bakki towers

[Alex Gibbs]

There has go to be something else about the BH because i doubt Mr. Maeda would have invested so much into BH if lava rock worked the same.

Alex Gibbs

[orion]

Thanks for the update SMG! For a while there we were all worried that you might have quit the hobby and gone full time into the brewery biz... :smt101

How about the numbers...especially nitrate? 0 in both tanks?
Are the fish dashing for food now?

Orion

[Doug Ward]

Quote: Originally Posted by Alex Gibbs There has go to be something else about the BH because i doubt Mr. Maeda would have invested so much into BH if lava rock worked the same. Alex Gibbs

So far I condider it the filter media equivalent to the ponding chemical Proform C.

CHA-CHING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[B.Scott]

Good point.
I tend to be a bit cynical.
Trouble is that LR doesn't cost squat and won't give you an exclusive market. Having invested heavily would also make it suicide to say LR is just as good.
Having said that all is not yet said and done. The jury has yet to hear all the evidence so we still might be in for a surprise.

B.Scott

[B.Scott]

Good point.
I tend to be a bit cynical.
Trouble is that LR doesn't cost squat and won't give you an exclusive market. Having invested heavily would also make it suicide to say LR is just as good.
Having said that all is not yet said and done. The jury has yet to hear all the evidence so we still might be in for a surprise.

B.Scott

[Lee]

Dear All,

I hestitate to enquire about the use of any other alternative media in the shower test programme (now) being conducted in Texas, however, having had my own option available to obtain LR or BH, I was encouraged by a member of the other 'parish' - to purchase bio-balls instead.

It was suggested that bio-balls would last longer and (that those who had encouraged my use of bio-balls [also] suggested) that the result would be equal or better than either the lovely Texan lady's 'test' of the lava rock and/or the bacteria house media.

Therefore, I've purchased the bio-balls and they're here on island, though they are not yet released from our government warehouse. Thus, I have not had an opportunity to install the system and determine any result on my own.

Nonetheless, I am 'curious' what those of you experienced in this study who are following this BH vs. LR thread would 'now' prophesize will be the results of my using bio-balls versus LR or BH, will (or shall) be...?

Thus, perhaps those following this thread would like to (now) make an educated guess or 'pro-offer' an assumption to the above query?

Hum?

Lee
Grand Cayman

[dick benbow]

Hey Lee!
Don't dispair, before you know it, the government will release your filter media and you'll be in business.
So you don't feel alone, I installed my second set of bakki towers with bioballs to the outside pond yesterday.
I filled (from the top) trays one and two with aged seeded media from my trickle towers inside and put in clean unused bioballs on the last tray
before it kicks back to the pond. I hope to cheat the 6 week fire up session.
Is it the method or is it the media? Quess we'll continue to close down
on that moving target for a question. kudos to SMG tho for the time and effort spent on all of our behalf.
My water inside with the Bh is impeccabley crystal. My kindai showa bumped her nose three days ago pretty badly and it was totally back to normal today. I can honestly say in all the last few years I have worked diligently to keep a spotless facility, with no waste and accused of running
a jacuzzi because of all the air stones. when this kind of injury has happened before, it takes a week to 10 days to get that kind of healing. I wouldn't cut Mr Maeda too short on his media. There might be more there than meets ( the eye), or as my showa will attest ( the nose)!
Lee let us know what your up to ,once your bio media gets out of prison!

[Griff]

Mr Meada has stated the the reason it works so well is that the FIR breaks down the cluster of water molecules into smaller groups - that is my understanding .
Looking at the FIR data -- does not add up --- a few min of sunshine gives off the same amout of energy as the BH house would in 24 hours ---- so it is something else working here ???
Working on some idea as to what it might be ?????
I have two shower filters running one has all lava rock - the other has 50% lava and 50% bioballs - both seem to be doing very well -
The fish rush for the food !!!!!

[dick benbow]

Hey Griff,
Thanks for adding to the collection of information. Being a fan of trickle towers since dirt, The problem I have in accessing info is that so much of my koi keeping has been in super aerated water for many years.
this type of strong airation, degassing and turn over makes such a hugh difference to ponds that formerly those coming from something less are often impressed with the change in results irregardless of the media. and for understandable reasons mentioned. I am seeing subtle differences that are an improvement but can't tell you why. That's why I went to the technique minus the media outside.
I quess over the years I have read lots of theory but always relied on practical application to sift thru fact from fiction. I figure By the end of next month i should be getting some ideas.
In the meantime i hope we get lots more info to draw from. what might help for comparison is if the person who responds tells us the kind of pond filtration they had prior to switching over to this method.
Griff what kind did you have before switching over?

[Griff]

Hi Dick
Pond filtration before switching over
Male pond 9000 gallons US - 1000 gal. cone bottom settlement chamber - above ground submerged up flow filter box 4'x8'x40" filled with maltra matting - first stage second stage filled with Jmat --one layer of PF17 matting - 5 cu ft of scrubbies - water out of filter box flows through a Large TT built out of feather rock back down a 30 ft stream to pond --- in pond 10 cu ft lava rock trickle tower - this was taken out and a shower filter set up over settlement chamber 8 crates 4 with lava rock 4 with bio balls - This was the first one I put togther to try out this concept - 4 crates at first with lava rock flowing aprox 4000 gph over it !!!!
Fish load 23 males in size from 6" to 27" most are 20+"
Female pond is 15000 us gallons - a 1500 gallon settlement chamber fed from 2 spindrifters -- advantage 15 -6.6 cu ft bead - advantage 15 glass polishing filter --- 12 cu ft lava rock 2' dia 4 ' tall open sided TT that has run since week one of this pond --- tore this one down and installed 8 crate system with lava rock 10 cu ft and oyster shells (1/2 bu) flow aprox 4000 gph through this filter .
Fish load 21 female 7- 26-32" range 7 18"-25"-7 little ones
ORP levels have gone up 50 points after the change over - fish in both ponds show a marked increase in desire to eat !!!
Turn over rate in both ponds is 1 hour 15 min - areation systems in both ponds -- 1000+ gallons of fresh water added daily - source water PH 7.4 - gh 90 ppm -- kh 80ppm after clean up
So that is my filtration system before change over -the only real change was from open sided TT to a shower type filter ---
Note on male pond with shower set up over settlement chamber -- much less crap to dump out of settlement chamber - almost none !!!