Help with Water Clarity and Mechanical Filters

[MitchM]

Dhub,
I would work on Mmathis suggestions above regarding water tests and when to clean the filters.

What's in your filters looks to me like sediment from disturbing some plants. If your pumps are not suffering any loss of flow, I would let the filters do their job.

 

[Dhub]

Dhub,
I would work on Mmathis suggestions above regarding water tests and when to clean the filters.

What's in your filters looks to me like sediment from disturbing some plants. If your pumps are not suffering any loss of flow, I would let the filters do their job.

@MitchM, Thanks for the feed back, that is what I kind needed to know. I wasn't sure if i should clean them just because they looked dirty or not. i will let them run for a while longer and see what happens. As @Mmathis suggested i will get a testing kit and begin testing the water.

I also bought the clay that @sissy suggesteed after reading up about it.

Does anyone have a water testing kit that they recommend?

 

[Mmathis]

@Dhub I think that most of us use the API water tests. These are liquid tests, which tend to be more reliable than the strips. I use the "Master" test kit which comes with a test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH [with 2 different tests]. I also add the extra tests for KH and GH.

 

[Dave 54]

Yes API Pond Master pond test kits are the best but you will also have to buy an API nitrate test kit seperately

Dave

 

[Mmathis]

Yes API Pond Master pond test kits are the best but you will also have to buy an API nitrate test kit seperately

Dave

The kit I get comes with nitrate -- the Master kit. The Pond kit (I believe) comes with phosphate instead of nitrate.

 

[Dhub]

The kit I get comes with nitrate -- the Master kit. The Pond kit (I believe) comes with phosphate instead of nitrate.

I purchased the Pondcare master:

API Pondcare Master Liquid Test Kit
$13.49
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DJNN0/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1447425743&sr=1&keywords=api

• A complete kit for testing pond and tap water
• Over 500 tests
• Tests pH, ammonia, nitrite and phosphate
• Complete kit for testing pond and tap water
• Tests for pH, ammonia, nitrite and phosphate levels
• Kit contains instruction book, color cards, four test tubes and holding tray
• All pond life is dependent on the quality of the water
• Test kits quickly and accurately evaluate pond water quality so that problems can be detected

 

[morewater]

Just remember that this stuff does have a shelf life, and that proper storage is key.

I buy one per season and whatever is left at the end of the season, I pitch.

 

[Mmathis]

Just remember that this stuff does have a shelf life, and that proper storage is key.

I buy one per season and whatever is left at the end of the season, I pitch.

I do the same thing.

 

[Smaug]

Your pond is massively overstocked, not right now as everything is small but by midway next year yiu are far overstocked. I only have 8 koi and that many comets and consider myself overstocked in a 2500 gallon pond. My water clarity is all the way to the bottom of 3 ft
My filtration isn't half what yiu have by my pump is 4000 GPH and I clean filters every other week in the heat. Of course I follow good fish keeping procedure with a good water change regimen.

 

[sissy]

I only have 16 fish in 5000 gallons and consider that to many since 2 of them are koi over 2 foot long

 

[morewater]

I think that the major cause of your water clarity issue is your fish load. You simply have too many fish for that size of pond. Keep in mind that these will grow and your overpopulation will be expanded as they grow.

There is no set regime for cleaning filter pads in a filtration system. As a rule of thumb, when the output volume has decreased noticeably, then it's time to clean off the filters. They don't need to be scrubbed, just rinsed with the garden hose and then re-inserted into the housing.

You might want to try a flocculent, either montmorillonite clay or a liquid agent such as UltraClear or RapidClear. This will allow you to "clear" the water rapidly, enabling you to monitor how long it takes for the pond to "grubby" up again. If you're going to use the Ultra or RapidClear flocculent, dosing is important. As you know the total volume of your pond, this shouldn't be an issue.

Continue to clean the filters, if you don't the flow-through will be reduced. A filter that doesn't filter aint much of a filter.