a winter filter

my koi pond is without a good filter for a good 6 months out of the year.
I take my veggie filter out and dont put it back in until April or so
because it is too cold for plants. I let the pea soup algae soak up the
nutrients until my veggie filter is back up and running. I heat my pond
and it stays above 50oF for most of the winter. I feed my koi very little
and no more than once every 3 days or so as long as they are up and
begging. I did get some of that freeze dried krill etc to feed them so
there will be close to zero wastes. BTW, as a side issue, anyone know
where to get those multi test strips the cheapest online?

anyway. so all I got is 1. moss and 2. algae that laugh at winter. but
how can I harness them to clean my water? I think all of us have noticed
that our clear hoses collect algae inside, so I am thinking how about if I
get 100 feet of clear vinyl fish safe hose, like 3/4 inch, and run water
thru it pretty slowly so the algae eats up the wastes? can anybody figure
out how much surface area 5/8 inside diameter x 100 feet would have?

so what I think I can do is either hang it up in big loops on the fence
where it will get sun,
http://weloveteaching.com/mypond/winters/winter.htm
OR, I could lay it on the gravel (now that the snow has melted) where it
would definitely get warmed up.

Next year I can configure some way of looping it over the walkway by
putting up something more likely to hold it, put black ply under it to heat
it up nice, and have it at perfect angle for the sun to hit maximum.

I am thinking about putting a little stepped thing on the back wall of the
pond and seeding it with that nice moss and letting the water trickle down
the back onto the moss. the backing is cedar and non-toxic. the algae
already grows on there lower down.

anyway... any comments? why it wont work, will work. etc?

Ingrid



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List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan

On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 04:49:45 GMT, wrote:

my koi pond is without a good filter for a good 6 months out of the year.
I take my veggie filter out and dont put it back in until April or so
because it is too cold for plants. I let the pea soup algae soak up the
nutrients until my veggie filter is back up and running. I heat my pond
and it stays above 50oF for most of the winter. I feed my koi very little
and no more than once every 3 days or so as long as they are up and
begging. I did get some of that freeze dried krill etc to feed them so
there will be close to zero wastes. BTW, as a side issue, anyone know
where to get those multi test strips the cheapest online?

anyway. so all I got is 1. moss and 2. algae that laugh at winter. but
how can I harness them to clean my water? I think all of us have noticed
that our clear hoses collect algae inside, so I am thinking how about if I
get 100 feet of clear vinyl fish safe hose, like 3/4 inch, and run water
thru it pretty slowly so the algae eats up the wastes? can anybody figure
out how much surface area 5/8 inside diameter x 100 feet would have?

so what I think I can do is either hang it up in big loops on the fence
where it will get sun,
http://weloveteaching.com/mypond/winters/winter.htm
OR, I could lay it on the gravel (now that the snow has melted) where it
would definitely get warmed up.

Next year I can configure some way of looping it over the walkway by
putting up something more likely to hold it, put black ply under it to heat
it up nice, and have it at perfect angle for the sun to hit maximum.

I am thinking about putting a little stepped thing on the back wall of the
pond and seeding it with that nice moss and letting the water trickle down
the back onto the moss. the backing is cedar and non-toxic. the algae
already grows on there lower down.

anyway... any comments? why it wont work, will work. etc?

Ingrid

Sounds like a cool idea. ~ jan

On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 04:49:45 GMT, wrote:

out how much surface area 5/8 inside diameter x 100 feet would have?

5/8"=.625" 100'=1200" 1sq ft= 144sq in.
..625x3.1416=1.9635x1200=2356.2"divided by 144=
16.3625square feet of inside surface area.

Some time ago someone else mentioned the idea of using a radiator type
network of underground plumbing to filter a pond. He never mentioned
winter or hanging the tube in the sun. Interesting idea.

I know of one person who has a trickle down filter and he says they
work, and even believes they are an improvement over a common flow
through filter, but his latest pond has two Nexus filters like this:

http://www.koivillage.com/filtration/nexus.html

I can't afford one, but I like the idea and am thinking about
experimenting with an air pump, when I can steal some of my wife's
jewelry money to buy it.

Regards,

Hal

Algae is used as a main exporter of nitrates in a sal****er
environement. Its pretty well the standard.....Algae is algae and the
principal is the same. Its just that some algaes are much prettier
than others ;-) and some are better behaved than others......

On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 21:51:36 -0500, "how"
wrote:

wrote in message
...

snip
so all I got is 1. moss and 2. algae that laugh at winter. but
how can I harness them to clean my water? I think all of us have noticed
that our clear hoses collect algae inside, so I am thinking how about if I
get 100 feet of clear vinyl fish safe hose, like 3/4 inch, and run water
thru it pretty slowly so the algae eats up the wastes? can anybody figure
out how much surface area 5/8 inside diameter x 100 feet would have?


