backwash

[blehm]

i just put in a ultima 11 filter i would like to know if i can over back it

[koiczar]

Quote: Originally Posted by blehm i just put in a ultima 11 filter i would like to know if i can over back it

Not sure if I understand your question, but are you asking if you can backwash your filter too much? If you consider doing it daily, no, that's not too much.

Mike

[andrewn15]

I back wash my daily for a couple of min for the past 3 years and no problem at all, just consider it as a small water change daily, your koi will appreciate it.
Andrew

[Lee]

Bead filters are at best are only good for polishing.

If you clean it daily, then obviously, it would be impossible for any valued good beneficial bacteria to blossom on the beads. Thus, it will never be available as an effective bacterial consuming filter.

Contrary to the previous poster the more frequent a bead filter is back washed and the more often it is cleaned of the basic needed 'necessary' good bacteria - its value as a bacterial valued filter is completly lost - down the drain.

Thus, at best too frequent cleaning of a bead filter encourages your filter to remain only a method in which to polish your water.

What else could it be if you actively remove the bacteria required for good filtration each and every day.

Therefore, you have to decide for yourself what is the focused purpose which you want your filter to serve?

And, the answer also seeks to know whether this particular filter is the only filter for your pond or like myself, wherein I operate several ponds each with multiple types of filters each off of separate in-pond water sources...mine is a belt and suspenders concept...which clearly serves multiple purposes and provides a multiple sources of filtration.

Clearly, the more filtration you have and the more variety of filtration you have, the more effective the filteration you shall offer your pond and fish. Thus - the healther your pond and your fish.

Remember this - the cleanest and clearest pond water is not necessarily the best for your fish...

Therefore, frequent testing of your water with basic water test equipment will provide you the answers which you really need - all of which are rarely visually available 'only' by the look and/or the clarity of your pond water...

It is better to back wash the bead filter you have asked about above much less frequent than once a day and make the use of the filter the manufacturers true intended purpose for it...And, the use for which you intended it to serve when you first purchased and installed it

All the best,

Lee
Grand Cayman

[moikoi]

everybody has their own method.

[Steve Nguyen]

although I didn't fully understand the original question but I think this would help.

Backwashing Your Filter

NOTE: Backwashing depends on how many times, how often you feed your fish and the time of the year. Before you begin backwashing check pressure gauge reading. We recommend cleaning once a week on light loads and twice a week or more on heavy loads. You must use some type of pre-filter or vortex for heavy waste (i.e. pine needles, large leaves, etc.).

1. Turn pump off.
2. Depress valve knob, rotate lever to backwash.
3. Turn pump on.
4. Backwash until sight glass is clear about 1/2 to 1 minute.
5. Turn pump off.
6. Depress knob and turn to rinse.
7. Turn pump on.
8. Rinse until sight glass is clear.
9. Repeat steps 1 through 8 twice for a total of 3 times.
10. Turn pump off.
11. Depress valve and turn back to filter.
12. Turn pump on and return to normal usage.

[KoiCop]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lee Bead filters are at best are only good for polishing.

Hello Lee . . .

The Ultima II is not a true bead filter since it doesn't use spherical beads as media; in fact, its media is more akin to K1. While it is designed to do both mechanical and biological filtration at the same time, only a beginning hobbyist would use it as a stand alone filtration system.

Most of the folks on the koi boards use it for mechanical filtration before other filtration (such as J-mat, TT, Baki, etc.) or use it after the other filtration to polish the water.

Kindest regards,

[RayJordan]

Biofilm, especially mature established biofilm is very tenacious. It is very difficult to remove from media and will not easily wash away when backwashing a established mature bead filter.

With a brand new bead filter I would back wash only once or twice a week for the first few months until the biofilm gets a chance to establish.

With a mature bead filter I would reccomend backwash once a day if possible. If the backwash water seems pretty dirty backwash twice a day during peak feeding season and when preping koi for a show.

[KoiCop]

Ray . . .

Thanks, your points re: biofilm are well taken.

We have (2) Ultima II 6K's. Since we use them for mechanical filtration (before J-mat biofiltration chambers), I backwash and rinse them (using the factory instructions, above) daily.

If we were using them for polishing after the bio filtration, I'm sure that once-a-week cleaning would be sufficient.

[koiczar]

Don/Ray

Both very good points. I have an Ultima 20,000. I consider it's use purely mechanical. It gets a backwash 2-3 times/wk. Seems to be working quite well.

Mike