Add a 2nd filter mat?

[gcann]

I have a question please my pond is just over a month old and is 2000 gallon and has a pondbuilder 20" crystal falls biofall.
The biofalls came with one filter mat about an inch thick and based on experience years ago with Aquascape and it had 3 filter mats, so I added a 2nd 2" filter mat to my current falls.

I currently have 2 issues, after adding the 2nd mat weeks ago the flow from the falls is less than ideal so I took the thin mat out 3 days ago and now my water is brown......cant even see the bottom at the 2' shelf.

My question is - is one 1" mat sufficient? that would give me flow but it appears it's not enough to keep the water clear

thoughts or suggestions?

pond is 11x11 and is 3' at the deepest, I have 20 - 4 to 6" goldfish and about 50 trapdoor snails. oh and evidently about 7 small frogs have found the pond

 

[brokensword]

brown or green? Are you attributing this non-clarity to floating debris in the water or to an algal bloom? I ask because you shouldn't have that much free floating debris without constantly cleaning your filter mat. IF an algal bloom, no filter is going to stop that; the free floating kind of algae is too small to get filtered out. You'd need more plants, shade, less feeding, cleaning of accumulatted debris on the bottom, more/better filtration, or even a bog to help you.

All that to say; it does sound like your filtration is needing an upgrade, somehow. Of course the flow of your falls will be less as you increase the resistance by thickening it's pathway.

Just some thoughts.

 

[gcann]

I did rinse the filter mat today, in a tub of pond water, and it looked like mud….. even the water lettuce i have In the biofall the roots look like they were dipped in mud.
I had a pond years ago and had my battles with algae but never had brown algae so not familiar with it

 

[GBBUDD]

BUILD YOUR SELF A BOG

 

[WaterGardener]

I agree with GBBUDD. It sounds as though you don't have enough filtration. You need a lot more than a waterfall filter.

 

[Lisak1]

Is there dirt getting into the pond from somewhere? Low edge perhaps? Or were your rocks particularly dirty? When you scoop a glass of water out of the pond, does the brown settle to the bottom eventually? Or does it stay suspended? You want to make sure you've eliminated the source of whatever it is that's creating the issue.

Increasing mechanical filtration sounds like your best bet right now - if the waterfall box isn't the right place for it, maybe a basket filled with quilt batting will speed the process.

 

[gcann]

Good points, I do not have run off into the pond and being its been a month and the pond was clear so any dirt from the rocks should have settled so I guess it must be a "brown" algae problem so I begin that research
Also I have a atlantic skimmer with a net and filter to catch stuff before it gets to the falls.

question - is one 1" mat sufficient for a biofall? This would fix my flow issue if it provides enough surface for bacteria, I also have 2 -12"x20" bags of bioballs on top of the mats in the filter

 

[gcann]

Here’s a couple pics

 

[GBBUDD]

Pond is looking pretty good to me Don't forget this a pond it is not a swimming pool with chlorine that kills everything your rocks, Walls, and floor are alive and growing

 

[gcann]

The clarity was noticeably worse over just 2 days and If I pick up the lettuce it looks like dirty water running off the roots
Does one mat provide sufficient surface area for the bacteria? With the about 300 bio balls ?

looking to get the clarity back and would like better water flow at the falls

 

[brokensword]

great looking pond, btw, but I'd definitely consider a lot more than just that one filter. Like GB yelled atcha; think of doing a bog! Will solve what ails ya.

 

[gcann]

I’ll research and consider a bog for better filtration but In the mean time does a 1” mat in the biofalls have enough surface area used in conjunction with the 300 bioballs?
Versus the double mats I am using currently? The double mats is all about bacteria surface area for growth in my mind but may be off base.
My biofalls came with a single mat but I added a second mat

 

[Jhn]

@gcann with fine silty material in the water column, go width what @Lisak1 suggested a temporary filter to hold quilt batting to filter out the fines in your water column.

When everyone is mentioning filtration they mean mechanical, not biological, more surface area for bacteria doesn’t hurt, it won’t solve the murky water issue. You need more mechanical filtration, or Rinse out the filter mats more often.
Also, need to figure out why there is fine silty material accumulating in your pond.

By your waterfall side, I see at least one course of block and rocks above the water level, is there any type of filter fabric behind that keeping The dirt out of the pond when it rains Or does the liner come all the way up to the top course. That side of the pond is at the bottom of that slope, so run off will come right down behind that wall, if there is no filter fabric fine silty material will get through there when it rains.

 

[gcann]

The liner is to the top and rolled over so sure run off isn’t the issue.

 

[brokensword]

I’ll research and consider a bog for better filtration but In the mean time does a 1” mat in the biofalls have enough surface area used in conjunction with the 300 bioballs?
Versus the double mats I am using currently? The double mats is all about bacteria surface area for growth in my mind but may be off base.
My biofalls came with a single mat but I added a second mat

you're asking a question only you can actually answer as you're on the scene, it's your pond. If the water is full of floating debris and fills your filter pads, cleaning as often as that happens is going to depend on your debris load. Every pond is different. The reason we preach bog filtration is because your question is never asked (by boggers) because we're treating everything with mainly bio filtration (by also NOT putting our pump on the pond bottom).

Your bioballs are the equivilent of our pea gravel, but consider how much more a bog has than your wfall filter. As jhn said; you're talking mechanical filtration and a bog isn't designed for that even if if WILL do it (don't though as it'll clog your bog and you'll have worse problems cleaning it rather than your mats). In my instance, I have (2) 55 gallon drums with sock filters BEFORE my bog; that's MY mechanical filtration. I have 7k gallons with 35 koi and 100+ gf. My mechanical filtration area is over 1800 sq inches for ONE barrel. Compare that with the sq in area of your pads. I've cleaned every day and I've also gone a week before doing so. Depends on the season.

So to tell you if one 1" pad is better than 2 thinner isn't even a germane question. You obviously need more. How you get to that is up to you. Many here espouse bogs because of how well they work and how little maintenance they entail.

I'd say try both your systems; one pad or two, and see which works better for you; try the quilt batting beneath your wfall in a basket to clear fines in the water. But I will still keep promoting a better system; bog filtration.