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Karl has an extensive knowledge of water quality and fish biology and has been a passionate Koi keeper for the past 20 years.He is well known on the Koi circuit by both traders and hobbyists and has been chairman of the local Koi club for the past 12 years. He can often be seen giving seminars on all aspects of fish keeping as well as being in charge of water quality at Koi shows around the country so give him a call today for any advice you need!
Your questions and Answers
What size of filter do I require?
The first step is to calculate the pond volume
Rectangular Shapes
Example 1
The volume of a square or rectangular pond is a simple matter of multiplying the Length x Width x Depth in metres. This will give you the volume in cubic metres. To convert in to Litres multiply this figure by 1000. To convert litres to Imperial Gallons multiply by 0.22.
If you choose to measure in FEET & INCHES then use Length x Width x Depth in Feet to give you the volume in Cubic Feet then multiply by 6.25 and this will give you the Imperial Gallonage of the pond.
Example 2 this is for irregular shaped ponds simply divide in to smaller sections measure each section and then add them together to give you the volume & then multiply the answer by the equation for Imperial or Metric depending on which measurement you used.
Circular Shapes
We use a different formula here to find the surface area.
This is radius squared (half the diameter multiplied by itself) x 3.14.
With a straight sided pond & a constant depth multiply the surface area by the depth this will give you the pond volume.
Round up all figures to the nearest Foot or Metre as with filtration it is always better to over estimate the gallonage. (DO NOT DO THIS WHEN USING ANY TREATMENTS)
What is a pump fed system?
In a pump fed system the water is sucked from the pond by a submersible pump through a U.V to the filtration system & returns by gravity to the pond (usually via a waterfall). This means the filter outlet as to be higher than the pond.
What is a gravity fed system?
A gravity fed system is proving to be the most used method as it gives extremelygood results. Waste from the fish and other environmental objects fall to the bottom of the pond were they are taken to the filter through a bottom drain, usually fitted with 3 inch or 4 inch pipe work installed under the pond.
From here they travel through the filtration system to a pump situated either in the last chamber or externally sited outside the filter below water level then to the U.V and returned to the pond still under pressure.
This system enables the filter to be positioned at the same height as the pond thus making it easier to hide & is probably the most efficient way of filtration.
How does a Vortex work?
A vortex works by feeding the water in at one side of the cylinder at the bottom so as it makes its way upwards it causes a whirlpool action and there for the heavier solids will settle to the bottom were they can be drained off.
This helps to keep the rest of the filter cleaner thus making it more efficient.
Should I run my filter all year?
Yes the filter should be run all year round as this will keep the biomass active.
If you switch off your filter the beneficial bacteria will die off thus postponing the maturity of the filter.
What flow rate do I need?
Basically the flow rate you need is dependant on the gallonage of the pond. i.e.:- If you have 1000 gallons you need a pump that will do 500 gallons a hour so the volume of water passes through the filter approximately once every 2 hours.
Remember to take in to account the height you are pumping the water and check the pump will handle the flow you need at the height your filter is sited & any bends you have in the pipe work as this slows down the flow. (the less bends the better)
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