pre filter my static K1

[Andy H]

How best?

Bottom drain gravity feeds into settlement chamber where pump is

pumps upto CL2 with static K1 then fluidised K1 the jap mat then foam and lavarock.

Still getting dirty in static K1 and although that is ok the foam needs cleaning too often.

How best to over come this problem?

Is there anywhere I can have a sieve type pres-filter to the static K1?????

what type of sieve???


Could I pump from settlement tank to a sieve raised above the CL2??? if so what type is best???

[Gazza]

Hi Andy,

How long has the static K1 been running and how often do you clean it

[Andy H]

been in 3 weeks and cleaning evry 2 days slowing down to 3 days sometimes.

Foam in last chamber a bit less...

[Gazza]

I would give it time mate this is probably removing all the old waste that is in the pond and the more you clean the easier it will get and then you will notice you can start to leave it longer.When i first modified my vortex i was cleaning two and three times a day but when i went away last year for two weeks it lasted the holiday with no cleaning

[kayoss]

Hi Andy

Once the static K1 has settled in a bit, it will take most of the solids out but, some fines will undoubtedly get through. How much depends to some extent on your flow rate - the slower the flow, the more solids will get caught in the K1.

However, the fuidised K1 will continuously shed any dead bacteria, causing some fines in the water, but leaving a nice clean environment for the healthy living bacteria to do its work as well as it can.

In my pond I allow the fines to just return to the pond and eventually get caught in the static K1. It sounds to me as though the fines from your fluidised K1 is getting caught by the foam.

I don't claim that my water is "gin clear" but I can see the koi and bottom drain (5'3" deep) and the koi all appear very happy and healthy.

I'd suggest removing the foam and giving the static K1 a chance to show what it can do.

Cheers

[Andy H]

remove the foam!!! would that not let the fines get caught in the lava rock underneath it? Or would they pass through it?

[kayoss]

Ooops! Sorry Andy, I missed the lava rock bit. Yes, it might (or probably will) settle out in the lava rock.

I've converted the whole of my multibay filter to aerated K1, so don't have the problem of the fines settling anywhere other than in the vortex/static K1 chamber.

Cheers

[Andy H]

Do you have pics of your set up?

Is your static in the first chamber then, which was a vortex only?

[kayoss]

Hi Andy

My vortex is a seperate unit to the multibay. Here are some photos of the conversion to static K1. Hopefully they're self explanatory, but come back if you want anything explained further.

[img]http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d95/kayos ... on006a.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d95/kayos ... on002a.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d95/kayos ... on008a.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d95/kayos ... on013a.jpg[/img]


Part of the first chamber of the multibay ca be seen in the bottom right corner of the last photo (covered by polycarb shhet). The internal partitions (other then the central weir to stop the sides spreading under the weight of water) have been removed to provide 2 large rectangular chambers that have both been converted to aerated K1. You can read the background and improvements to the conversion on this thread. http://www.koiquest.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7065" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I pump straight from the multibay to a trickle tower which returns to the pond via a water fall, but don't have any other mechanical filtration after the static K1.

Hope that helps.

Cheers

[Andy H]

Thanks Bob, It was the above pics I used to convert my CL2 to static & fluidised!!!

I will try and be patient with it, was thinking pod or cetus sieve before the filter but it would have to be higher than filter to gravity feed into CL2, not very practical really...

I guess my way of thinking was more mechanical filtration needed. I will PONDer over it till spring I think....

[eds]

Could you simply add some air to the Lava rock chamber to prevent any detritus settling in there and it'll also add extra oxygen which will help the bacteria?

[Andy H]

I did actually try that in the beginning but it was bubbling up funnily... and I guessed it was disturbing fines in the foam.

I would need another air pump or a revamp of fluidised chamber as all the air goes to that.