Quote:
Originally Posted by dtbh
dtbh, are you keeping a daily recorded reading of the overall parameter of your pond? i.e since you started on 9th October '05.
I added the BH on Oct 6th. Roger, thanks for lending me your ORP and TDS/pH/Temp Combo meters. Yes, I am monitoring daily.
Questions:
1) How long do you plan to keep both running before you finally bypass all your existing filters?
Until I am satisfied seeding has occurred with the BS/BH system. There is no time frame for this experiment
2) Since you have started loading BS/BH from 9th October '05, what are the differences you observed or recorded on the overall parameter of your pond?
To be frank, after about 2 weeks now there is no significant changes other than a 0.5-0.8 degC drop in water temp.
3) If your initial submerged, hydroponic, conventional filtration system is 150% of pond surface size; and with an additional of 250kg of BH (which gives you an additional 150% filtration requirment); and at this moment both are running concurrently... what are the overall parameter reading like?
As above
4) You recorded a drop in reading on your TDS & ORP. Was it due to an improvement in your replacement of filtration media or was it due to other factors, like 'cooler' water temperature due to the in season rainning or was it due to the 'works' of your Bakki Shower with/without the initial placing of BH.
If additional works of turnover of pond water (by having additional pumps installed and running) contributes to this drop in reading, it serve us well to know that we need more turn-around of pond water inorder to keep it good and keep the ORP & TDS low. Please comment.
The drop in ORP and TDS was noted before the Bakki Shower was added. It happened after I redistributed the filter material from the above-ground filter. In fact I did some readings for a week with the BS alone....no change.
5) Nitrate 12.5mg/100ml. dtbh, please explain why are you still getting a nitrate reading of 12.5mg/100ml (I don't understand), when you are running both conventional, submerged and hydroponic and the BH/BS with only 9 koi in an 18 ton pond. Shouldn't the reading be both '0' for nitrite and nitrate? Please comment.
I don't know 12.5mg/100ml is equivalent to how much in ppm. Nitrate is an end-product of the biofilter and is not toxic to fish at levels lower than 20ppm. Nitrates is not removed by conventional submerged filters but can be degassed by trickle filters and wet/dry filters. I have been having this level for ages (zero nitrites as well). This is one of the reasons why I am trying BS/BH. Incidentally I am using the test kit by Tetra.
6) Your total turnaround/flowrate is give/take 55ton/hr in an 18 ton pond which is 3 rounds/hr x 24 hrs - you are doing 72 times turnaround of your pond water! Why are you still doing a daily 10% water change and siphoning? Don't you think the pond water are doing a proper self-maintainence? Please comment. Will it makes a different if you have an over flow with, say,takes away 5% of the daily pond water? Please comment.
So that I can have a fair comparison between the 2 systems. Up to now I still see a fair bit of sedimentation in my 1st chamber. Hence still siphoning. I read that you have hardly any sedimentation in yours. Strange how similar filter systems react differently in different ponds, isn't it?
Hi Mike, I have read so much about the BS/BH system but noone has presented any comparison...not that I expect anyone to. As I have mentioned this is more for fun which makes this hobby so interesting. If I can in the process help anyone to make informed decisions on filter design it makes this excercise all the more rewarding.
Hi Surfhead Ned, I am measuring the DO. Pardon my ignorance, what do I use to measure the DOC? Thanks.