22nd May 2022:
If you’re looking for a swimming pond that is healthy and clear, it’s important to understand the difference between plant-only and filtered swim ponds.
Manchester United vs Liverpool…
David vs Goliath,
Harry Potter vs Voldermort,
Maverick vs Iceman,
My dog vs temptation of fallen food from my twin boys at dinner time,
These are the eternal battles…
So first, can you have a swimpond with plants only and no equipment…
Complicated answer this one…
Yes you can, and many do…
Plenty of people go wild swimming in the sea and lakes no problem, and other than the odd shopping trolley there’s never any pumps and UVs. So, the big question is…
Why do we insist on having them in our swimponds? What’s the reason? What’s the benefit?
Firstly, lets take swimming back to a swimming pool. They contain chlorine. Reason being is chlorine just about kills everything. This helps them remove bacteria. Helps keep the water safe to swim in. Trouble is, in a swimpond it would kill all the plants and the wildlife!
So, we tackle the water management in four different ways.
- UV clarifiers – we over clarify the pond so that it removes suspended algae (which makes it go green) and UVs help sterilise the water.
- Filters – Filters help keep on top of the silt into the pond. This means that we don’t have a build-up of silt which potentially is harbouring bacteria.
- Phosphate management – We manage the phosphates in the water so that the food needed for suspended algae and blanket weed is restricted.
- Plants help reduce phosphates needed for algae to grow.
So how does a swimming pond with only plants manage the water?
- Plants help reduce phosphates needed for algae to grow.
So basically, filters mean we can have crystal clear pond water from day one. Plant only can take anywhere from 3-5 years. And plant only has no way of removing silt from the pond.
In my professional opinion we should embrace the technology as it aids in a safer more full filling swimming experience!