Jan,

Let me focus more clearly!

Quote :

...............clogged with sludge when fed straight from the pond without a settlement chamber or some devise to trap the major solids.

Please focus on " Straight" and "Settlement chamber or some devise......."

Ongeag, dit maak geen verskil nie, jou steling is ongegrond, is dit beter gestel?

Ek kan dit ook in goeie Afrikaanse-Frans beskryf as jy dit so verlang

Hi,

Zeolite removes ammonia from the water. Once it is saturated it becomes a "normal" filtration media. If you want to continue to use it for ammonia removal then you can regenerate it with a saturated salt solution. But if you want to use is as a filter media to replace gravel then just leave it.

The point is that being lighter than gravel it backwashes easier.

It does not have to be removed from the chamber.

All mechanical filters on koi ponds have some sort of barrier that traps solids except the vortex which uses gravity to settle some solids. If you have proper settlement chamber it has to be massive to slow the water down and settle the solids out of the water. These barriers - whatever they are clog over time from the solids, organics and from the bacteria slime. It is this bacterial slime that glues the gravel granules together - and the pressure - in sand filters.

With screen or shade cloth barriers this bacterial slime also clogs them up.

All mechanical filters need to be drained (or flushed regularly). And they need to be completely drained from time to time. Where clogging occurs you have to use a bit of force to clean it. If you use a cartridge filter for example you clean it with a hose. If you use sponges in your filters you have to remove the sponges and rinse them down.

With a pressurised sand filter you use the pump to lift and break up the sand bed. From time to time you need to either open a sand filter and break up the crust or you could use air to break it up.

Pressurised sand filters are not perfect. Like all filters on koi ponds they have flaws. For example their shape is round but the fingers direct the water vertically when back washing. So a thin area around the outside does not always get broken up hence the need for physical assistance.

If used correctly and maintianed correctly they make excellent mechanical filters.

Regards,
Chris

Hi,

Being looking through this thread. Interesting points of discussion from everyone.

When koi keepers ask for assistance I see a common thread in this and other forums - everyone makes suggestions based on the configurations and equipment they are comfortable with and usually have themselves.

So the recommendations to koi keepers asking for advice almost always involve much extra expense. They are advised to add everything except the kitchen sink, change or dynamite out of their gardens their existing filtration systems.

The challenge, in my opinion, is to get koi keepers systems working with what they have or alternatively with the minimum amount of expense.

That’s when it becomes a challenge and interesting.

Regards,
Chris

Quote :

The challenge, in my opinion, is to get koi keepers systems working with what they have or alternatively with the minimum amount of expense.

AMEN !!

Hi Wimpie,

En hoe lyk jou water nou?