Tetra Pond ClearChoice Pond BioFilter Pf1

How the TetraPond BioFilter PF-1:

• Pond water is pumped into the filter. It passes through the foam, which sieves coarse suspended debris from the water. (Mechanical Filtration).
• The water from stage 1 then passes through the finer foam, which provides further filtration.
• The final purification process of the water occurs on the surface of the biological filtration media. Beneficial bacteria will naturally colonize on this massive surface area and convert the harmful pollutants in the water into relatively harmless nitrates, which are absorbed by the aquatic plants from partial water changes, thus removing about 25% of the pond water with fresh water.

The Tetra Venturi and Trickle-Flow System

The water inlet into your filter is fitted with an advanced Venturi system, which draws air into the in-flowing water, creating the beneficial bacteria with the ideal conditions to decompose waste. This, when combined with the use of Trickle Filtration encourages the prolific growth of beneficial bacteria, which helps to keep the pond free of pollutants.

Universal Inlet: If you find that the water flow from the pump is too much for the Venturi inlet, or it clogs too easily, you may replace it with the universal inlet fitting for higher flows.

Maintenance and Care of the BioFilter:

Cleaning

• Debris will collect on the foam pads. These should be checked and cleaned on a regular basis. Remove the filter pads and clean in a bucket of pond water. Do not use untreated tap water for cleaning, since it contains chlorine that can destroy the beneficial bacteria colonies in the foam and biological plastic media.
• The period between each cleaning is dependent on many factors such as the number of fish in the pond, algae growth, and the size of the pond. A rule of thumb is about every two weeks.
• Should debris and sludge accumulate at the bottom of casing, this media can be gently rinsed with pond water only. Do not use untreated tap water. It is not necessary or advisable to thoroughly clean the media since that may diminish the beneficial bacteria. Also, check the spray bar to ensure the holes are not clogged. Never use soap or detergents to clean any parts of the filter.

Winter Care

• During the winter, the fish in the pond go through a period of rest where they become very inactive and waste production becomes very low. At this time, the filter should be turned off, cleaned, and stored indoors until the following spring.
• Never leave water in the casing when there is a chance of freezing temperatures.
• When starting the filter again in the spring, it will go the through the same maturation process as the first year. Be sure not to overfeed your fish in the early spring.