Is the color of the water in your Koi pond not exactly what you expected it to be when you installed a Koi pond filter? Does the water still look like a huge bowl of split pea soup regardless of your investment and your intentions to do things right? You are not alone. There are many owners of a Koi pond who have the same concerns. It is a concern of many when the water does not look as clear as expected. The desired result of a biological filter is of course clean healthy water. Here are some remarks on biological filtration that you should consider. Several events need to happen in the filtration process. Filtration is not just a matter of transforming ammonia to nitrate. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about biological filtration.
Are you cleaning the Koi pond filter timely? All dissolved organic carbon compounds (DOC) need to be removed from the pond as soon as possible to avoid that it decomposes. The pollutants would return to the pond water to pollute it even more. Leaving it there for a prolonged time period would appear to defeat the working of the filtration system you installed. The chemical, metabolic, and biological reactions that take place in a Koi pond are indeed responsible for specific forms of pollution. The decomposing fish feces should not remain in the water or the filter, ever. Cleaning and maintenance of the Koi pond and the filter are essential to prevent harmful processes.
Size matters, even when it comes to Koi ponds and your Koi pond filter. The surface area of the pond, as well as the surface area that is actually measured in the filter, need to be considered carefully when purchasing filters and other pond equipment. Bacterial growth is the strategy pond filters are based on. An adequate bacterial growth should be allowed to take place in the biological pond filter chambers. A layer of bio film, manifested as bio slime, has to be abundant for these bacteria that nitrify, to thrive. Water needs to be cleaned as it passes through the filter and that is role of the microorganism in the bio film. If the surface area in the filter, the area where the bacteria have to thrive, is not big enough, than that is a problem. Bacteria have to feed right and function.
The importance of empty space for the water to slowly flow by should also not be disregarded. The bio film contains microorganisms. These microorganisms need adequate time when they try to collect the pollutants that are so harmful to your Koi. Sufficient retention time and specific surface area (SSA) are the two terms to keep in mind regarding your Koi pond filter and media.
Insufficient breakdown of compounds that are not organic are a frequent result of bad mathematics. The SSA, the size of the filter, and the retention time, are the three factors to consider. For these compounds not to be broken down has major consequences. Organisms and halfway products returning to the pond water instead of being filtered out create a bad situation. Algae will be fed more than just the nutrients they need and that can create problems.
The result of the media and thus of the entire filtering process depends on choosing the right media. Media comes in different materials. Some of these materials are plastic, matting, sand, gravel, and foam. Any of these media can work great as long as one keeps in mind that the water flow, the retention time, the growth of the potential bio film, and the SSA have to be optimal. Also consider purchasing UV filtering for your Koi pond filter. UV filtration will limit the green algae growth in your Koi pond environment. Other types of algae that do not pass through the pond filter because of where they are located need of course other growth reduction and elimination solutions.
It is never inappropriate to consult the expert in the pet store for advice and assistance with you Koi pond. If your pond water looks like split pea soup despite the installation of a pond filter than it is good idea that a pond specialist takes a look at your individual problem and solves any issues with your pond water and possibly your Koi pond filter installation.
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