Reducing fines
Moderators: B.Scott, vippymini, Gazza, Manky Sanke
Reducing fines
Hi all
I have been struggling with fines this year for some reason and I am after advise to help cure the problem.
I have a 3000 gall pond with BD feeding a vortex(with black knight vortex brush) then 5 bay multichamber with aereated K1,japmat,flocor,japmat,japmat then aquamax, 55watt UV, cartridge filter(now taken out blocks to often)then returns.
The skimmer line has a Hidroclean on it and tees of to a TC when I wish.
The pond is clear to the bottom but as soon as the sun appears the fines become very visible.
I do not have lots of space for much more equipment and the other half is not keen for anything higher then the pond.
I was thinking about a small elecro sand filter but seem to see many differing opinions to there use!
Any help appreciated
regards
Dave (Mitchy)
I have been struggling with fines this year for some reason and I am after advise to help cure the problem.
I have a 3000 gall pond with BD feeding a vortex(with black knight vortex brush) then 5 bay multichamber with aereated K1,japmat,flocor,japmat,japmat then aquamax, 55watt UV, cartridge filter(now taken out blocks to often)then returns.
The skimmer line has a Hidroclean on it and tees of to a TC when I wish.
The pond is clear to the bottom but as soon as the sun appears the fines become very visible.
I do not have lots of space for much more equipment and the other half is not keen for anything higher then the pond.
I was thinking about a small elecro sand filter but seem to see many differing opinions to there use!
Any help appreciated
regards
Dave (Mitchy)
- macaws fly
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Gazza.. am I correct in saying you have the dave a filters ?.... how is your static K1 system moded.... I will be converting mine this week to link up with rest of filters, so any help/pointers would be appreciated...
P.S.
there is a large vortex(36" diam) before what will be the static one and then a bank of three nitritech 911 filters.. first 2 with 100 ltrs k1 in each then large matting cartridge in last...
thanks in advance
Carl
P.S.
there is a large vortex(36" diam) before what will be the static one and then a bank of three nitritech 911 filters.. first 2 with 100 ltrs k1 in each then large matting cartridge in last...
thanks in advance
Carl
My best move ever on fines was to completely fill the last chamber with solid jap matting. No gaps and no air. (Before that chamber I have static K1 - airated K1 - and airated, submerged BHM). Since doing that my water is v v clear. As recommended by those who subscribe to the block-built filter methodology. Tom
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Hi Carl,
So have you got the pond up and running now then
Yes i have the Dave A units which i have gradually modified over to K1 all four of mine now contain K1 and Bio Chips.
The first one is Static K1 and works great as long as you can get enough holes in the grids to keep a good flow its great.I have mine so it is segregated and the K1 all sits in its own section as it does have a tendency to get all over the place so you must keep it contained.
I have a filter grid in the bottom of my vortex with the inlet going down so any large debris stays below the grid.Then i have a grid before the transfer ports to stop the K1 escaping to the next vortex and all the poop going with it
Hope this helps.
So have you got the pond up and running now then
Yes i have the Dave A units which i have gradually modified over to K1 all four of mine now contain K1 and Bio Chips.
The first one is Static K1 and works great as long as you can get enough holes in the grids to keep a good flow its great.I have mine so it is segregated and the K1 all sits in its own section as it does have a tendency to get all over the place so you must keep it contained.
I have a filter grid in the bottom of my vortex with the inlet going down so any large debris stays below the grid.Then i have a grid before the transfer ports to stop the K1 escaping to the next vortex and all the poop going with it
Hope this helps.
- macaws fly
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- Location: north herts
macaws fly
Hi a few pics of the vortex and filter.
I have a piece of japmat across the transfer port at the moment seems to collect a load of crud. needs cleaning every other day though.
regards
Dave (Mitchy)
Hi a few pics of the vortex and filter.
I have a piece of japmat across the transfer port at the moment seems to collect a load of crud. needs cleaning every other day though.
regards
Dave (Mitchy)
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- macaws fly
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Dave, if you remove the brush ring from the vortex you could fit a home made eazy as i did.
[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/vippy ... ie0002.jpg[/img]
or you could follow Gazza and Bob and turn the whole vortex into a static k1 filter.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2896.JPG[/img]
either way you go it will help you greatly removing the fines before your bio filter.
you could also try changing the other filter bays over to either static or fluidised K1. and just keep the last bay for jap mat.
the important thing to remember is your bio-filtration water needs to be clean as you don't want to be adjitating it and flushing all the good bacteria away too often.
we found with our pond that you really need to get on top of the crud very early by flushing the first bay/eazy twice or three times a day for the first week. once you have got it to a min level it becomes easy to see when you need to flush..
[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/vippy ... ie0002.jpg[/img]
or you could follow Gazza and Bob and turn the whole vortex into a static k1 filter.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... CN2896.JPG[/img]
either way you go it will help you greatly removing the fines before your bio filter.
you could also try changing the other filter bays over to either static or fluidised K1. and just keep the last bay for jap mat.
the important thing to remember is your bio-filtration water needs to be clean as you don't want to be adjitating it and flushing all the good bacteria away too often.
we found with our pond that you really need to get on top of the crud very early by flushing the first bay/eazy twice or three times a day for the first week. once you have got it to a min level it becomes easy to see when you need to flush..