Hello
Everyone seems to be having problems with green water .My problem is my water is brown ,nearly muddy in appearance ,I have used clay to see if it will not clear it , still no difference.done three 505 water changes over three weeks , Any other ideas before i empty my whole pond and wash it down??
Shane

Hi Shane

It sounds like your sediment filtration has a problem, not sure.

Please tel us pond size, no of fish and type of sediment filter in use. I would also like to know how much your present pump is pumping.

It sounds like you are not circulating the water fast enough for your filter to clean it. A quick check would be to feed your fish very little for 3 or 4 days and see if it clears.

Hello
Pond size 9500L , fish 18 from small to a few large ones , pool filter with koi stone in it , 2 x300L bio filters , uv light .This set up has been running fine for about 5 years , had a problem with green water a few times which I managed to clear..
Will try on cutting out the feeding for three days and see what will happen.
Thanks
Shane

Hi,
Do you have plants in soil in the pond or in the stream/waterfall?
Is there anywhere soil can wash in from the rain or from watering the garden near by?
Chris

I have water Irises in my fountain , but with no soil.....

Hi Shane

Sorry about all the questions, tell us, is your return flow to pond still normal, I would think it should be between 8000 and 10,000 Lt per hr to give nice clear water.

Now the big one, when last did you remove all the sand from that sand filter. You have had it some time and I am sure you know exactly how it works, but it does need a thorough clean up now and again.

Are you sure there is koi sand fingers in there?

Is your pond floor relatively clean?

Thanks , going to flush my sand filter today and see if that helps, I cant see the bottom of my pond , so dont know if there is any build up there.
Shane

Shane,

Hi,

Back-washing you Sand filter will not help!
You need to open the sand filter and remove the sand and breakup the debris crust that normally forms between the filter “fingers” and the bottom of the sand filter.

On a normal pool sand filter you need to modify the “Fingers,” if not it will clog up quickly.

Instructions and how to modify fingers visit to:

http://southafricankoi.11.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=729&highlight=sand+filter

Hi Shane

I unfortunately cannot follow that link as I am banned from that site so cannot comment on the link but no problem.

You can also read a bit here and there is also a picture of the correct filter fingers to use for koi sand.

You are welcome to PM me for more info.

https://koionline.forumotion.com/all-your-questions-about-filtration-answered-f16/sand-filters-t1751-15.htm

Hi Shane,

There are many possibilities why your system is not clear. If you want to resolve the problem as much info as possible will assist everyone trying to help. It's like asking how long is a piece of string!

Firstly - NEVER scrub your pond down. The algal growth you have on the walls and floor has matured your pond and scrubbing the walls will invite problems - not only with the water but with the koi themselves. Yes you could change the water but this will not resolve the problem. Water changing is a short term solution.

1) With regards back washing sand filters - you do not have to remove the gravel or the zeolite. I have run sand filters since 1977. IF your pump and sand filter are not correctly matched you could possibly have organics and solids building up in the sand bed and yes, under these circumstances removing the sand, washing it down, cleaning the pressurised chamber, checking the fingers etc is the way to go.

In your pond circumstance - you say the pond has been going well for 5 years. Okie dokie - what has changed? And when did your water quality change?

What make and size pump and what size sand filter do you have. The matching of the sand filter to the pump has more to do with the capacity of the pump to lift the sand bed to clean it when back washing. That’s the next question to be answered.

What media do you have in the sand filter and what size?

2) If you intend to do a major water change then you MUST get some Sodium Thiosulphate (speak to Paul of this forum about this). A massive water change will probably kill your koi because of the chlorine levels.

3) When you open your sand filter - do you stir up the sand bed? Do you stir up the lower areas around the walls and at the fingers at the bottom?

I am sure we will resolve your problem.

Regards,
Chris

Hello Every one
I am really thankful for all the input , yesterday I opened my sand filter (koi stone inside not sand) and think I have found my problem, it was virtually a solid mass , which I loosened and backwashed a few times. this weekend I am going to clean it out properly , remove the koi stone wash it in a tub and replace , as for water change I am going to do a one third water change , then next week going to flush the first bio filter , then the following week the next one.

My spec's are :
.75 pump
two bag filter,

Many thanks
Shane
P.s Chris your Koi food I am, buying from Roy is great , I have founf using the small pellets gives me the quickest growth rates...

Hi Shane

Yes, back to basics. Very pleased to hear and yes I think you have found your problem.

Speak to Roy about an air assist kit.

You can use a bit of Virkon S when you clean that sand it will disinfect nicely.

Hi Shane,

A ,75kW pump should back was a two bag sand filter very well - so why was the sand bed almost a solid mass?

When you remove all the sand from the filter and wash it just blast it with the hose - you do not have sterilize it. Also check the fingers at the bottom. and back wash when the filter is open and the sand is out.

Chris

Hi Shane

Please give us some feedback, is your problem solved?

i think i have the same problem, but i take out my sand out of the filter every 2nd day and then the filter is ''soos baie fuil'' don't know what to do anymore. . . i feel for you shane

Hi Brendan and maybe Shane

If you have to clean your sand filter by unpacking every second day, and it is very dirty, then you are UNDER FILTERED. You should consider to add a extra filter. Split your flow supply both same time.

(they tend to get dirty cause they work so well)

Tell us your pond size and stock level, you must be feeding heavily or maybe not a good quality food.

It should not be necessary to clean a sand filter every second day, more like once a week a good stirred or air assisted backwash.

ok 10000l pond , 4 fish , shogun food, the filter is not dirty dirty but i can see my stream is getting weaker and weaker , i was thinking of puting a extra filter in? mine is n 3 bag sand filter , not to sure about the pump, it is an old pump but it pumps alot but i am not sure about the specks . . . thanks

Hi Brendan,

Think you have the standard small fingers with fine sand inside.....so would look into changing the sand to the 3 - 5mm and either buying the koi fingers or cutting larger slits into your current fingers as Pieter posted before.

That would be a pretty good place to start for now!

Hi Cliff

You could very well be correct about the fingers, but it is cheap and relatively easy to change to the correct koi pond fingers, instead of modifying the incorrect ones.

yes i have the standard fingers and the fine sand, look i dont mind cleaning the filter , for now, but will the water become cleaner with the fingers and sand or will it never be clean? but yes i must do someting about the filter, just have no money now lol

thanks for all your help guys !!!

Hi Brendan

Now I think we have identified your problem and it is exactly the same as most of us have, that dam budget that just does not want to come right.

Cost for sand around R50.00 per bag and the Koi fingers you can get for R160.00

Anyway, you will just have to find some bucks for the correct koi sand even Zeolite if you can and change those fingers. With only 4 fish in 10,000 lt your setup should be fine and your flow rate will increase drastically after the change.

No problem with Shogun

ok so you guys say change the fingers change the sand and the problem will be gone? where can i get the fingers and sand and what should i be lloking for ?

Hi Brendan

The sand you will get at any reasonable koi outlet. 3 to 5 mm, the fingers I will PM you ok.

Contact Collin Nel 083 451 3284 at Orient Koi, he can help you.

Neville wrote:

Hi Brendan

The sand you will get at any reasonable koi outlet. 3 to 5 mm, the fingers I will PM you ok.

thank you!!!