4200 gph | $123.99 | More Info |
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Oase SwimSkim | 13"L x 12"W x 10"H | 800 gph | $112.99 | More Info |
Need help choosing pond equipment?
Why you Need a Pond Skimmer
Because ponds are usually located outside, there are numerous ways the water can collect debris over time. Some of these ways include trees dropping leaves and sticks into the water, wind blowing grass, mulch, garbage and other yard waste into the water, as well as clutter from water plants like flowers and buds. If left alone, all this debris will eventually sink to the bottom and begin to decay. Unlike a river, which is constantly renewing itself with fresh water, a pond is a closed system, which means anything introduced into the water will affect your water balance if not filtered out.
Pond skimmers are usually installed at the surface of the water and will capture any leaves/sticks or other floating debris. Depending on how much debris is floating on the surface of the water will determine how often the basket or filter will need to be emptied.
Skimmer Placement
Depending on the design, your skimmer can be placed anywhere as long as the flow or current of the water encourages debris into the skimmer. This is usually accomplished by placing the pump inside of the skimmer in the case of a submersible pump, or by placing the pump intake inside of the skimmer in the case of an external pump. Either way, the water will naturally flow into the skimmer if installed this way. As the water flows into the skimmer, the water will enter the pump, leaving behind any floating debris in the filter basket.
Choosing a Pond Skimmer
There are many different brands of pond skimmers. When choosing which one is best for you consider these points:
1) Ease of Emptying
Depending on the amount of trees near your pond, you may be emptying your skimmer quite frequently in some seasons. For that reason, choose a skimmer that is easy to empty, and is also easy to access in your landscape.
2) Durability
Some low quality pond skimmers will not hold up well over time, especially when the weather gets cold and low quality plastics get brittle. Have a good look at the durability of the removable basket and choose one that slides in and out easily so as the basket won't get stuck in various weather conditions.
3) Pump Size
To ensure that your skimmer can always keep up with your pump, choose a skimmer that is rated to a similar flow rate as the pump. If your skimmer is matched to your pump, then it will be no problem in the future if you decide to squeeze a little more flow out of your pump (to build a bigger waterfall for example). One of our favorite brands of skimmers are made by Atlantic. To see more info about them, please see the images below with links to our store. For more information on flow rates and choosing a pond pump, click here.
4) Fish Considerations
If housing fish, you may want to consider a skimmer with some kind of floating door on the intake to prevent fish from entering and getting caught inside your skimmer.
For more information on what a pond skimmer is visit: "What is a Pond Skimmer"