What do you guys think of this filter advice??

[MikeM]

If it was actually sand, it got there as a result of sand getting into the filter or there is some peculiar mineral content in their water. Decomposition does not create sand. It can create inert detritus.

Silly stuff.

[blewuk]

Quote: Originally Posted by Brutuscz Here is a picture of it running at my old pond (moved to my new house in october). I have 2 other filters behind the bamboo fence.

Hi all, I saw bubbles on the water surface of this pond. I have them in my pond as well. Can we get rid of them? How?

Thanks!

[Brutuscz]

I eventually built a protein skimmer and that helped the bubble (disolved organics) situation. Pictures of it are in the construction threads. Also...more water changes will help.

[CarolinaGirl]

If you ever install a skippy and run it for a long time, you will see that the whole nonsense about never cleaning it is pure crap. No pun intended. Back in my water gardening days, I used to run a skippy on my 1200 gallon pond. I cleaned it once a year. Let me tell you....that was the nastiest job in the world!! I would pump as much water out as I could until the gunk got too thick to pump....then start scooping out out with a bucket. I would normally end up with a good 10 gallons of the nastiest sludge you could ever imagine. The thought of leaving that stuff in there forever or until it turns into stand is completly insane. If I had a skippy running now, I would flush it out at least once a week to make sure that gunk was not building up. It is unhealthy to leave that stuff in the water column.

[bekko]

The sand is coming in with the feed. You can never get the cereal grains and other ingredients absolutely clean and bits of sand slowly enter the pond - grain by grain. Nitrogen mineralizes to volatilized ammonia and nitrogen gas. Carbon mineralizes to carbon dioxide.

It is possible to run a filter without ever cleaning it. You just have to have a low fish density and feeding rate so that the ecosystem can mineralize all the organic matter. Solids removed mechanically (by backwashing or whatever) do not have to be digested by biological and chemical processes which leaves "room" for adding more feed without overloading the assimilative capacity.

-s tevehopki

[kevind95]

Is this a real consideration for a media and to use the bateria stuff?. I am really new to this forum stuff. I don't know when you are kidding or not. Can I consider this as I do have 300 koi and am putting in a pond with next to no experience. I could use step by step help. IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.......KEVIN

[moikoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by kevind95 Is this a real consideration for a media and to use the bateria stuff?. I am really new to this forum stuff. I don't know when you are kidding or not. Can I consider this as I do have 300 koi and am putting in a pond with next to no experience. I could use step by step help. IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.......KEVIN

WOW !!! that's a lot of koi. how big are they?

[kevind95]

They are 4"-2'....Can you help with my whole dilema?

[CarolinaGirl]

Quote: Originally Posted by kevind95 They are 4"-2'....Can you help with my whole dilema?

how big is your pond? 300 is a LOT of fish!!

[PapaBear]

Quote: Originally Posted by CarolinaGirl how big is your pond? 300 is a LOT of fish!!

That's what I'm thinkin' I gave away a few hundred fingerlings a couple of years ago, but the guy I gave 'em to had a large, well established pond.

Tell us more about your pond or pond plans so we have some idea of where to start giving advice. A mature pond with excellent filtration would need to be in the minimum 30-50,000 gallon size range to handle that many Koi at an average size of 10" each.