Thank you very much for your effort jeff. To clearly bring unexpected method to test static media as a mechanical filter. Yes, it bring clear water also 👍👍👍. Keep post good stuff. Regards from Indonesia
I put a uv light in my water fall. Only 18watt led. Pretty effective on a 2500 gallon pond. I’ve had good luck with that media in a intex sand filter in place of the sand. Collects tons of particulate matter and backwashes easy.
I would love to see more of that underwater leaf trap and pump setup. Because of your videos I’m seriously considering a single barrel system for a 600 gallon pond I have.
3:55 you'll need a UV sterilizer to remove the free floating algae. That's the only way you can turn the green water clear. Remind you algae is not necessarily a bad thing and your koi fish will enjoy eating algae. The algae is helping to break down the nitrates and phosphates so technically it's healthier for your fish and your pond and the fish don't care either way if the water is clear, green, or brown as long as it's healthy.
You don’t need a UV light to have crystal Clear water. I’m running simple filter setup and never had an algae problem. My pond is always in sunlight. Most people won’t believe your beneficial Bacteria will take care of everything as long as your flow is correct.
Uv only takes care of alge blooms, not string alge. Barley bales will take care of string alge. Alge at night consumes lots of oxygen, enough alge and it becomes lethal due to O2 consumption. Remember dissolved oxygen decreases when water temp increases. At night alge consumes a ton of alge and releases it in the morning.
I think you would be better of with the moving bed filter first in the series and I suspect that the packed bed filters work better. Do you have any ammonia in and out figures? What is the flowrate and filter volumes?
Do you have a video on how you build your flowing filter? The last filter drum with moving water. I am in the middle of building my own filtration system with 3 barrels and would like to know how you had yours set up! Your videos are very helpful!
Why would you run two static and a fluidized if the fluidized is at least three times more efficient than the static if not more? Also can you show us how to recreate your filter system? The pond looks fantastic. Nevermind found it. Thanks!
Hi again. So I did a rigorous clean of the K media in the drum just three days ago. I flush out the water from the drum. Then I used a tool like a shovel and stir the K media while it was still flushing out. I did that until water is all flushed out. Then refilled it with new water inside the drum. I’ve flushed out the water a couple of time already in past three months. But never actually stir and mix and clean the media until this time around. Now it’s been three days I noticed the water is black and grey. Not algae looking at all. Any advice? Thank you so much. I really hope you can help. Cause I was so pleased with the result from the first three months but now this. Thanks again.
I only flush out the drum water. Not the pond. I mean I got some out from the pond. But definitely did not need to refill more than 100 gal of tap during cleaning.
@@stevanusibrahim9648 thats fine as long as you are refilling the drum with the pump that feeds it, not tap water directly to the drum which will harm your bacteria.
Hi Jeff - Love your videos. You have said that mechanical filtration through K1 media is most efficient at lower flow rates through the media which makes me wonder why you choose to run through the barrels in series. I am wondering if the first two drums would remove more dirt particles if your feed from the pond pump was split 50/50 using valves so that the flow rates would be cut in half through each drum. They both could then discharge into the same floating media drum. They would probably require a different cleaning frequency. I am about to build my own system and would value your feed back. Thanks, Les.
I have found that flow rates of 2500-3000 GPH work great given the volume of K1 in the drums. I am sure a slower flow rate would in fact be more efficient, but turnover is also important. with those flow rates I am very consistently filtering solids down to 50 micron which is more then adequate for a pond environment.
Weighty in the UK had the original design. I've made some modifications. I'm using a cheap 19 watt air pump to a large stone. Make sure the input for the fluidized bed points UP, helps move the media.
How do you deal with string algae blooms in the spring? I inherited a koi pond and learning how to take care of it. This pond was not built very well. It only had a submerged filter box that constantly got clogged and had to be cleaned every 2-3 day in the summer. I decided to build a similar set up like yours but it's only a two-stage filter set up because of limited space (1. Static k1 main bed filter and 2. Moving bed k1 filter ). When the string algae started to die off it clogged my main bed filter pretty quickly and my k1 rose above the water. Also, how often should I be cleaning the main bed filter?
No amount of filtration will get rid of string algae. If you have larger fish, STOP feeding them! They will eat the string algae when they get hungry. A plastic yard rake works great for manual removal. I get very little in early spring until my bog plants come in and I feed very sparingly based off the amount of string algae.
