| board cruising
In checking out conversations in other boards, one that i thought had merit was one about filter size. initially some of the concern was about surface area but then the discussion went to cubic feet.
One thing I think that is important is what media is being used and how it is being used. More and more the modern media has a smaller and smaller footprint. The key for me is air....k-1, trickle filters, J-mat that is heavily oxygenated.
Back in the good olde days, the rule of thumb was a quarter of your pond's surface area needed to be designated for filter. Back then we used peagravel
and the argument was for up or down water movement.
Later , as we progressed, filter focus was on dwell rate or the time the food was exposed to the bacteria. one of the "thous shalt nots" was ripping the food past the bacteria so fast they didn't have a chance to consume it...
Now the concern is about how many times we turn the pond thru the filter.
I know there are many of our readers who will be building new ponds this spring or adjusting their present one.....what experience, theory or practical application would you recommend as a good 'rule of thumb'......also is it better to put all your eggs in one basket or does different methods and media
give the keeper a slight edge on a diverse biofilm...oh and does it matter if the filter is exposed to the light of day? Whew!!! lots to digest here! |