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Thread: Filter Media

  1. #1
    Member Rank = Nisai JohnnyMac's Avatar
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    Question Filter Media

    Hi Guys

    I have a number of questions regarding filter media in my boxes

    1: How much media should I have in each filter box? Is there a minimum, maximum amount?

    2: Does it make any difference if my media is in bags or not?

    3:I have recently been given approx 15kgs of alfagrog.I dont have room for a shower, as I know this is good media for a shower. Will it be okay to add it to my filter boxes?


    Koi ponds are a science all on their own

    At the planning stage of my new pond

    JohnnyMac

  2. #2
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Nanasai Fishplanetkoi's Avatar
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    It really depends on how big your boxes are ! The general idea with K1 is to keep it suspended and turning over, so you need enough to make sure this happens. ie too much and the air won't turn it over properly You need a gentle roll. Loads of threads on here about it.

    You don't need to put k1 in bags, the idea is that rolling it over with air knocks off the old and dead biomass, so new bacteria can generate.

  3. #3
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    He's got alfagrog though

    With alfagrog, yes, you can use it in bags in a flow through filter.

    BUT and it's a big BUT....it can and will clog easily. So your mechanical filter has to be incredibly good or it will just fill with grimness and you will have an anaerobic mess, which you won't see until the pores in the alfagrog are full and it builds up on the outside.

    It's a lot more difficult to clean than K1

    I personally would not use it unless you were prepared to get it all out and thoroughly clean it at least once a week. By thorouhly clean it, i mean, do more than shake the bags in a bucket of pond water.

    If it's after a drum then you might get away with it for longer.

    Hope that helps, even if it isnt what you wanted to hear/see.

  4. #4
    Member Rank = Nisai JohnnyMac's Avatar
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    My filters are mechanical filter boxes

    My Media is a mixture of flocor and bio balls, should these be in a bag or not?

    Best use for the alfagrog then is a shower?
    Koi ponds are a science all on their own

    At the planning stage of my new pond

    JohnnyMac

  5. #5
    best place for grog is a shower yes,.
    I do have one bay of my multibay with grog in, but it has a drum filter before it, followed by filter wool, and the grog is also aerated so muck and fines ( if there was any) cannot settle on it.
    So yes it can work but it needs a careful approach, it wont be at its best otherwise.
    David

  6. #6
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    Johnny Mac - Do you have anything before the flocor and bioballs? Like foam or wool? Or something to stop the waste getting through to the bio section?

    I think any bio media needs to have as much waste as possible taken out before it reaches the bio media. Whether thats in a standard box, a flow through, up flow or shower.

    BTW my description of the "anaerobic mess" was from experience.

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  8. #7
    Member Rank = Nisai JohnnyMac's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andre Asagi View Post
    Johnny Mac - Do you have anything before the flocor and bioballs? Like foam or wool? Or something to stop the waste getting through to the bio section?
    Andre
    four layers of filter foam in filter boxes, coarse, medium, fine and fine polishing filter foam poly fleece.

    I have a 2" round air stone in each filter box and flocor and bio balls in bags, should these be in a bag or not?

    I really dont have room for a shower and would like to use the alfagrog somewhere
    Koi ponds are a science all on their own

    At the planning stage of my new pond

    JohnnyMac

  9. #8
    I was about to ask much the same myself. I have an oase compact drum which has a moving k1 section, onto which I have now added 600x400x600 purpose built moving bed box for improved bio. So with 2 areas for bio media. Which is best, k1, (or other plastics) or ceramic rings as seen in Adam Julia's "bacci river"

    Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

  10. #9
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Mature Champion pip895's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JohnnyMac View Post
    Hi Guys

    I have a number of questions regarding filter media in my boxes

    1: How much media should I have in each filter box? Is there a minimum, maximum amount?

    2: Does it make any difference if my media is in bags or not?

    3:I have recently been given approx 15kgs of alfagrog.I dont have room for a shower, as I know this is good media for a shower. Will it be okay to add it to my filter boxes?
    If you have static media you can basically fill your filter boxes. I have bagged K1 in my multibay weighed down with bags of flowcor. - works fine - I was going to convert the K1 to moving bed but never got round to it / don't see much advantage. If the grog is in your final bay and after filter wool then I think you wont have a problem with it.
    6000g in ground koi pond
    +3000g lily/Anoxic pond attached
    29 koi (40 to 65cm)
    Bottom drain, Mid water & Skimmer to Drum
    JBR boichamber->Blue eco 500 pump ->below surface return.
    Blue Eco 240 -> Large MB -> Waterfall -> Planted Anoxic pond (25 baskets)

 

 

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