The larger barley bales are good for 1000 gal each. When they start breaking down the barley degradation makes hydrogen peroxide, which in turn is a algecide. 2nd solution Hydrogen peroxide (3%) at 4 oz per 100 gal will kill alge. Pour it into your water slowly and away from your fish. Overnight you will see a difference. Oh and use peroxide in the morning, also you may need to add aeration if you use hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is an active ingredient in many algycides. Barley bales is a natural way to control alge. You just need to get ahead of the alge before the alge gets ahead of you
Sir, you have got a nice setup. I have a few questions & one suggestion to offer. Question no 1: In the 1st & 2nd barrel have u used the bigger size MMBR media, like the ones used in the large waste water treatment plants? I have used the industry standard MMBR in one of my Aquarium tank to make an internal Sump. Question 2: Which pump are you using to circulate the pond water. Suggestion: Sir, Instead of daily stirring up the barrel no 1 & 2 with a wooden stick, won't it be better if you add a powerful submersible pump at the bottom of each barrel & start it for sometime to completely stirrup the waste matter. You dint need to run the pump for long time. Or, just like buy one such powerful pump & can use it in both the barrels. Tie the pump to a heavy stick & can dip it into the barrel needed to be stirred up. Thanks for your time.
I run the larger K2 media in the first drum, a min of K1 and K2 in the second and K1 in the third. I've built several with an air manifold for cleaning. Churns the media very well. I never installed in mine because I'm constantly tinkering with it and manually churning the media only takes a minute.
I have several 100gal stock tanks and was planning to use one as a bog filter for my 1000gal pond. After seeing your videos I’m thinking of the media instead. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
Bio and mechanical… thinking that the media would replace 3/8” pea gravel. It was built as a natural pond with plants doing the filtration. Did well for last 2 years but am adding a pump because I miss the sound of moving water. Currently has about 15 goldfish, frogs and eve some crawfish. Live in zone 7b.
Is there a reason you add k1 to the first drum and would k2 be better throughout all three? I didn't know if k2 being smaller would plug up the media to quick in the first drum?
I have k2 in the fists. K2 is larger. A mix of k2 and k1 in the second barrel and all k1 in the fluidity barrel. Went with the k2 in the first as it does catch quite a lot of large debris. Figured it wouldn't clog up as fast
@@mentalistsa im running some k1 in a sump an my 125g African tank. It never fully established because I also have 12lbs of ceramic rings. The rings are older by a few years and are fully seeded. Bacteria ia limited by food and bio load. Adding more media allows the bacteria space but there won't be more bacteria until the food/bio load increases. Ideally you want more space (media) than you need. This allows the bacteria to expand if needed. Problem arise when space (media) is limited and you have a rise in bio load and no more space for bacteria to expand. The tumbling k1 also keeps the bacteria healthy by knocking off old dying bacteria and opening space for new thriving bacteria.
Jeff theExecutioner Oh. Great info. Hmmmm. I already have two large HOB running and this filter is newest and for additional filtration. Maybe that is it. The other HOB still have additional space ? Tank is overstocked too so was hoping this would kick in with good bio
Hai Jeff!!. What is the quantity of bio/ mechanical mbbr media you use for your pond? Is it depended on water quantity or fish stick density? Pl explain
The Kaldness media (and the knock-off) have a formula of how much food it can process per day. food becomes waste-ammonia-nitrite-nitrate... You cannot have too much, always err on the side of more than less. I have 8 cubic feet between the 3 drums on that system.
Phytoplankton (green water) algae are tiny. However they tend to be cohesive and clump together. Once the clumps reach 50 micron or so the K1 is capable of trapping them. Flocculants will also speed this process up. Koi Clay (Calcium Bentonite) is a great natural flocculant plus a myriad of other benefits for fish.
@@jeffakamax thanks. I have a planted tank. Hence my interest. I use diluted glutaraldehyde to kill Algae. Obviously a none chemical method would be best. Adding K1 micro this week.
@@jeffakamax yes it is. Its not established yet. New tank. Also cant put the shrimps in yet because of Amonia. Hence getting the K1. How long will it take for the K1 to establish? Thanks for your help. Subscribed.
The only algae in my pond is in the waterfall where the fish can't get to it. Early spring before the bog establishes I have a bit and I do run a UV in the spring.
Thank you very much for your effort jeff.
To clearly bring unexpected method to test static media as a mechanical filter.
Yes, it bring clear water also 👍👍👍.
Keep post good stuff.
Regards from Indonesia
I put a uv light in my water fall. Only 18watt led. Pretty effective on a 2500 gallon pond. I’ve had good luck with that media in a intex sand filter in place of the sand.
Collects tons of particulate matter and backwashes easy.
