BioFalls are very simple yet effective fish pond filtration systems that don't require much care.  However, spring is the perfect time to check on those filter pads to see if they may need replacing.  The filter pads are cleaned a few times a year but are quite frequently forgotten about.   What really determines if you can reuse these pads or if you should just replace them? 

Inspection of the BioFall filter pads is one of the items we check off on all our pond clean out services. In general the BioFall filter pads can last up to two years, we recommend not going more than two years on a set of pads.  We normally recommend changing one out each year as most biofalls have multiple filter pads.

Why? 

1. They get clogged and start to breakdown.  Even if you clean them frequently, "stuff" is most certainly stuck in the middle clogging that filter pad.  "Stuff" you can't see
2. The filter pads start to break down and fall apart.  Not to the point that you are going to have thousands of pieces of filter pad floating in your pond, but ripping.  If you remove the filter pad to clean it and it rips, that means it's time for a new one.  

Before you even potentially waste your time or water, check the filter pad for rips or tears.  If you see none, check the strength of the filter pad.   What rip it?  Yes, try to rip it, but leave your Hulk strength at home.  It really doesn't take much to rip that filter pad if its shot.   If either of these happen, go  invest in some new BioFilter filter pads, it's time. 

Should your pads look good, aren't tearing, and you've replaced them within two years, rinse/wash those puppies down and use them another year.    
Filter Pad Cleaning Tip:
Rinse the filter pad down with water, then lightly hit the pad against a solid tree trunk.  You'll be shocked at all the sludge and "stuff" that comes flying out of the filter pad.  BE AWARE: It will look like a giant bear has pooped all over the tree... rinse the tree down with a hose and you're all done. ​
Lastly, if your pond was a mess the prior year or is now and they pads are caked with pond sludge, replace them.  No matter how much you clean and knock them off, they will be clogged.  Clogged pads don't allow water to flow through them, essentially rendering the pads completely ineffective. 

 Recap: When to replace your BioFilter filter pads. 

1. Ripped or torn filter pads- Replace 
2. 2 years or more in use- Replace 
3. Disgusting pond and filter pads won't come clean- Replace
4. Just don't want to mess with them- Replace

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving all your Oklahoma pond problems!
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration. ​

​After the media pads of the filter have been hosed down, you can help the beneficial bacteria increase their population by seeding the pads with additional bacteria. They will reproduce rapidly and will assist in the decomposition of debris. By using these techniques you can prevent the filter from becoming plugged without having to clean it.

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.

Each year we have several clients here in Oklahoma contact us about a "String Algae" bloom in their ponds/water features that occurs in the colder months. (The stringy green stuff that sometimes forms on your waterfalls, streams and rocks).  The reason for this is the unseasonably warm weather we have been having here in Central Oklahoma.  Your plants have already gone into dormancy for the winter so they are not using nutrients from the water the way they would in the springtime since the nighttime lows are still down in the mid to low 30's.  However, the water is warming enough in the daytime to cause some biological activity thus causing a nutrient increase in the water.  Since the plants are not actively using nutrients, Mother Nature is taking over and offering "String Algae" as a solution to remove the nutrients and keep your water healthy.

WARNING....... DO NOT FEED YOUR FISH!!!

Even though the air temperature may warm up and your fish seem active during the day, the average water temperature is still below 55 degrees and your fish's metabolism will not support normal feeding. ​

If the String Algae becomes excessive, there are some steps to control it. 

Add some Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria.  It is a more concentrated bacteria made for cold weather when regular bacteria will not colonize and filter nutrients. Remove excess leaves and debris from the pond. Dead leaves provide excess nutrients in your pond, giving algae a great source of nourishment. If the string algae isn't affecting the flow of water to your skimmer and waterfall, just pull out the excess using a fine net, a stick or your hands.

CAUTION!!! 

Do not use your bare hands to remove this algae. Even though the air temperature may be warm, your water temperature is still VERY cold. You should wear waterproof garden gloves.  

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.

It’s winter time here in Oklahoma, a time when pond pumps in many water features that have skimming systems suddenly and seemingly for no reason just stop working. We seem to get many phone calls this time of year that “my pump has suddenly died, it was working this morning and this afternoon it has just stopped”.
​
After so many years in this business, seeing patterns and situations that develop at given points in the year my first piece of advice for those customers with “sudden dead pump syndrome”, after telling them to unplug the pump, is to ask them to check the pump intake to see if their neighborhood frog has it’s leg caught in the pump intake. We estimate that about 90% of the time that is what the problem is. Most of the time if the problem is brought to our attention early enough the frog can be released and be on its merry way, hopping a bit crooked, but all the same on its way. Of course that is not the case in the pictures.

If you are located in the Oklahoma City Metro and need help removing your pump, preparing your pond for the winter or have any pond maintenance questions, call or Contact us.

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving all your Oklahoma pond problems!
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.