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Home: KOI Talk: DIY Corner:
Easily Convert your Sand Filter

 





 


Slapman
Koi Lover

Jan 27, 2007, 9:47 AM

Post #1 of 7 (2083 views)
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Easily Convert your Sand Filter Can't Post
Here's about the simplest and easiest way I have found after personal experience, trial and error for the last 10 years to get an efficient pressurised sand filter.

simply throw out all the sand in your filter, find a local store that sells T shirt buttons the plastic types (the one's we wear on our shirts), ask where you can purchase large quantities of deformed or broken buttons these can easily be aquired and cheaply so, make sure they are plastic, thourougly wash your plastic buttons, and fill your sand filter to the desired level, place a cutout piece of 40% shadecloth above the plastic buttons to prevent them from washing out on the backwash.

I have being using this succesfully for the past 3 years, and since sand filters get so much bad publicity amongst the Koi community I thought I would share my personal findings.

The problems that you will no longer have:-

1: No sand to clog and to force water through the path of least resistance
2: A beautiful backwash everytime as the plastic T shirt buttons are very light and they really get a good mixing getting all that dirt out.
3: Easy to clean lever operating system.
4: bacterial benefits
5: Inexpensive

And on, if anyone care to continue this thread it took me 10 years after trying all sorts of different variations of filters, conversions, etc ..

I have to admit crystal clear water with the benefits of an easy cleaning system, and very happy koi for the last 3 years.

I definatly am no sand filter salesman, just love the hobby of koi, and if this is useful to anyone, well my work is done and my gratitude will be in your healthy koi.

Please dont mistake this as a bio filter as this is mainly a 1st stage pressure filter, then add your bio filters and trickle towers, etc


Kind Regards
Slapman


ayranjim
Koi Lover

Jan 27, 2007, 10:13 AM

Post #2 of 7 (2078 views)
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Re: [Slapman] Easily Convert your Sand Filter [In reply to] Can't Post
Hello, I think you have a good , I would like to know How big is your pond? And do you use trickle bio filtration?


Slapman
Koi Lover

Jan 27, 2007, 6:47 PM

Post #3 of 7 (2067 views)
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Re: [ayranjim] Easily Convert your Sand Filter [In reply to] Can't Post
I have a 30 000 litre pond, and yes I do make use of trickle towers, I beleive stongly in their use.

I have a 30 000 litre an hour pump, going through my modified sand filter split 3 ways,
1: going into a chamber where I have bio media the nylon scrubbies type, with a venturi to allow for good aeration, overflowing to the next chamber which is a deep chamber, here I have some bio balls, next it overflows into a very shallow chamber where I keep a combination of agricultural lime and clay for a ph buffer and for the various nutrients from the clay, then it flows into the last chamber which is only 5 cm deep, here I have 25mm stones where I have planted mint and use it as a veggie garden, then it overflows back into the pond about a 30cm waterfall drop.
2: the second split goes up to 3 trickle towers above where I make use of bio balls and each trickle tower feeds a sepeerate waterfall, the waterfalls range from 1.2 meters to 60cm in height.
3: the 3rd split goes to the surface skimmer or leaf catcher same as the one's used in pools.

I aerate my pond with a further 90 LPM of air ... I beleive strongly in good aeration in any pond enviroment.

I have about 65 Koi ranging in size from 20cm to about 90cm (overstocked some might say)

20% water change done weekly, on the backwash

I feed about 400 grams of Hikari Saki food at the moment, summer here, and my levels are:

PH: 8 <-- I keep it here.
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
GH: 3


I like soft water for my koi.

I also have a second 180 000 litre pond, not in use currently.


If anyone improves the sand filter please post your methods or ideas below.

Kind Regards
Slapman


awie
New User

Oct 21, 2008, 12:20 PM

Post #4 of 7 (650 views)
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Re: [Slapman] Easily Convert your Sand Filter [In reply to] Can't Post
can you post pictures of your pond and filters..? Smile so we can have an idea how to make our own.. thank you!!


Ivo
Koi Lover


Oct 21, 2008, 12:43 PM

Post #5 of 7 (648 views)
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Re: [awie] Easily Convert your Sand Filter [In reply to] Can't Post
hi, thanks so much for that useful tip!

i'd like to see a pic of your setup, if that's ok with you Smile
Why spend when you can DIY :D


sunshinekoi
Member


Oct 28, 2008, 4:57 AM

Post #6 of 7 (418 views)
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Re: [Slapman] Easily Convert your Sand Filter [In reply to] Can't Post
Hi Slapman,
where do you position your sand filter? before or after the sand filter?
what is the life span for a sand filter, actually, in your experience? Any photos to show your pond. It would be interesting to see the set up of the sand filter and your pond.

65 kois is a lot of koi in a 30 tons pond.

Thanks
Sunshine Wink


kemeer
Member


Nov 20, 2008, 10:42 PM

Post #7 of 7 (220 views)
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Re: [Slapman] Easily Convert your Sand Filter [In reply to] Can't Post
Hi there SlapmanWink,

Interesting post you got here. I too use sandfilters for mechanical filteration. But before i ask a few questions, let me get this straight first, that the reason you're replacing the sand is becoz it can clog and constant cleaning of it is necessary.

I think what your trying to attempt is something similar to the nexus or easy filteration system (basically a moving bed filteration), But a pressurised version to break down solid wastes faster, without the risk of clogging the sand at any time.

Do correct me if i'm wrong... i can be sometimes you know..hehehheSlyLaugh

Here's some info on the Nexus:
http://www.absolute-koi.com/filtration/nexus300.html

Sly

 
 
 



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