Mini Easy

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:39 pm

Sounds like something a miss Bob.

Still if you are now getting a lot of poop and stuff in the K1 where was it going before?????

Post by **B.Scott** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:40 pm

"Perhaps the media is breaking down somehow"

Or just giving something off that puts your meter out of wack?

B.Scott

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:45 pm

Top layer in the shower is the magic BHM Gazza, 2nd tier is Alfagrog, then the Glafoam.

Could be Scott.
I'll get a piece of it out at the weekend, mash it to a pulp, put it in with some water and see what the TDS is then?????

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:47 pm

So the BHM should of got rid of the poop perhaps there is not enough to eat all that food you keep throwing in

co2 · Post by **co2** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:00 pm

Very nice bob excellent body shape.
Could the gh/kh. Of increased the shell in the media may dissolve at a higher ph.
Than the ones youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re used to.
John

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:07 pm

Yeah I'll have to test them all John

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 10:22 am

OK some tests done this morning, but not good results and not what I was hoping for.

Incoming purified water
TDS = 250
KH = 210
GH = 260
pH = 7.5 (if I aerate this for an hour, I know from experience it will reach 8.1, as the CO2 is gassed off)

Growing-on pond water
TDS = 490
KH = 160
GH = 240
pH = 8.2

So in summary with the exception of the TDS, all is to be as expected. So to me the system is stacked full of 'crap'!

I dont do massive water changes on this pond, or flow through any water and with the amount of food I feed the Koi look well on it. But there is obviously muck somewhere in the shower perhaps.

I'll reduce the feeding a whole load this week, see if any changes occur on the TDS by next weekend.

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:46 am

Sounds like something is a miss Bob,have you tested the ORP on it??

I had just noticed the last couple of days that my ORP has gradually gone down.Now this is not the usual thing in my pond so i thought we better have a look as this morning it was down to 315 and its normally up around 350ish.

So i decided to have a look at the matting chamber and pull some matting out and what did i see??????????

Brown stuff!! so drained down to have a better look and removed the matting.I then filled a Bowl with pond water and washed the matting out and the water was like chocolate

cleaned out the matting and the vortex and flushed all to waste.

Then carried out the rest of my cleaning and Bobs you uncle ORP off the scale well as i had just cleaned all the probes i will let it settle for a while and then see

So had my K1 shed its bacteria and why,was it because i have reduced the temperature or the feeding or the introduction of new media?????????

Anyway not a nice job on a cold winters morning and especially with my matting,thats why i think we will be changing to static K1 in the spring time

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:58 pm

I've had a few emails with Mike S on my TDS subject, I'll get his approval to post his replies.

In summary though I have a high Koi and feed loading, in a small water area. Plus I'm changing very little water. Pretty obvious really, if I want a lower TDS, then I'll need to change more water.

On your pond:
You are going to have static K1 at the start and finish of your filter system? Sounds interesting that. All media will shed bacteria and it has to go somewhere! Matting catches it nicely, so would another chamber of static K1. Static K1 being easier to clean though, so sounds a great idea.

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:10 pm

Hi Bob,

I thought you would be changing a fair amount of water so didn't ask,so have you not been changing much water then i take it??

Yes thats the idea mate Static easier to clean just need to do some more messing around and modifications

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:12 pm

Just when I open the drains, or dump the Vortex, so not much water changed. It tops itself up, so I just walk away. I'll have to rig up a dribble flowing in all the time to overflow.

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:14 pm

Or just change more water

Did you have any of the media out to see what it was like??

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:19 pm

Had some of the media out just a few weeks back and it was fine. Difficult to get to it though, the 3-tiers nearly touches the roof and it's a long reach away on the far side of the pond. Best way to get to it is via a step ladder 'in' the pond - LOL.

Yes perhaps I'll dump the Vortex every day this week, or even twice a day. It dont take long and when it refills I can restart the pump straight away as the auto-top up kicks in.

I'll keep a list of the daily TDS if I do this.

co2 · Post by **co2** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:44 pm

Bob how can you have a tds reading of 250 on the water out of the purifier with them kh & GH readings.
Either I am missing something or the meter is faulty.
John

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:49 pm

John,

Have a read of those threads by Mike Snaden. You cant just add one to the other (GH & KH) and expect that to be your TDS.