Pond Slit

[ferrara]

Now the filter and pump is successfully running, does anyone got have handy tips to clear pond slit? :helm2:

It IS getting trapped on the filter sponges, and today a lump of it clogged the waterfall attachment on my pump which I dont mind maintaining every other day till i start seeing results, but was wondering if anyone has any other DIY handy tips to reduce it, because its a complete nightmare to trap and just slips through hands and nets.

I dont want to go and buy a pond vacuum, but I did find a previous thread about using a pillow and the fibres in it?

Could someone explain this method? Could I simply just tie it in the pond and wait for it to catch the slit or does it have to be on some sort of outlet?

I also have purchased some blanket answer which i put half a messurment in before the previous pump decided to quit, so i want to wait a few more weeks before i add anymore treatment.

 

[addy1]

If you have a waterfall you can take quit batting, pillow stuffing put it in a laundry basket
but that below your waterfall so the water runs through it as it falls into the pond.

It will collect the silt.

 

[ferrara]

OH Quilt Batting! I dont have much of waterfall, but maybe if i tuck some in a mini basket, and place it near the waterfountain/pump and it will pick some of it up :helm2:

 

[addy1]

laughing typos, I usually reread many times lol

 

[koiguy1969]

you can build a fines prefilter also ....take a container (the bigger the better) and plumb your pump after it...then to your filter. just "screen" it off so the fiber fill doesnt get sucked in. i do this with an old tetrapond filter. you want a bigger container so you dont have to clean or replace the fiberfill as often but as the water clears and the silt is eliminated, cleaning becomes less frequent once the water is clear and the silt minimal. you can do this a day or two a month as maintainence. i have mine setup as its own independant setup including pump, drop it in, run it, take it out, clean and put away...once or twice a month. but you could put the filter outside the pond after a pump also.
*** i would remove as much silt from the bottom as possible manually first****

 

[taherrmann4]

I just cleaned mine out today with a pond vac I purchased a few years back, it is amazing how much sludge is at the bottom of your pond. I don't have a BD, next time I will for sure, so for now I have to suck it out twice a year once in the spring and once in the fall. I pulled out about four 5 gallon buckets worth of sludge, leaves, and dead plants. I put it in my compost pile figure it should be good stuff for the garden. It was windy here today so I am sure the neighbors were loving the smell.

 

[DrDave]

If you are diligent throughout the year in netting out leaves, this would not be such a burdon 2 times a year. I also have a grabber from Harbor freight that works great to snatch stuff off the bottom. It gives you time to bond with the fish as well.