@@zub57 did you open up the ports on the spider on the sand filter? I've done a few of those over the years. Any UV helps.
Thank you for the best videos and the best explanation
You rock bro! Thanks for sharing your brilliant ideas!
That sir, is a beautiful set up you have there.
Thanks!
AWESOME pond there & fish wish I had a place where I could have that size pond.
Wow!!! Water is crystal and fish look awesome!!!
I would love to see more of that underwater leaf trap and pump setup. Because of your videos I’m seriously considering a single barrel system for a 600 gallon pond I have.
You definitely need something like that for a 600 gallon pond
Check out th-cam.com/video/JnWx_4lGwPU/w-d-xo.html
Now that some very nice mature media 👌
Ok, you had me at hello. Now your just showing off. !!!!
lol... thanks!
Love the lilies
3:55 you'll need a UV sterilizer to remove the free floating algae. That's the only way you can turn the green water clear. Remind you algae is not necessarily a bad thing and your koi fish will enjoy eating algae. The algae is helping to break down the nitrates and phosphates so technically it's healthier for your fish and your pond and the fish don't care either way if the water is clear, green, or brown as long as it's healthy.
You don’t need a UV light to have crystal
Clear water. I’m running simple filter setup and never had an algae problem. My pond is always in sunlight. Most people won’t believe your beneficial
Bacteria will take care of everything as long as your flow is correct.
Uv only takes care of alge blooms, not string alge. Barley bales will take care of string alge. Alge at night consumes lots of oxygen, enough alge and it becomes lethal due to O2 consumption. Remember dissolved oxygen decreases when water temp increases. At night alge consumes a ton of alge and releases it in the morning.
Thats crazy how much muck thats taken out, great vid buddy 👍🐟⛩
Incredible👍👍👍
Good idea 👍
I think you would be better of with the moving bed filter first in the series and I suspect that the packed bed filters work better. Do you have any ammonia in and out figures? What is the flowrate and filter volumes?
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Do you have a video on how you build your flowing filter? The last filter drum with moving water. I am in the middle of building my own filtration system with 3 barrels and would like to know how you had yours set up! Your videos are very helpful!
Hi mate I would personally try putting more air to your moving bed as some of the k1 is not moving it needs to all be moving for best results.
Why would you run two static and a fluidized if the fluidized is at least three times more efficient than the static if not more? Also can you show us how to recreate your filter system? The pond looks fantastic.
Nevermind found it. Thanks!
The static drums are primarily for removing solids. The fluidized drum is strictly bacterial.
Do you have any videos of your full plumbing setup?
There's a video on my channel of the retro bottom drain that feeds that system.
Hi Jeff are the plans free or do we have to pay for them. Just wondering if you had a step by step instruction. Thanks
I habe a few videos on my channel showing a parts list and assembly. Feel free to ask questions if you need some help. It's simpler than it looks.
Hi again. So I did a rigorous clean of the K media in the drum just three days ago. I flush out the water from the drum. Then I used a tool like a shovel and stir the K media while it was still flushing out. I did that until water is all flushed out. Then refilled it with new water inside the drum. I’ve flushed out the water a couple of time already in past three months. But never actually stir and mix and clean the media until this time around. Now it’s been three days I noticed the water is black and grey. Not algae looking at all. Any advice? Thank you so much. I really hope you can help. Cause I was so pleased with the result from the first three months but now this. Thanks again.
Are you using pond water only, not tap water?
@@jeffakamax no I used tap water to refill the pond and drum. But only about 100 gal of tap water out of the entire pond. My pond is about 900 gal.
I only flush out the drum water. Not the pond. I mean I got some out from the pond. But definitely did not need to refill more than 100 gal of tap during cleaning.
@@stevanusibrahim9648 thats fine as long as you are refilling the drum with the pump that feeds it, not tap water directly to the drum which will harm your bacteria.
Hi @jeffakama what is the ratio of k1 you need. My reading indicates up to 25% of total volume. Is this correct?
I have 8 cubic feet among the 3 drums total.
And how many pounds of fish are you holding there..??
Where did you find that shower drain.? That is not available around me and I am a contractor. Please send link.
amazon
Hi Jeff - Love your videos. You have said that mechanical filtration through K1 media is most efficient at lower flow rates through the media which makes me wonder why you choose to run through the barrels in series. I am wondering if the first two drums would remove more dirt particles if your feed from the pond pump was split 50/50 using valves so that the flow rates would be cut in half through each drum. They both could then discharge into the same floating media drum. They would probably require a different cleaning frequency. I am about to build my own system and would value your feed back. Thanks, Les.
