A pond filter is used to remove the solid particles, debris, chemical elements, and harmful toxins from the pond water. There are several types of pond filters. Cleaning the pond filter is very important. Otherwise, the solid materials and debris are clogged up inside the filter and the pond water becomes dirty.
In this guide, I will share some easy ideas about how to clean a pond filter as well as the pond filter pads and foams. So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Cleaning Mechanical Filter
Washing mechanical filters are very easy. Mechanical filters remove the solid particles from the water. You will find some common media such as cartridges, sponges, and pads in the filter. These materials can be manually washed.
You will need a garden hose for washing the mechanical filter. This cleaning process will not harm any helpful bacteria. You can use normal tap water for cleaning the filter. But it is recommended by the experts to use pond water.
Pond water may not smell good but it is good for the useful bacteria of your pond. Wash the filter until it becomes cleansed properly. After cleaning the sponge or pads squeeze them properly and install them inside the filter. The mechanical pond filter should be washed once a week.
Cleaning Biological Filter
A biological filter is worked as the shelter for good bacteria. It creates a surface on the pond water and gives shelter to the helpful bacteria. The toxin of pond water contains ammonia which is harmful to the fish. These helpful bacteria help to break down the ammonia into nitrite. Nitrite is further broken down into nitrate which can be absorbed by the aquatic plants. In this way, it keeps the pond water clean.
Cleaning the biological filter is a little bit tricky. A pond keeper must be careful about the good bacteria living inside the filter.
The biological filter should not be cleaned frequently. You can clean it once a year. Using tap or chlorinated water is prohibited to clean the biological filter. It will destroy the habitat of the good bacteria. The filter should be cleaned with a bucket of pond water until all the clogged mud, debris is washed out.
Sometimes many pond keepers are afraid of cleaning the biological filter as the shelter of good bacteria is being destroyed. As a result, their pond filter is clogged with a huge amount of debris and it does not let the oxygen enter into the filter.
Oxygen is very important for the living of good bacteria. So maintaining the cleaning routine of the biological pond filter is very much important.
How to Clean Chemical Filter
The chemical filter is mainly used for removing toxic chemicals such as ammonia, copper, nitrate, and hydrogen sulfide from the pond water. Mechanical and biological filters also remove the toxic elements. But the chemical filter does a strong filtration that washed out all types of chemical toxins.
In a chemical filter, activated carbon is used to absorb the chemicals. During the cleansing, activated carbon has to be replaced. The pond water becomes cloudy when the date of the activated carbon is expired. So if you see the change in the water you must replace the carbon immediately.
The cleaning routine of the chemical filter is similar to the mechanical filter. It should be cleaned once a week. Annual maintenance is also important.
How to Clean a Pressurized Pond Filter
The pressurized pond filter requires minimal attention throughout the season. However, over the year the UV bulb and filter media pads degrade and become less effective. To ensure your pond water stays crystal clear you should replace the UV bulb and filter media once per year.
For cleaning the pressurized pond filter you will need some tools such as a screwdriver, a replacement UV bulb, a soft damp cloth, replacement filter media pads, etc.
Before starting the cleaning process you must unplug the pump and filter from the power source.
After that, you have to remove the filter cap from the top of the filter and twist the UV to unlock it from the filter top. Then, you need to remove the screw securing the compression nut using a screwdriver. It will allow you to gently pull out the quartz sleeve. Now the UV bulb can easily be removed and you can insert the new bulb. Finally, you have to insert the UV back into the filter top and twist it to lock it into place
To replace the filter media pad, lift the filter cap from the filter and unscrew the handle. Then unhook the latches and remove the filter top. Here you will find the filter media. Separate the filter media base and discard the worn filter media pads. After that, you can replace the filter media pad
How Often to Clean Pond Filter
The pond filter naturally gets dirty after a certain amount of time. So a pond keeper must maintain a cleaning schedule. The cleaning schedule of the pond filter depends on the type of filter.
The mechanical filter gets dirty most frequently. Sometimes it needs to be cleaned up several times in a month. Otherwise, the filter is being clogged.
A common question of pond keepers is how often to clean pond biofilter. The answer is they should always be careful about the cleaning schedule of the biological filter. Observing the water quality will help them to find out the schedule.
Understanding the cleaning schedule of the chemical filter is easy. The pond keeper just needs to observe the water texture. If it becomes cloudy the activated carbon should be removed in no time.
Some important points are: the whole filter need not be cleaned. Only clean the media of the filter should be washed out. It is always wise to clean the filter with pond water. Though it doesn’t smell good after washing tap water is often harmful to the helpful bacteria. Never forget to turn off the electric power supply while cleaning the pond filter.
Hopefully, this article helped you to know how to clean pond filters correctly. Following the above instructions you can wash biological, chemical, mechanical and pressurized pond filters.
