Why Use Ultra Violet Lights For Ponds?

Ponds have gotten alone very well throughout history without the help of ultra violet lights. Therefore, it's natural to wonder if they are truly necessary for the modern pond keeper. Well, it's important to realize that modern ponds are not the same as the ponds of yesteryear. For one thing, many ponds back then would only appear for short, limited periods of time before drying up. Either that, or they were connected to moving bodies of water such as underground springs, creeks or streams. In addition, there weren't as many chemicals in the environment then as there are today. For our modern times, ultra violet lights are becoming more of a modern necessity for keeping ponds healthy.

What Do Ultra Violet Lights Do?

Although aquariums need artificial lighting to mimic daylight for the fish, you obviously don't need any artificial lights for fish ponds. Rather, ultra violet light is used to sterilize and filter the pond water. This same technology is also used in other ways, such as by campers and the armed forces for sterilizing drinking water.

Another feature of ultra violet lights for ponds is that it burns out algae. Algae are the bane of any pond or aquarium. It is an invasive menace somewhat like The Blob for water environments. The shade of green might look pretty, but it will suck up all the nutrients and oxygen in the water, making it more difficult for any other plant, fish or critter to be healthy. Algae also have a tendency to develop an unpleasant ordor after a while, while healthy fish in good pond water has no detectable odor at all.

Things Ultra Violet Lights Can't Do

Ultra violet lights will not completely sterilize a whole pond full of water. This is actually a good thing, because nothing can live in completely sterile water. There always has to be some beneficial bacteria bopping about. It's true that some beneficial bacteria may be killed along with the bad, but generally it is not enough to harm your pond. (However, all of the algae will be killed.)

Ultra violet lights are also not an adequate substitute for a good filter. It specializes in killing algae, not filtering all the harmful bacteria out. So while it does help the water look cleaner, you should still plan to use a good filtration system with your pond.

Choosing the Right Size for your Pond

Ultra violet lights work best when the right sized light is purchased for the pond. Although it might be tempting to get the smallest and cheapest of the ultra violet lights available, it may not do an adequate job. Since manufacturers don’t make the same strength or types of UV lights, check with the box to see how many gallons the UV light can handle and make your decision based on that information.