What Is a Pond Skimmer?

Pond Skimmer Basics

A pond skimmer, of which there are two types (floating and fixed), is used to clean the surface of your pond by skimming off any debris that alights on the surface. By the use of suction, the surface water is filtered through a mesh basket liner to catch the debris before it sinks to the bottom of your pond where it would decompose and causes water problems. The main component of a skimmer is similar to a box with a large opening on one end were the pump pulls in the surface water and debris and then discharges it out the back. The size of the mesh liner openings will determine the size of the debris it will catch and filter out of the water.

The floating pond skimmer is simple to install and use. It is designed for smaller garden ponds. As its name implies, it floats on the surface. Tubing is connected from the skimmer to the pond's circulation pump. Through the pump's suction action, the debris is caught in a filter basket before the water is returned to the pond.

If you have a larger pond, a fixed pond skimmer is the most efficient surface cleaner. Similar to the system used in larger swimming pools, it is generally incorporated into the pond's structure when it is built, making the skimmer inconspicuous while it goes about cleaning the surface water. The fixed skimmer operates off of an external pump that suctions the water through the skimmer, then to the pond's main circulating pump's filter before being discharged back into the pond. The appealing part of this type of skimmer is that it is virtually invisible and doesn't intrude on the natural look of your pond and surrounding area. The only visible part is the lid of the skimmer unit. Fixed skimmer manufacturers have designed the lid to resemble a boulder or rock so that it blends in with the surrounding vegetation.

It seems simple enough to just let the leaves and other natural things sink to the bottom of your pond. You can't see them there, so what possible harm can they do? Unfortunately, after the debris settles to the bottom of your pond it will start to decay. This decaying action releases ammonia into the pond's water. Excess amounts of ammonia will harm any fish or other aquatic life your pond has. Large amounts of decaying leaves and other organic material will cause cloudy or murky water. This polluted water will be stressful on fish and prevent you from enjoying a nice, clear pond.

Whichever skimmer you use, floating or fixed, you will have to clean out the filter basket. This is as simple as removing the filter basket and rinsing out the basket to remove any accumulated debris. The frequency of cleaning the filter baskets will depend on how much external matter drops onto the water's surface. This can vary by season; it may have to be cleaned more often in autumn when trees begin to lose their leaves.