Plenum filters

[EMF]

Hi

After succesfully keeping a reef tank for several years i have now moved
into pond keeping or should i say blanket weed growing. The answer to algae
elimination in a reef tank is to install a plenum filter to reduce nitrates
and phosphates to virtually undetectable levels, hence starving them of
their food. I understand the design of plenum filters as they apply to reef
keeping and i intend to use silver sand in place of coral sand as the local
water supply is very hard. Has anyone here used such a filter in a pond and
if so what where the results. I understand that water temperature plays a
big part in the efficiency of the bacteria in the filter and its ability to
breakdown the nitrates and phosphates. In the north of England, where i
live, a water temperature of 18-20c is quite high and about as good as it
gets in the summer. Any help please.

[~ janj]

>On Mon, 3 Apr 2006 13:51:15 +0100, "EMF" > wrote:

>After succesfully keeping a reef tank for several years i have now moved
>into pond keeping or should i say blanket weed growing. The answer to algae
>elimination in a reef tank is to install a plenum filter to reduce nitrates
>and phosphates to virtually undetectable levels, hence starving them of
>their food. I understand the design of plenum filters as they apply to reef
>keeping and i intend to use silver sand in place of coral sand as the local
>water supply is very hard. Has anyone here used such a filter in a pond and
>if so what where the results. I understand that water temperature plays a
>big part in the efficiency of the bacteria in the filter and its ability to
>breakdown the nitrates and phosphates. In the north of England, where i
>live, a water temperature of 18-20c is quite high and about as good as it
>gets in the summer. Any help please.
>
To control algae in ponds, is to know the cycle. Usually (but depends on
fish load) ponds will be green the first year, have string algae the 2nd,
by the 3rd they are balanced and get less string algae and so on as they
mature. This depends on fish load, chemicals added, UV, etc. a case of
YMMV. My success has been to keep the fish load down, plant load high and
have a large filter. I don't not use UV. ~ jan

--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[Altum]

~ janj wrote:

> To control algae in ponds, is to know the cycle. Usually (but depends on
> fish load) ponds will be green the first year, have string algae the 2nd,
> by the 3rd they are balanced and get less string algae and so on as they
> mature. This depends on fish load, chemicals added, UV, etc. a case of
> YMMV. My success has been to keep the fish load down, plant load high and
> have a large filter. I don't not use UV. ~ jan

OMG. I feel like I just contacted the psychic hotline. Last year, I
had green water and then only fuzz. This year, it's string algae. Got
any stock tips you'd like to share? ;-)

Guess I won't worry about the string algae either. I can't wait until
the WH really gets going again.

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

[Altum]

EMF wrote:
> Hi
>
> After succesfully keeping a reef tank for several years i have now moved
> into pond keeping or should i say blanket weed growing. The answer to algae
> elimination in a reef tank is to install a plenum filter to reduce nitrates
> and phosphates to virtually undetectable levels, hence starving them of
> their food. I understand the design of plenum filters as they apply to reef
> keeping and i intend to use silver sand in place of coral sand as the local
> water supply is very hard. Has anyone here used such a filter in a pond and
> if so what where the results. I understand that water temperature plays a
> big part in the efficiency of the bacteria in the filter and its ability to
> breakdown the nitrates and phosphates. In the north of England, where i
> live, a water temperature of 18-20c is quite high and about as good as it
> gets in the summer. Any help please.

I don't think plenums work as well in FW. Anaerobic patches in FW can
break down nitrate, but they also go over to dangerous sulfide
production very easily. I've not tried a plenum in a pond, but my
attempt at using a Nitrex box in a fish tank led to a lot of sick fish.
I'm not aware of any mechanism for phosphate removal by a FW plenum.

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

[~ janj]

>> To control algae in ponds, is to know the cycle. Usually (but depends on
>> fish load) ponds will be green the first year, have string algae the 2nd,
>> by the 3rd they are balanced and get less string algae and so on as they
>> mature. This depends on fish load, chemicals added, UV, etc. a case of
>> YMMV. My success has been to keep the fish load down, plant load high and
>> have a large filter. I don't not use UV. ~ jan
>
>On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 22:46:34 GMT, Altum > wrote:

>OMG. I feel like I just contacted the psychic hotline. Last year, I
>had green water and then only fuzz. This year, it's string algae. Got
>any stock tips you'd like to share? ;-)

If only, I'd have my koi house in no time. 1985 buy microsoft? A bit
late.... 1995 buy Starbucks? ;-) Who is the next big "thing"? ~ jan


~ jan/WA
Zone 7a

[Derek Broughton]

~ janj wrote:

>>> To control algae in ponds, is to know the cycle. Usually (but depends on
>>> fish load) ponds will be green the first year, have string algae the
>>> 2nd, by the 3rd they are balanced and get less string algae and so on as
>>> they mature. This depends on fish load, chemicals added, UV, etc. a case
>>> of YMMV. My success has been to keep the fish load down, plant load high
>>> and have a large filter. I don't not use UV. ~ jan
>>
>>On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 22:46:34 GMT, Altum > wrote:
>
>>OMG. I feel like I just contacted the psychic hotline. Last year, I
>>had green water and then only fuzz. This year, it's string algae. Got
>>any stock tips you'd like to share? ;-)
>
> If only, I'd have my koi house in no time. 1985 buy microsoft? A bit
> late.... 1995 buy Starbucks? ;-) Who is the next big "thing"? ~ jan

High temperature Superconductors. You heard it here...
--
derek

[utsuri99]

What you need to understand about pond keeping is the nitrogen cycle and the
stages it passes through. Keeping some feeder goldfish in the pond
initially as sacrifices will help get the cycles going. Once the pond is
aged, a few weeks, it is OK to start increasing the fish load with whatever
you want to keep. Test your water on a regular basis, most pet stores carry
a basic test kit for a few dollars.

A UV light is one of the best investments you can make for a pond. This
will help control most undesirable algae and bacteria under control. I have
had my most recent pond here in Florida, 2000 gal., since 1998 and as long
as I remember to replace the UV bulb my pond has always been crystal clear.
I keep around 20 - 25 koi ranging in size from 6 inches to 20 inches,

"EMF" > wrote in message
...
> Hi
>
> After succesfully keeping a reef tank for several years i have now moved
> into pond keeping or should i say blanket weed growing. The answer to
algae
> elimination in a reef tank is to install a plenum filter to reduce
nitrates
> and phosphates to virtually undetectable levels, hence starving them of
> their food. I understand the design of plenum filters as they apply to
reef
> keeping and i intend to use silver sand in place of coral sand as the
local
> water supply is very hard. Has anyone here used such a filter in a pond
and
> if so what where the results. I understand that water temperature plays a
> big part in the efficiency of the bacteria in the filter and its ability
to
> breakdown the nitrates and phosphates. In the north of England, where i
> live, a water temperature of 18-20c is quite high and about as good as it
> gets in the summer. Any help please.
>
>