How long without filteration??

[MikeWh]

Hi...I cant really change anything til springtime, but I want to change the machanical side of my filteration.....Because the pond is gravity fed & pump returned, I really can't think of a way of diverting or anything so I can make the changes.....My K1 is at least 3 years mature & I'de hate to kill it if possible...All/any advice on this would be great as I'm sure it's been done by many of you......Many thanks.Mike

[Gazza]

Hi Mike,

You will be surprised how long your fish can go without filtration as long as you don't go from heavy feeding at high temps down to nothing overnight. If you going to do this it will be best before the weather warms up and the fish start actively feeding more and that way there should be less waste in the system and less ammonia hopefully. I would also if possible set it up so i can trickle water in which will also help by changing out water and putting the fresh water in will help dilute any pollutants out from the pond water.

The bacteria in your K1 will be fine and i personal would not try to keep it in water or wet just leave it and then once done and back up and running it should be back on line in no time but again slow and steady with the food.

What is it you are trying to do with the set up

[MikeWh]

Hi Gazza & thanks for replying....The fish are heated to 20degC at the moment & I suppose thats going to work a bit against me, because I'd love to just get on with it....I've had the ibc tank that I wont to use sat on the yard for ages..
I suppose I could run a temp pipe from one of a couple of unused filter returns that are below water level back to the K1 vat. That way I suppose I could still heat the pond that way.... I just keep looking at the ibc tank, & then my existing 50gal jap mat box....Then I stop thinking about it & feed the fish instead ..Like ya do.....Mike

What is it you are trying to do with the set up

Sorry just read that bit....
I would like a much bigger settlement area, I would also like to do away with the standpipe system that I use at the moment & put slide valves in....Mike

[Gazza]

Hi Mike,

20c blimey your warm at the moment no wonder the fish are liking t

Have you got any pictures of the set up so we can see what it is you are wanting to change

[MikeWh]

Hi Gazza....I wont to replace & tidy up this mess

The diagram is an old one & there is another 8' X 4' sheet of jap matting cramed in there & no filter wool in it...
I have no water issues to sort out, water params are always spot on & clarity is perfect..
I change the media sacks every day & back flush the BD & filter to drain...
I'm just of the age where I just won't to pull levers instead of putting my hands in muck ....Mike

[Gazza]

Hi Mike,

How does all this work as if you looking at making a better mechanical side and you have a big enough biological side how about looking at installing a static K1 conversion and that way you will not have to get wet or put your hands in the water any more

[MikeWh]

Hi Gazza.....Yes the bio side is fine, but I feel the bigger the settlement area of any filter the better....Practically all fines are settled out on the right hand side of the box, after the jap matting where the water is hardly moving....My standpipe to the drain is on the left hand side, so at the moment the only times the fines are cleared to drain, is once a week when I clean the jap matting & flush it all out.....I know I could just fit a slide valve etc on the right, but I think the ibc tank would give me even better settlement ..... also that 50gal box is a bit warped & the steel support bars have snapped , hence the bungee straps
I know my odd filters aren't everyones cup of tea but the bags take out all pooh just like a hover bag, I use 2 sets of 2, 1 inside the other & are easy to clean in the garage sink....I just take the mucky set of once a day & replace with the clean set, flush bottom drain, back flush the filter & the pond just tops up by itself, takes about 15 mins a day.....Lol I could take a few pictures later if you wish but it is dead simple...Mike

[Gazza]

Hi Mike,

The old style filters used to use big settlement chambers so the waste can settle out but unfortunately would use a large amount of water when flushed out so a lot of guys Hoover out the settlement chamber to remove the waste. The beauty of the static K1 is they are very easy to clean out and you don't have to take anything out or get your hands wet

My old system had brushes and i can still remember cleaning them off and getting soaked and its no fun at any time and even worse when its cold I made sure that when built the new pond i would try all sorts of mechanical and ended up with static K1 and it works a treat and is easy to clean and i don't get wet anymore

[MikeWh]

Hi Gazza.....I'm open to ideas, What do you sugest I build, something that works like a nexus? either way I do need to get rid of the tank, so whatever I make will have to be with a new tank or the ibc tank......Mike

[Gazza]

Hi Mike,

Have you got room to put a vortex in there which you could convert to static K1

[Russ Little Pond]

My filter has been off due to damage caused by low temps in December, my 100ltrs of K1 sat in a pile on the filter pit floor till Feb when i bagged it, I managed to get pump going just to turn water over and im still trying to get filter up and running. Loads of air is being pumped into the pond and and a 25% water change done once a week or two.

[MikeWh]

Hi Russ, I'm sorry to read you are having problems at the moment, kind of puts my dilema into perspective....What sort of damaged has been caused??

Hi Gazza, as you can see I don't have that much garage left, with 2/3 of the pond inside it & with the 1000ltr K1 vat in the corner, what ever I do will have to replace that box...How do you convert a vortex & still have it work as a vortex, if you know what I mean??......Mike

[Gazza]

Hi Mike,

Depending on the size of the vortex you can put another part inside the vortex that holds the K1 in place and so the water can flow through it and can be isolated so you can then boil it up using air to remove all the waste.

I have my vortex partitioned off and a filter grid on the bottom just where the the cone starts and then the K1 all sits in there,but the hardest thing is containing the K1 it a right bugger

Here is a picture of mine and you can see where the K1 gets held and the water can then flow through the K1 and catch all the waste and then into the biological side of the filtration. The water comes into the vortex from the bottom drain and turns down 90 and through a filter grid so the water comes in and then is pulled up back through the filter grid so any big waste is left in the bottom and then up through the K1 and it is amazing how much waste K1 can catch and it works a treat

[MikeWh]

Hi Gazza & thanks for the detail ...Any chance of a bit of a diagram??.......Mike

[Gazza]

Hi Mike,

I have got to re-load all the pictures but i will put a post up for you on how i was all done with pictures and stuff in a day or so