I have found that flow rates of 2500-3000 GPH work great given the volume of K1 in the drums. I am sure a slower flow rate would in fact be more efficient, but turnover is also important. with those flow rates I am very consistently filtering solids down to 50 micron which is more then adequate for a pond environment.
Thanks Jeff - Thanks for for the quick reply and sharing the benefits of your testing and experience.
This k2 media looks awesome... much easier to clean than what I'm using.... how many cubic feet is needed per barrel?
Hi Jeff, nice video, who's instructions did you follow to build the 3 barrel's, and what are you moving the air with?
Weighty in the UK had the original design. I've made some modifications. I'm using a cheap 19 watt air pump to a large stone. Make sure the input for the fluidized bed points UP, helps move the media.
Jeff theExecutioner what size pump are you using? I have 1/4hp sump pump and it’s to much water flow?
How do you deal with string algae blooms in the spring? I inherited a koi pond and learning how to take care of it. This pond was not built very well. It only had a submerged filter box that constantly got clogged and had to be cleaned every 2-3 day in the summer. I decided to build a similar set up like yours but it's only a two-stage filter set up because of limited space (1. Static k1 main bed filter and 2. Moving bed k1 filter ). When the string algae started to die off it clogged my main bed filter pretty quickly and my k1 rose above the water. Also, how often should I be cleaning the main bed filter?
No amount of filtration will get rid of string algae. If you have larger fish, STOP feeding them! They will eat the string algae when they get hungry. A plastic yard rake works great for manual removal. I get very little in early spring until my bog plants come in and I feed very sparingly based off the amount of string algae.
The larger barley bales are good for 1000 gal each. When they start breaking down the barley degradation makes hydrogen peroxide, which in turn is a algecide.
2nd solution Hydrogen peroxide (3%) at 4 oz per 100 gal will kill alge. Pour it into your water slowly and away from your fish. Overnight you will see a difference.
Oh and use peroxide in the morning, also you may need to add aeration if you use hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide is an active ingredient in many algycides. Barley bales is a natural way to control alge. You just need to get ahead of the alge before the alge gets ahead of you
Sir, you have got a nice setup. I have a few questions & one suggestion to offer.
Question no 1: In the 1st & 2nd barrel have u used the bigger size MMBR media, like the ones used in the large waste water treatment plants? I have used the industry standard MMBR in one of my Aquarium tank to make an internal Sump.
Question 2: Which pump are you using to circulate the pond water.
Suggestion: Sir, Instead of daily stirring up the barrel no 1 & 2 with a wooden stick, won't it be better if you add a powerful submersible pump at the bottom of each barrel & start it for sometime to completely stirrup the waste matter. You dint need to run the pump for long time. Or, just like buy one such powerful pump & can use it in both the barrels. Tie the pump to a heavy stick & can dip it into the barrel needed to be stirred up.
Thanks for your time.
I run the larger K2 media in the first drum, a min of K1 and K2 in the second and K1 in the third. I've built several with an air manifold for cleaning. Churns the media very well. I never installed in mine because I'm constantly tinkering with it and manually churning the media only takes a minute.
I have several 100gal stock tanks and was planning to use one as a bog filter for my 1000gal pond. After seeing your videos I’m thinking of the media instead. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
Is your goal biological and mechanical filtration or a bog for nitrates?
Bio and mechanical… thinking that the media would replace 3/8” pea
gravel. It was built as a natural pond with plants doing the filtration. Did well for last 2 years but am adding a pump because I miss the sound of moving water. Currently has about 15 goldfish, frogs and eve some crawfish. Live in zone 7b.
@@ronwilson330 k1 will work great for both bio and mechanical and is WAY easier to clean than gravel. I assume you have a bird man style filter now?
@@jeffakamax “bird man” filter?
@@ronwilson330 upflow gravel filter commonly referred to as a bird man filter.
upflow or downflow direction of water in your barrel of kaldness?
Upflow
K-1 is an excellent static media and almost no-one knows about that.
I've proven K1 is good down to 50 micron. Kaldness recently made claims that the new K1 MICRO is good down to 5 micron... and I wouldn't doubt it.
Is there a reason you add k1 to the first drum and would k2 be better throughout all three? I didn't know if k2 being smaller would plug up the media to quick in the first drum?
I have k2 in the fists. K2 is larger. A mix of k2 and k1 in the second barrel and all k1 in the fluidity barrel.
Went with the k2 in the first as it does catch quite a lot of large debris. Figured it wouldn't clog up as fast
Jeff theExecutioner so k2 is larger than k1? I had it backwards I thought they came out with k1 then made a smaller version and that was k2.
