Adding Clay

[Erns]

When I was in Japan in October I kept an eye open to their concrete ponds and how they run them, filtration etc.

One thing I noticed is that they never added clay directly to their ponds. They take a big bowl, fill it with water and then add a bunch of clay. THen they wait a day or so till the clay settles out and then they only add the clear water at the top. The sediment stays and is re-used a couple of times.

So what's your take on this? We have always been told to disolve the clay in some pond water and then add everything. The pond stays murky for a day or so but then after a few days the water goes gin clear.

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by Erns When I was in Japan in October I kept an eye open to their concrete ponds and how they run them, filtration etc. One thing I noticed is that they never added clay directly to their ponds. They take a big bowl, fill it with water and then add a bunch of clay. THen they wait a day or so till the clay settles out and then they only add the clear water at the top. The sediment stays and is re-used a couple of times. So what's your take on this? We have always been told to disolve the clay in some pond water and then add everything. The pond stays murky for a day or so but then after a few days the water goes gin clear.

Well, most will just add clay directly to the system with out per mixing it, I know I do. I have tried mixing Super Clean C that way and I think Narita has a similar product in which they do the same.

[dick benbow]

Our entire mentality for prefiltration is to make the filters free from dealing with sediments and other hindrances to it's function. By eliminating the deposits and only using what went into solution, seems on the surface to make sense. Is there something we're loosing that was in the sediment. Maybe? What I had always done was to slip the clay into a blender with pond water and really liquify everything.

I quess bottom line, I can't say for sure but glad you shared what you saw, to give us an awareness to thinking about something that may merit another look.

[Super Kindai]

Quote: Originally Posted by Erns When I was in Japan in October I kept an eye open to their concrete ponds and how they run them, filtration etc. One thing I noticed is that they never added clay directly to their ponds. They take a big bowl, fill it with water and then add a bunch of clay. THen they wait a day or so till the clay settles out and then they only add the clear water at the top. The sediment stays and is re-used a couple of times. So what's your take on this? We have always been told to disolve the clay in some pond water and then add everything. The pond stays murky for a day or so but then after a few days the water goes gin clear.

Hi, Erns

I believe that a product name of the clay is "Clean Up", sold by Narita koi farm.
Beside that, there are more than a dozen different clays available such as " Refresh" and still just throw into a pond directly.