General maintenance & seasonal care, The ecosystem the microskim, Pd/pl – Aquascape MicroPond & MicroPondless Kits (99763, 99764, 99765 & 99769) User Manual
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Fine wines get better with age ... the
same can be said about your new
water feature! Be patient with the
new addition to your landscape - it’s
going to look better and be easier
to maintain with every season. The
filter system on the MicroPond
®
and
MicroPondless
®
Kits is designed
around the foundation of a balanced
ecosystem. The ultimate goal is
to have nature do the work ... not
you! It won’t happen overnight, but
it will happen. Don’t be surprised
if your new water garden begins
to grow algae. In general, it can
take anywhere from 2-6 weeks for
the ecosystem to begin to develop.
Aquascape produces a complete
line of water treatment products
specifically designed to help you
maintain the water quality in your
water garden and help reduce
maintenance. See your Aquascape
supplier for information on the
complete line of Aquascape water
treatment products.
Debris Net
The MicroSkim
®
filter is designed
to sweep the surface of the water
so that it is free from debris. The
net inside the skimmer is the first
filter stage of the MicroSkim
®
(See
fig. 43). The net will collect leaves,
twigs, seeds, and other pond debris.
It takes approximately two to three
minutes every other week during
the summer to empty the debris
net. More frequent changes will be
required during the fall and spring
because of the quantity of leaves
falling off the surrounding trees.
It is a good habit during your first
season with the pond to periodi-
cally lift the MicroSkim
®
cover and
check the quantity of debris in the
net. This is especially true in the
fall. Keep a mental note as to how
often your net has to be emptied.
It’s important that the debris net is
not allowed to become too full - too
much debris can reduce the water
flow to the pump, and may eventu-
ally damage it.
Filter Brush Cartridge
The brushes are the second stage
of the MicroSkim
®
filter
(See fig.
44). The brushes are designed to
handle any debris that finds its way
past the debris net. The filter brush
cartridge will not need maintenance
as frequently, since the net will
remove the majority of the debris
in the water. Remove and rinse the
brushes when you notice the flow
being restricted to the pump or an
excessive build-up of debris on
the brushes.
The Ecosystem
The MicroSkim
®
Fig. 43 The net inside the skimmer.
Fig. 44 Filter brush cartridge inside the skimmer
PD/PL
0
PD
General Maintenance & Seasonal Care
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