Filter change

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:24 pm

I am currently running a CL3 and all my perameters are spot on - the water clarity is good but I want to get rid of the fines to be 100% clear.

At the moment I have:
Vortex
Brushes
JapMat
Alfagrog

Would I be better putting K1 in chamber 3 and japmat in chamber 4 or just put K1 in chamber 4 ?

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:38 pm

Hi Daz,

People have converted the CL ranges to K1 and i have heard great results but i cant remember how they did it.I personal think K1 is a great media even though its a bugger to contain so perhaps even some K3 may be a idea.Could you convert the vortex part to static K1.

boogatee · Post by **boogatee** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:51 pm

..... or the brushes to static K1

tomy2ponds · Post by **tomy2ponds** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:06 pm

Hi Daz I have a CL2 on one of my ponds what i have done is to put the brushes in the vortex hanging from the top on rods this then gives you a free chamber to add what ever media you like In mine i have
1 vortex with brushes
2 jap mat
3 flow core (in an onion bag)
4 flow core (in 2 onion bags wrapped around centerer post)

LEE

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:13 pm

Daz,

I'm guessing a CL3 is a 3-sectioned filter, one of those triangular ones? You mention 4 sections to your filter, so I presume the vortex is in front of this?

I would set it up as follows:

- Vortex with Static K1 Easy
- Aerated K1
- Aerated K1
- Aerated K1

I know of some set ups that use this method, not with CL3 but with Vortex's and they work extraordinarily well. The surface are in contact with the water is far greater with K1 than any other media.

As all media sheds bacteria as it dies off, I wouldn't put Jap Matting in the system anywhere. I've seen photographs where Jap Matt was used in the last bay and it captured these fines and 'held' them there. Great for horrible bacteria to live in!

But as long as you did clean this last chamber by flushing it regularly, then Jap Matt could be used there.

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:26 pm

heres the CL3 Bob

[url]http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l288/dpw1966/CL3.jpg[/url]
[img]http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l288/dpw1966/CL3.jpg[/img]
I was thinking of aerating the japmat and flushing weekly, but it seems that a filter full of K1 is favourite

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:01 pm

Daz,

OK I understand now, thought the 3 stood for 3 chambers, obviously not!

You'll need to devise transfer port and bottom drain guards to stop the K1 escaping. These can be fixed in place it Den Braven type of sealents, once you've roughed up the area to be fixed to with some course sang paper. 8MM holes stop the K1 escaping, without any of it jamming up slightly larger holes.

Keep us posted on progress

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:03 pm

thanks guys.......... i will keep you updated

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:31 pm

Yes K1 does work as Bob has said above some people fill all there Vortexes up with K1

[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... G_3909.JPG[/img]

estanque_koi · Post by **estanque_koi** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:01 pm

Hi Gazza,
thanks for posting this pic.
Interesting to see how your whole filtration system looks like currently.
Is it 1st static K1, 2nd and 3rd dynamic K1 and K3 and 4th static K1 again, isn't it?
I would like to know some more details of your system, if possible.
More precisely,
-how many liters of static K1 and dynamic K1 is your system holding at the moment?
-Flow rate, pumps?
-how large is your pond, how much food are your Koi eating daily in summer?
I'd like to collect good reasons to advocate non-pressurized system based on static/dynamic K1 like yours, instead of pressurized systems like a sieve plus ultrabead combination. I believe the last works fine but needs a more expensive pump whith far higher running costs, besides it is more expensive to buy. I'm I wrong

cheeers,

tomc · Post by **tomc** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:55 pm

Also, Gazza, where does the majority of your koi poop settle out? In the entrance to the K1 (i.e. where those 2 input pipes are?) or actually in the static K1?

Regs, Tom

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:03 pm

Hi Diego,

The pond is 4500gls including the filters and it is basically the main filtration is four vortex units fixed together using twin 4" transfer ports to help with flow rates and then a large insulated Trickle Tower filled with BHM

Well as you can see i like a bit of K1

well your are correct with the first bay which is my mechanical stage which indeed is static K1 about 35lts and it works great and catches everything

The next two bays hold around 110-120lts each and also have 25lts of Bio Chips between them and this is fluidised both by 40lts in each and the last bay is around 100lts and is also fluidised but i can also have it static if required again using a 40lt air pump.

I say the K1 is around about xxxlts as some always escapes so i can't be 100% spot on

This is the main filtration and is pumped by a Sequence 750 which has a turnover around (2200pgh i think) and is all piped up with 2" pressure pipe for maximum flow with swept bends in most places.

I also have a large Trickle Tower inside which has 3 boxes of BHM in it which is pulled from the skimmer and also pumped by a Sequence 750 (2200gph) and is on a much shorter run back to the pond and works great.

So even if we said the pumps pulled around 1500gph each the pond will be turning over in less than two hours which work very well on this system.In the summer i was feeding around a Kilo a day

yep i wanted to see if the system could take the load and i had also got four new fish to look after for a friend which needed fattening up....boy could they eat

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:07 pm

Hi Tom,

As you can see i got distracted when typing and you got in first

OK the "poop" settles out in the bottom of the chamber under the grid well any large stuff and then the K1 catches any smaller particles but i try to keep the system clean with frequent flushes to keep the K1 as clean as possible

The water coming through the K1 is normally clean and if left for longer periods i can see some small particles just catch around the outlet pipe...but these are very small

[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... mal_18.jpg[/img]

tomc · Post by **tomc** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:15 pm

Hi.

Oh! Am I looking at this wrong? Those two visible pipes are your exits to the next chamber? And the dirty water is coming in under the K1?

Tom

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:25 pm

You got it Tom the K1 is all below and the inlet pipe from the BD comes in and bends down (2 x 45) and then there is a filter grid above that with loads of holes so any big waste or BW would stay below the K1.

I have to say it does stop some stuff as as soon as i fitted this and started to clean the system i could see my TDS come down and i always thought i had a clean pond