Can You Clean a String Bound Water Filter?

Filter Cleaning

• Remove string algae from the pond filter following as any other type of algae. If the algae are wrapped around the plastic casing enclosing the filter, pull it away with your hands, as it tears easily. Remove the foam filter from inside the casing. The likelihood of string algae being present inside a case is slim, but if it is there, hose off the foam filter with a strong jet of water, turning it to get both sides. Spray all the algae from the casing before reassembling the filter.

String Algae Treatment

• This particular algae is treatable with biological products that cause it to take in excessive amounts of calcium. The calcium overload kills the strings. They break away from one another and float to the surface. The floating strings are easily scooped out or caught by the skimmer. Lack of a skimmer in your pond can mean problems for your filter, since it will likely catch the floaters and end up clogged.

Prevention

• Some ponds are plagued by this unsightly pest, while others may never see a trace of it. Preventing string algae lie in not overstocking your pond with fish and being sure there are abundant healthy plants growing in the pond. The plants remove the waterborne nutrients that string algae needs to survive.

Presence

• A healthy pond should actually have small amounts of this algae growing in it, but not so much that it takes over and causes filtering problems. All of a pond's organisms should be balanced against one another. Having an overgrowth of algae indicates an imbalance in the pond's ecosystem. Before treating it with chemicals, investigate the types and number of plants and fish in your pond, as well as whether or not it receives too much sunlight, as this also can result in too much algae.