@@andreas-lil-pixels9878 correct, k2 is bigger than k1. K1 micro is the newest and smallest
Jeff theExecutioner thank you for clearing that up for me. Which would you recommend for the one barrel system?
@@andreas-lil-pixels9878 K1. How many gallons are you filtering and what's your bio load?
Where did you get that huge filter sock?
I can't recall but google should help you out. If not, let me know and I'll do some digging.
Very interesting. How many percent of volume of your drum is the volume of the K1?
About 30%
@@jeffakamax Thank you. :)
great video. are you using 4 cubic meters per barrel or total between the three?
8 cubic feet total
@@jeffakamax thank you so much!
How much liters of k1 media per kilo of fish do you put
How much K2 media do you use for your first static barrel?
I have 8 cubic feet over all 3 barrels. So 2.5 ish per drum.
I have the same set up could you tell me how many cubic lbs you have total thanks
I have 8 cubic feet between the 3 drums
I wish I could get my K1 to sink and tumble. At least I am getting mechanical filtration from static.
It will once the bacteria establishes
Thanks it’s been 3 weeks and I have seeded it with seachem as well as an established filter. I have adjusted the amount in the canister as well.
@@mentalistsa im running some k1 in a sump an my 125g African tank. It never fully established because I also have 12lbs of ceramic rings. The rings are older by a few years and are fully seeded. Bacteria ia limited by food and bio load. Adding more media allows the bacteria space but there won't be more bacteria until the food/bio load increases. Ideally you want more space (media) than you need. This allows the bacteria to expand if needed. Problem arise when space (media) is limited and you have a rise in bio load and no more space for bacteria to expand. The tumbling k1 also keeps the bacteria healthy by knocking off old dying bacteria and opening space for new thriving bacteria.
Jeff theExecutioner Oh. Great info. Hmmmm. I already have two large HOB running and this filter is newest and for additional filtration. Maybe that is it. The other HOB still have additional space ? Tank is overstocked too so was hoping this would kick in with good bio
@@mentalistsa always better to have more than you need. Give it some time.
Is that all you've got running mate 3 k1 beds ?
I also have a skimmer that pumps to a waterfall with a stack of matala
@@jeffakamax every intresting mate and you clean the k1 once a day or once a week Jeff
@@KoiCarpKyle2393 every few days in the spring then every 2 weeks or so through the rest of the season
Where do you buy your K1?
Ebay
@@jeffakamax Thanks! New to the KOI pond adventure. Going to be building your "best bang for your buck" system next weekend...
Hai Jeff!!. What is the quantity of bio/ mechanical mbbr media you use for your pond? Is it depended on water quantity or fish stick density? Pl explain
The Kaldness media (and the knock-off) have a formula of how much food it can process per day. food becomes waste-ammonia-nitrite-nitrate... You cannot have too much, always err on the side of more than less.
I have 8 cubic feet between the 3 drums on that system.
@@jeffakamax Thanks man!
Nice pond 👍🏻
Thanks
Jeff, how many cubic feet total of K1 media are you using in that 3 barrel setup? Thanks!!
8 cubic feet total between all 3 drums
You need stronger air pump for K1 media.
When the flow pump is running the media churns plenty. The air is just to boost the bacteria.
Not what you expected, your expectations must have been quite low then.
50 micron in a pond environment is impressive. Swimming pool manufactures shoot for 5 to 10 micron and that's a far more sterile environment.
So K1 media also removes Algae?
Phytoplankton (green water) algae are tiny. However they tend to be cohesive and clump together. Once the clumps reach 50 micron or so the K1 is capable of trapping them. Flocculants will also speed this process up. Koi Clay (Calcium Bentonite) is a great natural flocculant plus a myriad of other benefits for fish.
@@jeffakamax thanks. I have a planted tank. Hence my interest. I use diluted glutaraldehyde to kill Algae. Obviously a none chemical method would be best. Adding K1 micro this week.
@@Skylabz604 planted tanks are a balance between lighting, ferts and co2. Is your tank injected? I have videos on the subject if not.
@@jeffakamax yes it is. Its not established yet. New tank. Also cant put the shrimps in yet because of Amonia. Hence getting the K1. How long will it take for the K1 to establish? Thanks for your help. Subscribed.
@@Skylabz604 just now saw your comment. How's the k1 going?
look like you have algae problem. filter alone is not enough. you should have a UV light to kill the algae.
The only algae in my pond is in the waterfall where the fish can't get to it. Early spring before the bog establishes I have a bit and I do run a UV in the spring.