The use of fish pond skimmers in garden ponds and pools indicates that the humble backyard pond has, at last, come of age.
Not that long ago it was unheard of to even consider including a skimmer in a pond design. But now you will find a range of different skimmers and skimmer devices alongside your basic fish pond supplies.
On the other hand, skimmers are very much part and parcel of a swimming pool, where the clarity and hygiene of the water is paramount. Pretty well every swimming pool that has been constructed over the past 40 years has a built-in skimmer box with a basket that traps floating debris. This is the point at which pool cleaners are normally attached. Quite basic in design, all that is required is for the basket to be removed, emptied and rinsed once a week so that it will continue to operate at maximum efficiency.
Similar skimmers can be incorporated in a pond, but nowadays special skimmers are available especially for garden ponds. These help to prevent the water getting murky and unhealthy and minimize the debris that flows through the filter system, allowing the filter to operate at maximum efficiency.
A good quality skimmer will be manufactured from heavy-duty components to meet the needs of a garden pond. These come equipped with weir doors, debris net (to catch the dirt) and brush panels that reduce pool maintenance. If you choose a skimmer that has a stainless steel framed trap net you can rest assured that it will last for quite some time. A well-designed model will allow you to add a brush panel that will extract the unwanted leaves and debris, but prevent fish and frogs from being pulled into the skimmer. A standard swimming pool skimmer doesn’t have this feature.
There are skimmers that are intended for use on the side of the pond. This makes for easy access to the collection basket, which is usually covered with what looks like a natural rock or slab. Like all other skimmers, these are designed to remove leaves and other floating muck from the surface of the water.
Then there are skimmers that float in the water and effectively remove leaves and other floating debris. These are similar to automatic skimmers that were first introduced to the swimming pool market in the 1980s. They harness the energy of the water that flows into the pool, skimming off the floating debris before it has a chance to sink to the bottom and degenerate. A good quality skimmer of this sort will automatically adjust to the changing level of the water. They are a great idea for ponds that have been constructed without a built-in skimmer.
Some floating skimmers also incorporate a biological filter and an air injector that acts like a pond aerator. There is even a model that has a large strainer basket that will remove particles of debris that are bigger than 100 microns, as well as a built-in cleaning mechanism (with a brush). This particular skimmer can be built into new pond structures or used for existing ponds.
When you buy a skimmer for your pond, you need to be sure that the model you buy fits the flow range of the pump that you have (or plan to have) in your fish pond. Don’t forget this!
