Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So my pond pump at my new house started making a sucking sound and I went to check it out - apparently the big, rectangle mat is gummed up and now I need to know what to do.
Can I clean it? It looks like a large 2" thick rectangle of mesh - 14"x20". Can I replace it? Do I need a specific filter?
Thanks, this is my fist pond and I'm learning as I go.
The sucking sound usually means not enough water is getting to the pump, either because the water is low or something is clogged. Yes, clean the filter and go from there. When I had a pond, we cleaned the filter 3x a year.
I clean my filters every month, by spraying them really hard with a hose, both sides. You will need to replace the filters periodically, though. Look at your pump, it might say on there somewhere what brand it is, to help you find a replacement filter. Beware, I bought some replacement filters on eBay, and they were total garbage---so some filter media is better than others.
Oh and yes, it's dirty! I just replaced mine today, it warmed up to the 50's here, and I hadn't been able to rinse it since December. In the warmer months all that yuck makes good plant fertilizer, but you'll get dirty in the process.
I clean my filter about once a month with pressure from the hose. It makes the water clearer so you can enjoy your fish. I had trouble finding a replacement for my filter so I ended up buying a sheet that was larger and cutting it to the correct size. Your filter is very important to the health of your pond.
If you are just talking about the meshy mats (technical term!) or plastic tube filters in bags (also technical), I do not think they should be cleaned very often. They actually perform better when a little "dirty."
Ironically, you can order rolled filter from 123 ponds
I used to build waterfall spillways and this is where I ordered all my filter. If interested, I have half a row of 1-1/2" thick bio-filter material left over.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
