Pond filtering questions

[blessedfamily]

Thanks for the suggestions..Addy this was me too --(-Hard to answer ??'s without really knowing what he is thinking) I had to walk inside his house because I was getting so frustrated with him not listening to me lol.....he was explaining ideas to me that he had in his head but it wasn't clicking or making any sense so I just said whatever it's your pond don't call me when it turns green lol..I will send him your link on your bog area..thanks again everyone.

 

[baeya]

Hope he doesn't end up like me and my pond. It's been in 8 years and I've never had clear water. My fish have been fine, though, but our water has been so green that I didn't even know that we had a 2 foot snapping turtle in the pond until we emptied it to fix a cave in at the end a couple months ago!
Now I understand that the waterfall filter we have is sized way too small for our pond.
I have built a Skippy filter, but still waiting for the bio media to come in the mail. I also want to add a bog.
Meanwhile I have stopped overfeeding the Koi and I'm doing weekly 10 to 15% water changes. I sure hope the Skippy filter will clear things up when it's complete.

 

[baeya]

Well, the mailman came to the door with my big A$$ package of bio media!!!! YAY!! Got it all in, poured some of that gel bacteria stuff (wow does that stuff stink!) It says to let it sit for two hours, and then we will see if my green soup turns clear!!

I also put some new Matala media and new bio media in my waterfall filter.....

Keeping my fingers crossed!!!

 

[addy1]

Well, the mailman came to the door with my big A$$ package of bio media!!!! YAY!! Got it all in, poured some of that gel bacteria stuff (wow does that stuff stink!) It says to let it sit for two hours, and then we will see if my green soup turns clear!!

I also put some new Matala media and new bio media in my waterfall filter.....

Keeping my fingers crossed!!!

give it some time to work before you say darn wasted that money! Bet it will do great for you

 

[j.w]

Yep baeya let us know how long it takes to clear. Hoping it works well for you :fingersx:

 

[koiguy1969]

BAEYA... you have to remember that the final product of a bio filter is nitrates. plants feed on nitrates..and alge is a plant!! theres no such thing as a bio filter that kills alge....altho if properly built the sump area of your filter will collect a considerable amount of it. adequate plants, and shade is the real key to green water single cell alge control....but nitrates are alot less toxic to your fish than their counterparts, nitrites,which accumulate in the fishes bloodstream and poison it. or ammonias which poison the fish but also burn the membranes in their gills destroying the fishes ability to absorb oxygen. one more point i would like to share with you is that, i seem to recall you saying you use pool pumps for you pond.this isnt a good idea for a couple reasons. they pump the water with a lot more pressure than a pond pump, this added presure can "push" particulates thru your filters media just to return to the pond, green water (single cell) alge included. and their electrical costs are usually considerably higher than pond pumps. pond pumps are designed to be high volume with low pressure.and just a thought...i would venture a guess that if you installed a U.V clarifier / sterilizer and ran it for a month in the spring each year you'd be amazed at how clear your water would be...in the spring when it starts to green up turn it on.run it for a month (more or less) and turn it off. U.Vs kill and cause the alge to clump together, so your filter can more easily collect it.some here dont like U.Vs..but man can they clear up a green pond, and keep it that way..
OH...an after thought........next year fill the top of your filters with water hyacinths or lettuce...they are real nutrient hogs..(pull alot of nitrates). my hyacinths grew 2' tall in my filter. as they over grow the filter put them in the pond...and theyre long fiberous roots trap alot of fines.

 

[baeya]

Oh boy! Lots to think about........ We do have a UV thingy that we bought several years ago but didn't work for us. I think my whole system is just out of whack. I'm so frustrated now
My pumps are probably too fast but I can't go out and spend the money on a new one, my husband will kill me.....
I can hook up the UV again, but if the water flow is too fast it probably won't help, was probably the reason it didn't work before....

I'm doomed.... :'(

 

[taherrmann4]

baeya if you have too much water going through your filter what about putting in a T and diverting some of the water to your waterfall or back into the pond. Be sure you put on ball valves so you can regulate how much water goes where.

It is not a one thing fixes it all, it is a combination of things and finding the right combination takes time. Hang in there it will get there. I was where you are when I first started out, it took me two full years to figure out what was wrong and then tweaking this and that. It will all come together you will see.

 

[koiguy1969]

Oh boy! Lots to think about........ We do have a UV thingy that we bought several years ago but didn't work for us. I think my whole system is just out of whack. I'm so frustrated now
My pumps are probably too fast but I can't go out and spend the money on a new one, my husband will kill me.....
I can hook up the UV again, but if the water flow is too fast it probably won't help, was probably the reason it didn't work before....

I'm doomed.... :'(

i wouldnt say that...i no longer use my U.V and my water speaks for itself...gin clear. but for people whos pond just doesnt wasnt to clear a U.V can be a real blessing. what size U.V do you have? if its of adequate size you can always plumb it so you can control its flow with a ball valve. bypassing the U.V with some of the flow. you put a "T" then a ball valve before the U.V input as you close the ballvalve more flow will be diverted thru the "T" this plumbing will "T" back into the main line on the other side of the U.V or be diverted else where.
you may be in need of a new bulb for your U.V as well...i dont how long you ran it!...but they still light up long after theyre rendered useless.

 

[baeya]

I read your post 8 times before I could picture it....... I'm so depressed

I will go get the UV out of the garage, I sure hope my hubby will help me with this. I think the UV light is brand new, we bought a new light for it and he just never hooked it up cause it didn't work. Just went to the garage, found the light but can't find the electical part... will keep looking... It's 34" long.

 

[koiguy1969]

WHATS ITS WATTAGE? THATS WHAT MATTERS...36 WATTS OR HIGHER WOULD BE THE ABSLUTE MINIMUM I WOULD USE ON 6000 GALS. HERES A QUICKY SCHEMATIC OF THE PLUMBING...

 

[baeya]

OH, now I get it! You are so sweet! We found the rest of the parts, but the electical cord is all dry rotted. It's a 40 watt originally made by Misty Mountain. I'm looking for replacement parts and we will need a new bulb. In searching, I think Misty Mountain might now be Servio....not sure....still looking.

 

[addy1]

Next year will be better, get the plants growing, get your filter going, bet you will have nice water. I don't use a uv, but i have tons of plants that do a great job on the algae. The uv will help you get rid of the green water, you might not need it at all once you get your pond balanced.

 

[koiguy1969]

U.Vs are great to run in the spring anyways...they kill free floating disease causing and anaerobic (bad) bacteria, viruses and parasites as well, pathogens. aerobic or beneficial bacteria colonizes surfaces, wheras anaerobic or bad bacteria free floats... both bacterias perform the same task of breaking down organics but anaerobic bacteria produces toxic gases as a byproduct. in the spring your fishes immune system is almost nill, leaving your fish far more susseptable...all these things can really sicken fish even fairly quickly kill at this time. i'll bet most fish deaths occur in spring.

 

[addy1]

nice to know koiguy, for those that use them, thanks