[Mike Snaden]

Hi JR,

I appreciate that putting molasses into the pond is basically putting a compound into the water that becomes dissolved. But, this is an intentional addition. As for the foam you saw... do you really think that that much foam would appear in a pond that had only been running for a week?

I understand your concerns, but you haven't tried the systems, so all you can do is stick to your theories... fair enough.

Lets forget Momotaro's ponds for the moment, and remember that there are ponds in England running on Showers, and recap...

DOC's will register in a TDS reading. Most closed circuit ponds will have a TDS reading that is far higher than the fresh water that is being added to the pond. This indicates that the pond is overfed, overstocked, or just lacking in maintenance.

Accumulated waste in a system will breed bad bacteria, create excess ammonia, and cause faster depletion of KH levels.

So, first lets look at Colin Hughes pond. He lives in Swansea, Wales. Mains water TDS is about 50ppm, and pond TDS runs between 70 and 80ppm. Prior to switching to Bakki Showers, Colin could not maintain a stable pH, and KH levels kept falling, necessitating the addition of Bicarb, and the use of Lithaqua. Ammonia levels (albiet low) were always present. Since the big switch, Colin has never added Bicarb, and has removed the Lithaqua. His KH level now sits at 1.5dh, which is only a little lower than the mains water, and Ammonia levels are now undetectable. Water clarity is better than ever, and there is no colour at all to the water. There is no skimmer, and there is no foam on the pond, despite the showers returning as two waterfalls.

Ian Graham... he had two trickle towers before on his pond, in addition to two parallel filter systems. One of the towers also had an add-on extension. Ian used to experience many health problems with his Koi. He now runs three sets of Showers, and no other filtration. Health problems are a thing of the past according to Ian. Even when Koi jump out and hit his statues into the pond (during a power cut), the Koi needed no treatment for injuries, they just mend themselves. Ian's surface skimmer is broken since the Koi snapped of the flap. So, he now has no skimmer. Yet, he has no foam or brown water either. Ian is so happy with his pond, that he now now built a new pond for growing Tosai. This pond is 3800 gallons, and has two sets of Showers connected directly to the drains (no settlement). The pond matured within five weeks. (ammonia an nitrite cycles). Neither pond has a UV.

Cliff Neale put two sets onto his 18,000 gallon pond. He was so happy with the improved water quality and clarity, that he added two more sets. He was so happy with that, that he then built an 8000 gallon pond running solely Bakki Showers. He was so happy with this that he then built another Bakki Showered pond of 2000 gallons. Cliff's ponds have no foam, and no brown colour to the water. He has no UV's on the new ponds.

Craig Attwood put a set onto his 5000 gallon pond. He was so happy, that he added another set, and removed his previous filtration. He has no foam

Keith Harris put a set onto his 1700 gallon pond, as sole filtration. He had constant nitrite problems with his filter system. This system matured within 5 weeks, has no skimmer, no foam, and no brown water. The pond is open air.

James Cater saw Ian's pond, and was so impressed that he built a 10,000 gallon pond, solely Showered. Jon Mak did the same. Bothe are ecstatic with their ponds. Both have no foam or brown water... but it's early days.

Maurice has a set. He was hoping to create bubbles just like the ones he saw at Momotaro, as he thought that he could bottle it and sell it to children. So far, Maurice is devastated.

My 4400 gallon pond has two sets. It also has no UV, and no skimmer (I took thge collar off). It also has no foam. TDS rund at 115ppm at present, and Koi have consistently grown at 1cm per week in this pond. Current stocking level is about 250 Koi of up to 34cm, from about 20cm. This year, I have not injected a single Koi. And, in the event of a Koi jumping out, I just throw the Koi back in... it heals every time. If Koi become damaged by netting, or hitting the showers, I just watch them for a couple of days until the damage fixes itself.

Clearwater Koi have a set. Wayne loves it. I have no more info than this though. Sorry.

Mark Gardner has a set, but it's to soon to tell.

Dave Palmer put a set onto his 13,000 gallon pond, as he was fed up with green water, blanket weed, and not being able to see his Koi. He is a happy man, and can see his Koi. Blanketweed receeded quickly after fitting the system, but I would expect that with any trickle filter.

Bob Hancock came to see me saying that he was fed up with keeping Koi and was thinking of packing in. He fitted a simple trickle filter to his pond with 20kgs of media, and is now enthusiastic again.

Numerous people have used the media submerged, even just placing it on top of existing medias. All have reported that appetites are dramatically increased, waste form in settlement has changed from solid faeces, to becoming as pile of dust.

Every person that has used the media has noticed an increase in appetite, not just in showers.

Mr Chen from Taiwan, who in my eyes iis the best dealer in the World outside Japan, tried other medias in Showers, including a Chinese equivalent to Bacteria House. Mr Chen told me in October that the oother media didn't work, only Bacteria House worked.

As far as FIR goes, I can post up other links to web sites, including NASA. But, there is no point in this, as I am not a scientist, and cannot prove such widespread claims. All I can do, is tell people what my experiences with the systems are... sorry to disappoint.

Momotaro. All I can say is that they have produced the biggest Tosai, Nisai, Sansai, Yonsai, and Gosai of any breeder, year after year. They have thoroughly tested this media, and it has cost them an absolute fortune to change to it. Would they really sacrifice even one centimetre per year for the sake of making money from this media? Maybe. But, they also add OMX (lactic acid bacteria) to their ponds, which costs them a fortune. Do they sell it?... no. Could they sell it?... probably.

So, all I can say is that if I cast aside all of the theories that people have about filtration, do the systems work? Ask those that use them, or try them yourself to prove them wrong.

One last note in ref to Cliff Neale. He bought a Momotaro Sansai Kohaku from me last year (March) at 61cm. This Spring, he expressed his disappointment that the Koi hadn't grown. In Autumn this year, I took a group of "Koichat" member's to Cliff's pond. We measured Koi, and the Kohaku had grown to 63cm. Three weeks later, it was 65cm. We also measured numerous other Koi that had never grown... thay had all grown! Cliff then put some five year old Koi (previously non-growers) into his new 8000 gallon showered pond. Two weeks later, he pulled three Koi up... all had grown 2cm. Spooky stuff isn't it, must be the aliens.

Ian, Cliff, and Colin are now striving to grow a Go-Sanke from Tosai, to over 80cm in their Showered ponds. One of these Koi will be over 80cm before it's 6th Birthday, and I promise to prove it.

Best regards,

Mike.