RoShamBo

iTrader: (1)

I weas wondering if its ok to clean a pond filter as i heard this should never be done.
I have a bucket filled with rocks type filter that has been doing a perfect job for a year or so but recently we have had a blanketweed problem and the filter often gets very clogged and the water isn't being filtered properly.
If you look at the stones in the filter they are covered in green weed, so was wondering if its ok to remove all the stones & clean them ?

Any advice appreciated.

R.

MadGrip

I do mine once every couple of months in the winter & every few weeks in the summer. I was told the same as you, but the water runs better and clearer if I do

David Lock

I am not quite sure what that filter is. Basically you will have established bacteria that are clinging to the surface of the rock and help eat up the naughty bugs in the water. If you take the rock out and hose it down you will lose all the bacteria and need to re-establish a colony.

But you need to try and reduce the blanket weed first and there are a number of options for this. Until you do this the filter will simply clog up again a week later. Is it feasible to just take some rocks out and just pull the blanket weed off? You could do this in a bowl of pond water so you don't lose too many bacteria. You can also buy a jar of bugs as a starter kit to speed up the bacterial filter process but best to turn off any UV lights for 24hours or the UV will kill off the new bugs before they are established.

Or take a third of the rocks out, hose them down and replace. Repeat after 3 days.

I hope your fish appreciate what you are doing for them

dantastic

you can buy a treatment to combat blanket weed you just mix with water and add to your pond, as for cleaning your filter this should be done as part of regular maintainence, after the treatment has done it's job the weed will be reduced to sludge and will need removing from your filter in any case. hope this helps regards, Dan.

Jamie

Every other day if you want it clean.

Hoppy

Ponds are great, but a bl00dy nightmare to maintain. We inherited one with our house, and some koi which are about 15 years old and huge, about 2ft long (Wonder what they taste like )

We tried everything to combat blanket weed - fliters, UV, some magnetic bollox in the pump hose. All useless.

During the summer, we now flush the pond out by leaving the hose on over night. Lovely clear water and the fish seem to like it - they swim into the hose stream which is nice to see Then bung in some Interpet Pond Balance and repeat every few weeks.

Against all expert advice, this seems to work as proven by the age of the fish and the fact that they've even had young-uns

Richard.

David Lock

Clarosan is about the best for blanket weed control. But it can harm some plants if you have them in which case try an Algae Controller device. I have sources if required. dl

njkmrs

If they having nippers they must be happy enough.I was told not to fill it with tap water due to additives in it , flouride etc,but have filled mine with tap water before now .Fish doing OK.
Regularly clean the sponge filters out which improves the flow rate back into the pond .

GTB Limited

Cloverleaf Blanket Answer, you won't be disappointed.

I've tried barley, clarasan, pond balance and blanket kio.
This stuff knocks to spots off all the above, I now have a zero blanket weed problem, and the water is exceedingly clear.

Cloverleaf

Blanket Answer

HTH

Mark