An intake bay is a beefed-up version of a mechanical pond skimmer. With a pond skimmer, usually, you have a box with a weir door that houses the pump. The pump pulls the water through the weir door, causing a skimming action on the water surface. In addition, there are filter pads and baskets to catch the debris to keep it from clogging the mechanics of the submersible pump.
An intake bay performs all duties of a skimmer without dealing with the filters and baskets of a traditional skimmer.
The intake bay is a small cove-like area in a koi pond. It houses the pump in a pump vault surrounded by several aquablox. The action is the same, except the pump pulls all surface debris into this cove instead of a weir door. Periodically this debris needs to be scooped out with a net. There is less of a chance for debris getting into the pump, and the overall appearance is more aesthetically pleasing.
Components of an Ecosystem Pond
At River Rock Water Gardens, we recommend 5 key components of a koi pond. They are rocks and gravel, a mechanical filter, a biological filter, fish and plants. The skimmer is known as the mechanical filter. This skimming component is integral to creating a balanced ecosystem. When you have a balanced ecosystem, that means less maintenance for you! For example, Koi ponds without skimmers often have debris that floats to the bottom which then turns into nitrogenous waste. When that waste sits on the bottom it because an algae buffet that will only cause algae to bloom more. Again, an intake bay does the same thing that a traditional skimmer does except better.
If you’d like to watch Cody discuss Intake Bays more, watch this video about constructing an intake bay and some of the benefits.