I am thinking about putting a little stepped thing on the back wall of the
pond and seeding it with that nice moss and letting the water trickle down
the back onto the moss. the backing is cedar and non-toxic. the algae
already grows on there lower down.

anyway... any comments? why it wont work, will work. etc?

Hi,
I don't think the hose will work for any length of time as it will
eventually "fill" with algae. The idea of using algae though is valid. I
read somewhere about "algae filters" a closed box system with a grow light
and a matrix to colonize algae. Water passes over the algae and back to the
pond. Never tried it myself.
Another way might be to get a piece of concrete board or similar substance
and angle over the edge of the pond, in the sunlight of course and run a
soaker hose at the top edge. A pump from the surface would supply the
soaker. I think algae will form and the slow drip would allow nutrients to
be removed.
This might be similar to the "stepped thing" you mentioned.
Just a thought.
-_- how
no NEWS is good




-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

wrote in message
...

snip
so all I got is 1. moss and 2. algae that laugh at winter. but
how can I harness them to clean my water? I think all of us have noticed
that our clear hoses collect algae inside, so I am thinking how about if I
get 100 feet of clear vinyl fish safe hose, like 3/4 inch, and run water
thru it pretty slowly so the algae eats up the wastes? can anybody figure
out how much surface area 5/8 inside diameter x 100 feet would have?


I am thinking about putting a little stepped thing on the back wall of the
pond and seeding it with that nice moss and letting the water trickle down
the back onto the moss. the backing is cedar and non-toxic. the algae
already grows on there lower down.

anyway... any comments? why it wont work, will work. etc?

Hi,
I don't think the hose will work for any length of time as it will
eventually "fill" with algae. The idea of using algae though is valid. I
read somewhere about "algae filters" a closed box system with a grow light
and a matrix to colonize algae. Water passes over the algae and back to the
pond. Never tried it myself.
Another way might be to get a piece of concrete board or similar substance
and angle over the edge of the pond, in the sunlight of course and run a
soaker hose at the top edge. A pump from the surface would supply the
soaker. I think algae will form and the slow drip would allow nutrients to
be removed.
This might be similar to the "stepped thing" you mentioned.
Just a thought.
-_- how
no NEWS is good

Hmmm..... a hose algae scrubber..... interesting and cheap.
I can see resistance problems coming and a few other things but... I'd try
it out!
Rmemeber tho that you need to remove the alage to remove the bio-accumulated
nutrients outta the water!
In the past I have tried to use taro and duckweed for this purpose.
But I see the winter part here....
I think if you could grow flat 'matts' of algae like pizza gone bad and
remove that frequently it could be easier.
But even if you turn the whole pond green, then flocculate it and remove the
chunks it will have some effect.

Now if you were to use the hose algae scrubber to eat nitrates on a small
indoor aquarium (hose outside of course)
I think it would do a splendid job.
But on a big pond, prob gonna be a bit underpowered.

May also notice water goes a bit yellow, thats what happens to me when I try
to setup marine ones anyway.
Have a look for 'biosub' on google.... some ozzie dude with an algae life
support submarine.
Not sure how they store the algae but I recon it would have to be efficient
and prob give ya a few more ideas.

given me something to think about
but first where can I score heaps wide diametre clear hose?



wrote in message
...
my koi pond is without a good filter for a good 6 months out of the year.
I take my veggie filter out and dont put it back in until April or so
because it is too cold for plants. I let the pea soup algae soak up the
nutrients until my veggie filter is back up and running. I heat my pond
and it stays above 50oF for most of the winter. I feed my koi very little
and no more than once every 3 days or so as long as they are up and
begging. I did get some of that freeze dried krill etc to feed them so
there will be close to zero wastes. BTW, as a side issue, anyone know
where to get those multi test strips the cheapest online?

anyway. so all I got is 1. moss and 2. algae that laugh at winter. but
how can I harness them to clean my water? I think all of us have noticed
that our clear hoses collect algae inside, so I am thinking how about if I
get 100 feet of clear vinyl fish safe hose, like 3/4 inch, and run water
thru it pretty slowly so the algae eats up the wastes? can anybody figure
out how much surface area 5/8 inside diameter x 100 feet would have?

so what I think I can do is either hang it up in big loops on the fence
where it will get sun,
http://weloveteaching.com/mypond/winters/winter.htm
OR, I could lay it on the gravel (now that the snow has melted) where it
would definitely get warmed up.

Next year I can configure some way of looping it over the walkway by
putting up something more likely to hold it, put black ply under it to
heat
it up nice, and have it at perfect angle for the sun to hit maximum.

I am thinking about putting a little stepped thing on the back wall of the
pond and seeding it with that nice moss and letting the water trickle down
the back onto the moss. the backing is cedar and non-toxic. the algae
already grows on there lower down.

anyway... any comments? why it wont work, will work. etc?

Ingrid



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up:
http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold
website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan