Bio filter needed?

[stromung]

Hello All,

I have a 4 months old stream and pond without any filter system. I am in S. California where we still receives full sun until yesterday. My water is green pea soup. I have total 10 feeder and mosquito fishes. I am planning to make a mechanical filter which consists brushes only. I am not planning to make a bio filter as I have already lots of gravel, rocks, sand in the stream. I have only a few plants (water hyacinth and some kind of grass) and they are not helping to balance the system. I am trying to get rid of the algae, am I doing the right thing here?

 

[morewater]

If you've been running it in full sun for four months with no filtration, that's what you get.

You need a filtration system, whether you want one or not.

Try a pressure filter with UV, that should solve your problem in one shot. Minimal muss, minimal fuss.

 

[Nepen]

If you get rid of the algae, you might have ammonia problem as the algae is helping with the problem right now. you can easily add any bio media behind the brushes to create more space for the bacteria to colonize. I think the bacteria that's on the rocks/gravel are good but they wont do muck if they got cover in much, are they?

 

[dieselplower]

Algae issues can not be solved with mechanical filtration. Ammonia is caused by fish urine as well as expelled through the gills. You can't filter that out. Biological filtration would be more appropriate to try to combat algae.

 

[stromung]

Ok, but my stream is around 25 ft long filled with sand and gravel. Isn't that actually a very long bio filter?

 

[Nepen]

I dont think anybody can say yes or no to that question because there are many factors involve and it's not black/white answer. For me, it seems like enough, but since you are still battling with algae, it also means that you have access nutrient in the water, what ever it is to make the algae thrive.

You can try to do an experiment and see if your mechanical filter is enough and get rid of the algae and then try to check the ammonia level each day for a while to see if that make it worse or not.

I've never have algae problem because my pond is in a very shaded area. My pond got cloudy when I started it up in spring (not green though) and clear up by itself in a week, I think that's part of my pond cycle.

 

[morewater]

I gave you the sure-fire quick fix in my original reply that will give you the maximum bang for the minimal buck. Do what you will.

 

[The PondFather]

Hello All,

I have a 4 months old stream and pond without any filter system. I am in S. California where we still receives full sun until yesterday. My water is green pea soup. I have total 10 feeder and mosquito fishes. I am planning to make a mechanical filter which consists brushes only. I am not planning to make a bio filter as I have already lots of gravel, rocks, sand in the stream. I have only a few plants (water hyacinth and some kind of grass) and they are not helping to balance the system. I am trying to get rid of the algae, am I doing the right thing here?

You are correct your stream makes a great, and natural biofilter. What you may be missing though is adding some seed bacteria. I use Aquascapes dry bacteria as it's so concentrated and has a long shelf life. One small tablespoon like scoop treats 1,000 gallons. We are bringing out an automatic liquid bacteria doser in 2015 that's really cool. It's so easy to forget to dose your pond this eliminates that guess work. Check out www.aquascapeinc.com for a local dealer or a CAC (Certified Aquascape Contractor) to give you a personal visit if you'd like help either installing any additional filtration or even the auto-doser.

 

[dieselplower]

You are correct your stream makes a great, and natural biofilter. What you may be missing though is adding some seed bacteria. I use Aquascapes dry bacteria as it's so concentrated and has a long shelf life. One small tablespoon like scoop treats 1,000 gallons. We are bringing out an automatic liquid bacteria doser in 2015 that's really cool. It's so easy to forget to dose your pond this eliminates that guess work. Check out www.aquascapeinc.com for a local dealer or a CAC (Certified Aquascape Contractor) to give you a personal visit if you'd like help either installing any additional filtration or even the auto-doser.

LOL some guy who made an account just to sell Aquascapes. Three posts and all three mention Aquascapes. And he is from the Chicago area, which is where Aquascapes is headquartered. Disregard this advice.

 

[dieselplower]

Ok, but my stream is around 25 ft long filled with sand and gravel. Isn't that actually a very long bio filter?

I guess not since it isn't working.
Morewater did give you advice on a way to clear up green water. A UV will do that. HOWEVER, you are not really solving the problem. You are just masking it. The free floating algea feeds directly on ammonia, which is toxic to your fish. Without the algae to consume the ammonia, the levels in the pond can build to toxic levels and harm or kill your fish. Im saying CAN, not WILL.

 

[The PondFather]

Hello All,

I have a 4 months old stream and pond without any filter system. I am in S. California where we still receives full sun until yesterday. My water is green pea soup. I have total 10 feeder and mosquito fishes. I am planning to make a mechanical filter which consists brushes only. I am not planning to make a bio filter as I have already lots of gravel, rocks, sand in the stream. I have only a few plants (water hyacinth and some kind of grass) and they are not helping to balance the system. I am trying to get rid of the algae, am I doing the right thing here?

And another note for you. Aquascape offers free online training that covers practically any pond topic you might want to know more about. Filtration, water treatments, installation, fish care, etc. Here's a link that describes the "Aquascape Academy" and how to find the topics that interest you the most. Hope this gives you some of the addtional background you're seeking to enjoy your water feature to the fullest. here's the link:

 

[HARO]

Yup, and if you post anything they don't like, you are BANNED FOR LIFE! No explanation, no reason, you're OUT OF HERE!
John

 

[dieselplower]

Yup, and if you post anything they don't like, you are BANNED FOR LIFE! No explanation, no reason, you're OUT OF HERE!
John

That's because they can't actually carry on a discussion using facts. They are easy to out gun.

 

[morewater]

I use AquaScape products extensively, but not exclusively.

It's a little annoying that some grunt that just joined is using the site as a sales platform.

As to the original posters query, I do think that if his/her main concern is water clarity, that the pressure filter is the way to go (regardless of who makes it). The pressure filters that I use contain bio-balls, which have a large surface area for bacterial growth, in combination with a UV light. They're built is such a way that the UV light doesn't come into contact with the bio-balls/bacteria colony, but zaps the inflowing water prior to it going through the bio-balls.

I'm only advocating this system based on what I think the original poster wanted to do, which is to clean it up with minimal cost outlay, minimal maintenance.