Maurice! Fines filtration

[Akai-San]

B.Scott,

Everytime I read one of your posts, I can't help myself to keep reading your closing remark...

[Semper in excreta, sumus solum profundum variat]

Do you mind translating for this Hawaiian?

That "excreta" word is just jumping out at me...I'm totally guessing that this is koi humor.

[bekko]

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_b...sages/861.html

[B.Scott]

No, Not exactly Bekko. The literal translation is:

(we're) Always in the s'hit, It's just the depth that varies!!!

Ain't it the truth?

Call it my plumber's motto! I was thinking of making a crest of crossed plungers above a toilet bowl with this printed about the edge!
B.Scott

[Akai-San]

B.Scott,
How does the Nexus systems using the Kaldness differ from what your implementation of Kaldness within your existing vortexes? I like the footprint on the nexus, but know nothing about the system. I just started researching, any comments regarding?

BTW, has Maurice responded to your initial questions?

How do you cut that slotted pipe?

[B.Scott]

Akai-San,

A Nexus filter has a small vortex with an Answer mounted in it in the center. The water than passes to the outside ring with fluidized kaldness K1. Water then leaves the nexus and can go into a UV, circulation pump etc. Watch out when pricing the Nexus that you select one with an Answer included as the have a starter model with simply a big blue block of foam in the place of they Answer. I wouldn't recomend ever using one of those. The foam blocks are nothing more than a hard to clean crap-trap.

Let's see... Slotted pipe? Do you mean the stuff that Maurice has in his filter. Well you wouldn't want to cut across the length wise slots as it would ruin the pipe, I imagine that Maurice just cuts the pipe to the proper length and THEN makes the slots in them... Is thiswhat you meant? If not be a bit more specific and I will try again to answer.
B.Scott

[B.Scott]

So Maurice, welcome back from OZ. Did you get any pictures of the condition of your static kaldness after a month of neglect? How about a little report?


B.Scott

[Maurice]

B.Scott, the static Kaldnes ran fine while I was away, sorry no photos, if I had seen your post before flushing, I could have snapped a photo, but never thought!

My koi are on their winter, 2 months of total fast, because of this the amount of waste produced is minimal. But after a month the media looked the same as when I have done experiments leaving for a period of a week or so in summer, the media had 'clumped' together, but water was flowiing through just fine.

Quite a few of my friends thought what I was doing a bit scary, walking away and locking the fish house door for a month, but I have confidence in my systems.

Any more questions, fire away,
Maurice.

[B.Scott]

I take it you needed to flush it a bit extra this time as compared to the normal daily (summer) routine.


Could you give me a bit more detailed description of how you actually flush the kaldnes?


After aeration do you turn off the air as you let it drain or let it flow contantly until empty?

If you turn off the air do you let the debris settle out a few minutes of do you just dump it straight away?


Do you find that the coarse bits and algae clog the grate at the bottom when you flush?

If you where to make any changes/ improvements in your use of static kaldnes what would they be?

B.Scott

[Maurice]

I gave the media one extra flush, but I could have got away without.

When flushing, I drop the water level in the filter to below the slots in the pipe and then turn on the air. The air then runs continually untill the flushing process has finished. Each time I refill the filter for flushing, I keep the water level below the slots, this stops any waste passing on into the transfer pipe.

When the air is first turned on, the water takes on a pale tea colour as the fines are mixed into the water, with each flush the water becomes clearer, when filled back up after the final flush, the water is cyrstal clear. The air is turned off before the final fill up.

At times some blanket weed has needed to be removed from the drain outlet grid, this is the odd occaision I have had to get my hands wet.
Blanket weed could be a problem, as Kaldnes is not a smooth media, because of this I have often wondered about getting some bubblebead media, as the round beads would stop the weed from 'hanging' on. Though it's never proved a problem for me.
Maurice.

[B.Scott]

Thanks Maurice,
One little comment about Bubble bead media... I think the advantage with kaldnes is that besides trapping the goop it retains it's void space. IMO BB media would be much more likely to compact and cause trouble.
B.Scott