Solar pump

[Neil32]

I'm looking into a large wooden planter "pond" for my girlfriend's garden. I have a solar powered pump and fountain. We don't want anything electrical as the planter will be situated quite close to the grandchildrens pool in the summer. I'm hoping to planter the pond well with small pond plants, bit also grow some herbs aquaponically as I have in my indoor aquarium. This, along with the introduction of some aquatic snails from the aquarium, I hope, will help to keep water parameters close to perfect. Also low stocking will help.
But I am also going to make a small trickle filter with floss and lava rock and some sand.
The trouble being, it will be powered by a solar powered pump which, obviously, will switch off at night. Therefore any beneficial bacteria will be robbed of a source of oxygen for probably 8 hours a day.....more during the winter.
So, I suppose my question is, is there any point...ha ha ?!?!

[Munchy2007]

I don't know how much use the trickle filter will be if it is off for extended periods.

You could try what I did for one of my small wildlife ponds, which was to run some heavy duty pond airline to an air powered filter from an air pump housed indoors. If it's close enough to be convenient, doing it that way means no electricity near the pond.

[Neil32]

Munchy2007 that's a thought...
After giving it a bit more thought, I think I'm going to go the filterless route.
Can you suggest some good, nitrate guzzling pond plants please ? Some floating, submerged and marginals would be great.
It's a 85 litre barrel but would probably only put 4-6 white cloud mountain minnows or similar. Cheers

[fr499y]

Your typical aquarium floating plants ate gold for ponds, especially at that size. Frogbit, Salvinia, water lettuce.