View Single Post
  #4   Report Post  
Old 01-10-2012, 01:35 PM posted to rec.ponds.moderated
Pat Pat is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Sep 2012
Posts: 5
Default Cleaning the pad in the waterfall pump


"Jason C" wrote in message
...
On Saturday, September 29, 2012 1:15:24 PM UTC-4, Pat wrote:

Give the pump the cleanest water you can. Get it away from the bottom an

d
away from the surface.


I did try that using the upside-down tupperware container, so that the pump
is about 6" from the floor. The gunk that's always clogging it up, though,
looks more like thick, dark scum.

I think you have learned that 6" is not enough. The water may be cleanest
by the waterfall.

You might try running the pump with out the pads.


That's what I was thinking, too. But then, won't I just gunk up the big fil
ter? Which, I should mention has never needed to be cleaned. Or is it somet
hing that should balance out with the bigger filter?

I think the pads are to protect the pump from large particles.

Your pond should have a bottom drain to remove the material that sinks to


the bottom.


Yeah, I wish someone had told me that when I was digging it! LOL I didn't
really think about debris at the bottom, and now I'm in a tough position wh
ere I can't just siphon it with a hose (the pond is deeper than the rest of
the property), and I haven't found a good (and affordable) vacuum that won
't suck up the gravel on the bottom, too.

I've tried the kind where you attach a water hose and it's supposed to send
the debris in to a filter bag, but that just makes a huge mess and catches
little or nothing.

Any suggestions on a fairly inexpensive vacuum that might help?

A bottom drain is really the way to go. Do the pond over with a drain. I
drain a hundred gallons of muck out of my pond every morning. If you need
to raise the level of your pond by putting in some walls. Remove the gravel
from the bottom. My pond has a bare liner for the bottom sloped to a bottom
drain. 3 feet is a little shallow 4 feet or more is better.

You might try using a sewer pump that can pump large debris. Use a bottom
drain in your filter to remove the debris.