Chlorine Filters

[Mike T]

Have been reading all the posts re: Chlorine poisoning of koi… This is a concern of mine because I do a 10% water change 24/7 through a Hudson Auto Fill valve… Water is allowed to "leak" from the pond via a hose bib tapped into one of the return lines… Once the level drops to a specific level, valves turns on and refills pond…

Chlorine is not usually introduced into our water system, however should a main break or if bacteria is found at the reservoir, Chlorine is infused into the system… According to the water board the amount which is supposed to reach our homes is < .005%… But one never knows… I’ve heard of Chlorine kills, in the Islands, despite this fact…

My question is: I found an active carbon filter and dispenser from a major supplier of Aquatic system equipment for $47… My first thought was: "This is too easy, how come every hobbyist doesn’t have one hooked up to their pond water systems"

Is this a Pollyanna fix??? What am I missing??? Are there drawbacks to this fix???

Thanks in advance for your comments,

Aloha! Mike T

[bekko]

Good idea Mike. That will work.

The only problem with using activated carbon is that its often hard to tell when the stuff is used up. The carbon has chemical attachment sites on its surface and various stuff from the water becomes attached to the carbon and effectviely removed from the water. However, when all those attachment sites are used up, then it stops working and the carbon has to be replaced.

As you have said before, Hawaii's tap water is some of the best in the world. The amounts of things that would be absorbed by activated carbon are tiny to non-existent; at least until they decide to chlorinate it. Even without chlorine, the activated carbon would eventually be used up from trace amounts of this and that. Although they are not readily absorbed, carbon dioxide, non-chelated iron, alkalinity and such will eventually render the activated carbon useless. A chlorine slug would use it up more quickly. Trouble is, you have no way of knowing if any chlorine has come through the tap.

To be safe, you would want to replace the activated carbon every now and then. I have no idea what the replacement interval should be. The only way to find out would be to replace the charcoal after six months or so and test the old charcoal with a small, but measurable, amount of chlorine. Chlorine is easy to test for. If it disappears, you know that you removed the carbon too soon and may be able to wait longer next time.

For areas where the water is routinely chlorinated or there are certain other pollutants, activated carbon can become an expensive way to deal with the situatin as it must be replaced fairly frequently. There are many grades of activated carbon. The best and most expensive ones have been acid washed so the ash does not raise the pH, and it releases very little phosphate. The cheapest ones release a lot of phosphate.

-steve

[adreamer2]

I have seen this thing too... Does it work?....


Adreamer2

[Mike T]

Steve:

Other posters must think we're nuts, we live on the same Island, belong to the same koi club, am only a phone call away, and yet we're corresponding on the Internet through Japan... Duh!

Guess I may not get any more responses since you seemed to cover most of the bases...

Regarding your quote:
"To be safe, you would want to replace the activated carbon every now and then"

I agree 100%... The cartridges only cost $8.99/ea from the major distributor, and are supposed to be available at a number of the big box stores...

When you figure the losses that a number of posters on this board alone have suffered, changing the cartridges at $8.99/mo. is a pittance...

Howard H is supposed to have lost 10s of thousands of dollars worth of koi, a month or so ago after a major water change, due to chlorine... In addition the Kingyo lady in Kaimuki told me that she lost between 2-300 ranchus to chlorine poisoning from her tap water...

So monthly changes it is....I'd rather throw $9.00 away each month, than suffer the loss of just one of our koi...

Aloha and Mahalo, Mike

[John Sprinkle TBT]

Hi Mike

Long time no talk. Hope all is well. Say Hi to Wilma.

You may want to consider putting a small water meter on in front of your fill line. That would let you know exactly how much water would be going through your carbon filter. I use a small water filter tank ( I bought my tank from a water softner supplier) filled with a cubic foot of activated carbon from AES. One cubic foot of carbon conservatively treats 100,000 gallons. I just change it out when the meter roles over. It has never failed me and our water in Florida is heavily chlorinated. Lucky us

Another thing you might consider instead of messing with the carbon. Attach a hose to the bottom of your fill valve instead of letting the water just run in the pond let it spray through a fogger tip nozzle into the baki shower. The spraying in a fine mist will gas off most chlorine.

John

[Mike T]

John:

Good to hear from you... Willie say's hi to both you and Paulette... Hope all is back to normal after Katrina... Sent some emails out but they probably got lost in all the outages...

Thanks for the information... Didn't have any information on the number of gallons that would pass through the filters before they became ineffective, can now save some money on cartridges... Have a water meter on each pond so will be able to monitor the use... Am also going to put a valve ahead of the meter because Nelson, the guy we visited in Hawaii Kai, said that it's best to restrict the flow through the carbon to ensure that we eliminate the chlorine before the pond... I remember your advice re: spraying the water and installed the Hudson Valves, which spritzes the water, ahead of our skimmers so that the new water goes from the skimmers to the bakkis...

With your added info, I think I have the situation covered... The information from yourself and Bekko (Steve, the guy with his private jungle on the beach that we also visited) will also be invaluable to our club members...

Let me know when you're ready to take that vacation in the house overlooking Hana Bay or the one on the beach itself...

Aloha! Mike

[junglegeorge12]

Mike you have to read the fine print, how many gallons will it handle??? The smaller cheaper ones can wind up more expensive due to needing changed every time you go to the store. A larger cartridge and canister may cost more but it will reduce your changing labor and cartridge outlay.I think those smallers ones would last for about 6 hours on Maurice's farm.......