My Skippy Filter

[sissy]

Rinse your media if possible with pond water ,so you don't kill all the good stuff if you clean it .And that 1 filter you have does not seem to be putting out much water ,the black one.I try to put more oxygen in my pond in the spring rather than a uv and I hardly get algae .I f I see it in goes the quilt batting to suck it up

 

[sissy]

I have a bag of oyster shells that broke open in the bottom of my pond now no plants koi destroy them and 2 filters going pump I have with 2 hoses will be put over to one bigger hose as that was temporary until I got 2 nd waterfall and filter done and there are air hoses going around the side of the pond .these pics were taken yesterday

 

[koiguy1969]

sissy...if you cant keep real plants i use artificials in my pond as well i get them at the flower factory and hot glue bundles together and ziptie the bundles to a rock inside a pice of black fabric to keep them down....its merely for the fishes comfort (sense of safety) or natural look & feel in the pond...this is what theyve been spawning on as well. alot cheaper than aquarium plants

 

[sissy]

never thought of that ,they do sell a lot of leafy silks these days .I saw some the other day but was not sure my fish would not try to rip them apart also and could it harm them .I tried to put my lilly in there but every time a leaf comes up aggie goes over and eats it and I just got 3 lotus plants from a pond of a friend and a few other plants from ponds I cleaned out but put them in the bigger pond at the other house

 

[koiguy1969]

i buy the plastics...have yet to have a problem with them trying to eat them...4 years ive been using them....they will clean the string alge off them. i'll take pics of the ones i use if you like.. they actually look like they would be growing in a pond....quite natural looking

 

[sissy]

ok that would help .I looked at some but seems they look like they don't belong in a pond .And aquirium plants are not cheap .Wanted something that looked like it belong but here in VA you are limited to what you can get .I am going up to NJ in another week so I will check up there to see what they have ,better selection and if you can show me what you have give me ideas of what to look for .How long do the plants last underwater for you

 

[sissy]

I picked up on the side of the road yesterday a 12 inch drainage pipe and cut it down the middle to make koi tunnels just have to figure how to weigh it down .The pipe is black and looks good if it would stay on the bottom trying to figure that out yet .You know even though oyster shell bag broke I like it brightened the bottom of my pond up

 

[koiguy1969]

4 years so far on the same ones.

 

[sissy]

Well at least I will know I got my moneys worth out of them I thought maybe a year or 2

 

[mew5280]

OK, so reading through everything. I have had a UV filter and it didn't seem to do anything. I used it for several months. I have tried everything everyone has mentioned, the barley, more plants, big filter, new filter, big pump, little pump, etc., etc. Change the filter pads daily, don't change them. Nothing has cleared the pond. It took me 8-10 hours on a Saturday (I work full time) to build the skippy filter, I just don't know if I have energy left to now hook up my old filter and rig it with all the batting, etc., only to see no results. Sorry to be so skeptical but 7 years and thousands of dollars later, I can't see the fish. I've covered 3/4 of the pond with plants, used a shade cloth, culled the fish population.

So, why is it that some people seem to figure out the balance and others (ME) cannot do it? Would it have something to do with the climate? Denver has 300 days of intense sun per year and my pond has no shade and we're closer to the sun at 5280 feet above sea level. Or maybe I need to admit I have a black thumb for ponding?

 

[sissy]

may be your trying to hard and filter does not get a chance to build up enough bacteria because you are cleaning it to much .I learned that from my old pond clean filter but don't over clean filter

 

[koiguy1969]

the bulb in a UV clarifier, lights up long after its usefullness is depleted...so just because you see it lit, doesnt mean its doing anything.....after 8 months of use they start quickly losing their ability to work...at 11 months use the bulbs are fairly useless!..a new bulb might just do it.

 

[mew5280]

I let the filter run over the winter without touching it. No change. I only cleaned it when the gunk started preventing the water flow. I have only turned on this skippy filter a week ago and haven't touched it.

I usually leave it alone, I really don't the time to deal with it so I doubt I'm over trying at all. I was lucky to find the time to make that filter last week. I am giving it 4-6 weeks to build up bacteria, then I will give up and we will probably have nice big planter in the backyard instead of a pond.

 

[vertigo72]

Are you sure the UV is working? UV bulbs wear out, and should be replaced every year. Thats assuming it didnt blow, like any bulb, they can just stop working.

If your UV doesnt have a control led or something, then look at it at night. You should see a blue glow coming out of it. It may also need cleaning. I think putting vinegar in them is the usual method, but dont quote me on that unless someone else confirms. I cant see another reason UV wouldnt do anything to floating algae (pea soup).

The skippy filter wont do you much good at this point. Its probably just getting clogged by algae. And yes, 300 days of sunshine is going to make it a lot harder for your pond to regain its balance, but patience is the thing you need most.

edit: someone else already mentioned replacing the UV, but hey, he was right too

 

[fishin4cars]

OK, so reading through everything. I have had a UV filter and it didn't seem to do anything. I used it for several months. I have tried everything everyone has mentioned, the barley, more plants, big filter, new filter, big pump, little pump, etc., etc. Change the filter pads daily, don't change them. Nothing has cleared the pond. It took me 8-10 hours on a Saturday (I work full time) to build the skippy filter, I just don't know if I have energy left to now hook up my old filter and rig it with all the batting, etc., only to see no results. Sorry to be so skeptical but 7 years and thousands of dollars later, I can't see the fish. I've covered 3/4 of the pond with plants, used a shade cloth, culled the fish population.

So, why is it that some people seem to figure out the balance and others (ME) cannot do it? Would it have something to do with the climate? Denver has 300 days of intense sun per year and my pond has no shade and we're closer to the sun at 5280 feet above sea level. Or maybe I need to admit I have a black thumb for ponding?

actually I think you missing a tiny bit of information in your system or set-up that we haven't picked up on yet. Who knows what it can be. I agree on the UV light, That should be helping if not, bulb may very well not be working as it should (Old or Dirty). Vertigo is right, cleaning it with a soft cloth and vinegar is the best way to clean a UV clarifier Bulb, be sure and rinse after cleaning to remove as much vinegar as possible. A very small amount of residue will not harm fish or plants but better to get most off before reinstalling.
I'm going to try and see if I can find out something totally different to see if I can go a different direction with trying to help. Do you use any fertilizers at all in your pond? What do you use for planting material? Dirt, Water garden designed soil, sand, kitty litter, bare root? do you remove dying aquatic plant leaves as soon as they turn yellow and the blooms of lilies as they die? Tempature, What is the average temp in the late afternoon in your pond? I can't think they would be that high, I deal with 90-95 degree water temps here in the summer...... My second thought are heading in the direction, What is feeding all this? I'm assuming you know to watch your feeding, never allow food to sit in the pond for more than 5 minutes and all that good stuff. I'm thinking deeper, underlying cause. Something is causing this load for everything to start from. You have said you have worked on fish population, filtering, and such, but Ask yourself what is getting into the pond that is feeding all this stuff in the water, Pollen, rain water run-off, nutients getting into the pond after rain???? Lots of Birds bathing in it?? lol I'm grasping her but sometimes you have to think outside the box.