Skippy Filter media question(s) - Koi Forum - Koi-Bito Magazine

baddiesel1 · 03-03-2008

With regard to "new pond syndrome"; I have a 300 gal horse trough and a 100 gal rubbermaid "skippy filter" utilizing several bushel loads of scrubby pads. Some of these are 3m scotch brite, and some are "Dollar General Store" specials. I've performed a 10-25% partial water change weekly. I have 3 koi, that I feed lightly when the water temp is above 60 degrees F. On my last test, my ammonia level was 0.05 ppm. I have murky-slightly green water......

I'm trying my hardest to keep these puppies healthy until I can setup a bigger pond. Should I remove the scrubby pads and install a different media? I've read a little about bio-balls, mattela, k-1, kaldness sp. (?), etc. I addition to the skippy, should I implement a trickle tower above it, or fabricate a better filter? BTW, I am utilizing a pondmaster 950 gph submersible pump to push water to the skippy.
Thanks for your time, BD1

kent wallace · 03-07-2008

How large is the pond? How many fish? How many gph are you pumping? Turnover rate? Bottom drain? Skimmer? UV? Prefiltration system? How long has the system been running at temps above 50 deg? Not enough info!!!!! Bacteria will live and colonize on almost anything.

baddiesel1 · 03-07-2008

'Scuse the terrible diction. Guess I wasn't clear in the aforementioned paragraph. My temporary pond IS a "300 gallon" polyethylene horse trough. I have "3 koi", approx sizes: 12 incher, 13 incher and an 8 incher. The skippy filter has its water supplied via a "950 gph" submersible pump"; Therefore I believe the turnover rate is a hair over 3 times per hour. No bottom drain, no skimmer, I'm waiting on the pondmaster 20 watt UV light to arrive in the next day or two. The tank has been operational for about 30 days. Water temps have been above 50 degrees F for the last 3 weeks. Just got back from Wash D.C. and performed another "weekly" partial water change. My lawn was mowed, and the water was trashed with floating grass & debris. I thought beneficial bacteria required stable temps above 60 degrees F in order to propagate? I would like to construct a better & more efficient filtration system, just don't know the best design route to take for implementation. My wife actually talks to these fish, pets and hand feeds one of them. I cannot start building the new pond until early fall, so I really need to install a decent & reliable filtration system; possibly one that I could adapt for a larger pond.

03-03-2008	#1 (permalink)
baddiesel1 Tosai Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Beaufort, NC Posts: 17	Skippy Filter media question(s) With regard to "new pond syndrome"; I have a 300 gal horse trough and a 100 gal rubbermaid "skippy filter" utilizing several bushel loads of scrubby pads. Some of these are 3m scotch brite, and some are "Dollar General Store" specials. I've performed a 10-25% partial water change weekly. I have 3 koi, that I feed lightly when the water temp is above 60 degrees F. On my last test, my ammonia level was 0.05 ppm. I have murky-slightly green water...... I'm trying my hardest to keep these puppies healthy until I can setup a bigger pond. Should I remove the scrubby pads and install a different media? I've read a little about bio-balls, mattela, k-1, kaldness sp. (?), etc. I addition to the skippy, should I implement a trickle tower above it, or fabricate a better filter? BTW, I am utilizing a pondmaster 950 gph submersible pump to push water to the skippy. Thanks for your time, BD1

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03-07-2008	#2 (permalink)
kent wallace Nisai Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 88	How large is the pond? How many fish? How many gph are you pumping? Turnover rate? Bottom drain? Skimmer? UV? Prefiltration system? How long has the system been running at temps above 50 deg? Not enough info!!!!! Bacteria will live and colonize on almost anything.

03-07-2008	#3 (permalink)
baddiesel1 Tosai Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Beaufort, NC Posts: 17	'Scuse the terrible diction. Guess I wasn't clear in the aforementioned paragraph. My temporary pond IS a "300 gallon" polyethylene horse trough. I have "3 koi", approx sizes: 12 incher, 13 incher and an 8 incher. The skippy filter has its water supplied via a "950 gph" submersible pump"; Therefore I believe the turnover rate is a hair over 3 times per hour. No bottom drain, no skimmer, I'm waiting on the pondmaster 20 watt UV light to arrive in the next day or two. The tank has been operational for about 30 days. Water temps have been above 50 degrees F for the last 3 weeks. Just got back from Wash D.C. and performed another "weekly" partial water change. My lawn was mowed, and the water was trashed with floating grass & debris. I thought beneficial bacteria required stable temps above 60 degrees F in order to propagate? I would like to construct a better & more efficient filtration system, just don't know the best design route to take for implementation. My wife actually talks to these fish, pets and hand feeds one of them. I cannot start building the new pond until early fall, so I really need to install a decent & reliable filtration system; possibly one that I could adapt for a larger pond.