Simply Koi and More Koi

Hi Folks,
Been thinking bout makin a trickle filter for a few days and decided to give it ago, in the end took about hour and a half! Had to buy everything except for media which came to about twelve quid. Took a few pics was jsut wondering if you could see any improvements i could make or anything i may have missed??? I have a spray bar on another filter i will use, im planning to use flocor in the filter- Andy

[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/vippy ... pbadge.jpg[/img]

hi andy
all looks a top job,
flocor will do a great job, but just a little tip that i used and works well,put a piece of jap matting in each box then flocor on top,all helps to slow/trickle water over media.

mick

Andy,

Are the two pipes to return the water back to the pond? If so not all of the water will drain out of the bottom tier and therefore some bits of muck may well settle there. You could just cut a slot at the bottom where the pipes are.

Hi Mick,
Thanks for that tip, will see if i have any jap mat lyin around anywhere-should also help to trap any particles should they get into the filter.

Hi Bob,
The reason i went for the pipes on the return was because i read the other day that someone had done the same which caused 'krap' to build up. I thought it would be better to allow it to settle in the filter rather than go into the pond-thought i could just clean it out occasionally? Would this be a bad idea? Not sure if it were to settle if it would make it less effective? Thanks for your advice look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers Andy

Hi Andy,

Ive just thrown some jap matting out have you got any??

If possible you don't want any crap settling out anywhere and defiantly not in the filters,thats why on my bin i just drilled holes in the bottom so the water and stuff goes straight out.I do have a piece of matting on the bottom but this is more for an experiment.

One thing to remember if you do put any matting in make sure you only pump clean water over it otherwise you can get a build up and then the system can overflow if not cleaned out regularly.

I'm sure any muck would get taken out again by other filters.

This is what I did, just tilted the boxes, so ity all flows out of the slots, no settlement at all!
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN1200.JPG[/img]

Hi Gazza,
Had a look and cant see any, keep something for years and never need it, throw it away and you need it!-how is the K1 conversion going? Will be pumping through a fountain pump with a built in foam filter, will place it under return from main filter so it is pumping clean water-that should be ok shouldnt it???

Hi Bob,
Will loose the pipes to get rid of the possibility of a build up, as you say the main filter should pick it up! Only prob i may have is if i can get it close enogh to the pond to use without the pipes, if not i see another mod on the cards!

Thanks Guys

hi andy ..welcome into the blue peter club , you could use perforated plastic under the spray bar to help spread the water or better still use an old plastic seed tray drilled with holes in it to help disperse the water evenly over the media.

Hi Gerry,
Do i get a blue peter badge now? Addictive isnt it! Been day dreaming about ideas over the last few days at work-thought id better build it before i get sacked! Now planning the Mk2! Thats scary was just going to ask how to get the water to spray over a larger area as ive just looked at the spray bar i was going to use, which just sprays in a line! Will raid the motherlaws greenhouse when i go to feed my fish tommorrow!
Cheers Andy

only our jane(vippymini) hands them out ....yes its addictive this blue peter lark....been off today ....guess what i was doing ?.....building another eazy of course this is part of the new indoor pond filtration stay lucky

Finally plumbed in TT yesterday, works a treat, amazed at how well the water sprays through the chambers. Anyone know how long it will take to mature? Would a quick start dose help or would it get washed away?
Regards Andy

Hi Andy,

What media did you use in the end and is it on a system with a mature filter running already??

If its on a system with a mature filter running already it will soon start maturing

Hi Gazza,

I used the flocor i had in an old filter, took a whole bin bag full in the end and even then it needs a bit more! The pond has two mature box filters on which are coping fine, although the nitrate level was very very slightly up, however i have a few fish in my small pond to move over to the pond, so was hoping the TT will drop the nitrates when i introduce the last few fish. How long would you think it will take? Will i be able to see anything on the flocor when they establish?
Cheers

The bacteria can start withing a few weeks and should mature nicely in 6-8 weeks but if its on a mature system it should be quicker as there should already be a load of good guys already in the filter and the water,pond walls as remember a well established pond has bacteria everywhere

Hi Gazza,
Cheers for that, think i have three weeks before we need to have pond totally empty so should have time for TT to kick in!
Andy