How to build a custom backyard pond filter, otherwise known as a constructed wetland filter.

In this video, Jaak Harju from Atlantis Water Gardens, discusses the features and benefits of Aquascape’s wetland filtration system. Wetland filters play an important role in pond ecology and help improve water quality and appearance. Using a Snorkel Vault and Centipede module, you can build an effective and efficient wetland filter for any type of water feature.

As described by Ed Beaulieu from Aquascape, Inc.:

“The way these filters are designed is exactly like Mother Nature’s wetlands are considered the kidneys of the earth. If you’re familiar with human biology and physiology, you know that kidneys actually filter toxins out of your blood, so wetlands therefore filter toxins out
of the lifeblood of the earth, which is water, so what we want to do whenever we’re thinking about a wetland filter we’re looking for pristine water quality.

We want to deal with dirty water situations, like high fish loads where you’re looking for good water quality, that’s what this is designed for.

We have a couple key consisting of the snorkel and centipede modules. This is it’s a long structure that goes down at the very bottom of the wetland where we have high velocity water that is discharged on the very bottom of the wetland. The key to this is slowing the water velocity down so what we have is a 93 percent reduction in water velocity to let the sediments fall into the bottom.

Then, we could easily remove them during routine maintenance. The snorkel vault actually has an access lid located easily along the edge, basically like a sump pit.

Depending upon the volume of water that we want to filter, the water then flows up to a layer of aqua blox, followed by many tons of gravel on top. The key to this part is not just dumping miscellaneous gravel, we’re going to go specific grades starting with larger cobbles at the bottom and working our way towards 1′ gravel at the top of the filter.

We will end up with three distinct layers of that gravel. Dirty water comes in to the bottom of the filter and flows up through all these gravel layers and then we’re going to place aquatic plants inside of it, directly into the gravel layer. All the roots are going to extend down into that gravel layer, they’re going to further remove nutrients that are going to build up inside of the wetland, so this entire filter is a living ecosystem.

We have all different types of microorganisms living inside of here, some of them we’re adding, like the bacterias. These are the bottom of the food chain. They’re going to break down all the nitrogenous waste that builds up inside of the pond from fish
waste decomposing, leaves, algae and things like that. So, as they break down they’re going to be creating these plant foods that are
going to help provide lush growth from the aquatic plantings and then come all the little microorganisms.

They’re going to feed on all the detritus, they’re going to feed on the bacterias and it rounds out that ecosystem.

If you live in Northern New Jersey and you’d like to learn more about having a constructed wetland filter installed on your backyard fish pond, visit our website:

http://www.atlantiswatergardens.com

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