bakki towers

[shiromujigirl]

I think the water is not clear because we have new pond syndrome. The water is the Bakki Shower test tanks looks just the same as the water in my other test tanks testing other things, except for the foam.

The clay did not do thing one for the foam, by the way.

So Mr. Maeda's son is saying a person needs 300 kg for a 2700 gallon dinky pond? $7200 worth of media and turn it over at 8000 gph? I doubt this is going to happen much in the United States of America. So according to him my 8 foot tall 4 1/2 foot wide stack with a torrent pouring over it is enough for a 450 gallon tank with couple of tosai in it? Is there something lost in translation here?

I am stocking this Bakki Shower test media to water volume according to the recommendations of Keirinponds.com. who sells the media and systems in the US.

[JasonS]

Now I think Daisuke is referring to a sale pond -- heavily stocked. More fish means more media means faster turnover.

Makes sense to me.

[shiromujigirl]

Something is happening. Day 27

BH tank

temp 78.6F
ORP 303
pH 7.64
ammonia 0
nitrite 6 ppm
nitrate 7 ppm
clarity semi turbid
foam see for yourself

[shiromujigirl]

LR tank

temp 78.6
ORP 292
ph 8.01
ammonia 0
nitrite 6 ppm
nitrate 7 ppm
clarity turbid
foam see for yourself

[B.Scott]

Are the nitrates degassing (or whatever) or are they dissapearing due to water changes?
B.Scott

[MikeM]

SMG: The pH & ORP differential is curious given what has been occurring. I'm questioning your nitrate reading. What nitrate test being used??

[shiromujigirl]

I clean and recalibrate my ORP and pH meters every other day. These meters were done yesterday.

I am using the two reagent nitrate test made by AP.

Not changing any water, Scott. I am waiting for the nitrite to go down. I want to see what these filters can do with a full load on them.

After they cycle I will start the 10% water overflow a day regimen.

I find it strange that there is so much less foam in the BH tank. Same fish load, same feed rate.

[MikeM]

SMG: I assumed the pH and ORP were reliable. (I have confidence your nursing training puts you way ahead of me in maintaining proper protocols!) What I find curious is that the two tanks were about the same on May 28, and since then the BH has gone down in pH while increasing ORP, and the LR has increased pH while also increasing ORP, but not as much ... granted, the ORP differences are not much. The lowering of nitrate in the LR tank could explain a lowering of acid content, but the opposite impact on pH in the BH tank of a like lowering of nitrate is confusing me.

It is my understanding that nitrate does not degas easily. (Am I wrong?) So, I'm thinking that with ammonia being eliminated there is now an uptake of nitrogen from the nitrate by algae. The water is clearing, making me think that some algae may now be getting established on the tank walls or on the media. Still, that seems a large lowering of nitrate levels in so short a time, which is why I questioned accuracy of the nitrate readings. Also, I'm thinking that anaerobic activity may now be getting established in the interior of the BH, which could result in gaseous nitrogen being expelled. As to the LR, I'd not think there was enough surface unexposed to the water flow for the impact to be the same as BH on the same time schedule. SO, I'M CONFUSED! What is the algae situation on tank walls and on surface of media? Assuming some attached algae is now getting established, is it bright green, dark green or nearly black? Does the media have a smell? ... kind of earthy, not sulphurous?

More data please. .... If the nitrate continues to go down, with pH in each tank heading further apart, I'm going to have to read some of that mystical stuff on far infrared rays!

[shiromujigirl]

I have to look at my book but it seems to me the nitate has bounced a bit from barely detectable, to 5 ppm, to 10, back to 5, and as of yesterday 7ppm. I will have to think about what you are saying after I have recovered from working 15 hours.

"As to the LR, I'd not think there was enough surface unexposed to the water flow for the impact to be the same as BH on the same time schedule. SO, I'M CONFUSED! "

The LR has a contact tome of 5 seconds. That is, if I squirt food coloring in at the top it taks 5 seconds to appear in the bottom. The BH takes three seconds. These are the same volumes of media in the same configuration.

There is algae, green algae, growing on the top media in the BH. Tomorrow I will climb around up there and take pictures. Good night

[MikeM]

Don't think too much about what I said. ... I am confused, you know.

Have a better morning.