Enough pressurized filter?

[LIKOI]

Hey all, thanks for this helpful forum.

I know most of you are not fans of pressurized filtration but for me I don't really have a choice so must use them; no room for a 55 gallon. Wondering what all your thoughts were regarding whether I have enough filtration for all my hopes and dreams.

My pond is 1500 gallons with a skimmer (on one pump which I only run for short intervals throughout the day) and a Tetra BP2500 pressurized filter on another 3500 gph pump. I currently only have about 10 koi at about 10 inches each, however ideally I would like to set up an environment that can handle 50 koi at this size.

I know there are those out there that will say this is overstocking but with the correct filtration in place I believe there is a valid counter argument.

I suspect putting another BP2500 in place would be helpful, but wondering if you think it is absolutely necessary, or maybe other suggestions???

Thanks!

 

[ididntdoit99]

ideally I would like to set up an environment that can handle 50 koi at this size. I know there are those out there that will say this is overstocking but with the correct filtration in place I believe there is a valid counter argument.

I dont really think plentiful filtration is a valid counter argument for stuffing 50 10 inch koi into a tiny pond, thats like having 50 people live in a 800 sq ft house and saying "oh well theres plenty of air in there, they'll be fine." They still need to some room to move.

 

[fishin4cars]

I'll give you this bit of information. I have 22 koi in a 2500 gallon pond with aprox. 1500 cubic inches of Bio media, plus a bog filter and lots of water movement and areation, these fish range from 5" to about 18-20" I'm way over stocked! I have been having so many small issues this whole summer with keeping water conditions under control. I have to clean pre-filters daily, 10-20% water changes weekly and very closely keep an eye on my water conditions. For 50 koi to live comfortably I would say you would need aprox. 4000-5000 cubic inches of bio surface media and aprox, 6000-7500 gallon pond just to keep them at the 10-12" size, grow them to full size and you could be looking at double or triple the size pond, and size filter. I just don't see a good shot at sucsess trying to filter that kind of bio load for that many fish in any pressurized filter.
In a 1500 gallon pond your stocked to the max, by this time next year you'll fully understand why, right now your at about 100" of fish for 1500 gallons, next year your going to be at 1" per 10 gallons, even with 55 gallon DOC or 100 gallon skippy type filter you will still be maxed out and you have still got many years of growth to come.

 

[HARO]

I fully agree with Larkin... this setup is a disaster in the making. Better five healthy fish than fifty dead ones! John

 

[DoDad]

If your going pressurized go with a small bead filter.

 

[LIKOI]

Thanks for the input. Ill tone down on the stocking

 

[sissy]

my pond at 8x15 2 koi over 2 feet long 2 butterfly koi at about 8 inches long 4 fancy tails 3 goldfish and I have 2 filters going 2 waterfalls and a large airpump and I net gunk from the bottom of my pond 2 or 3 times a week and I have lava rock and floor buffing pads in my filters and know I 'm overstocked too .But they are healthy and happy

 

[kougs]

I don't know maybe this site will help?
http://www.russellwatergardens.com/Styles/Filtration.php