Recommended media for Koi tank

[sungod666]

I am running a 200L sump tank to filter the water for my 6 adult koi, after 1.5 years since i first got the tank set up by a professional, i think the filter media has run the end of its life. i had wash it once 6 months ago and it was fine back than. Now the filter seems unable to "clear" the water.

TO solve it temporary i bought an Eheim 2260 with all the recommended media and the water is fine now. I plan to change the media in my sump tank and would like some input.

I dont really know the all the correct name of the media in my sump tank but i will describe it

1. some PVC cube with lots of deep holes

2. Eiheim substrat Pro look alike

3. look like coral branches and chips, razor sharp to touch

4. dark brown colour samll rocks with lots of holes.

They are all in big bags 5kg and up except for the PVC cube which is not in a bag. Any recommendations on the media type in Sump?

As for the recently bought Eheim, i am using 5 kg substrat Pro, 2.5 kg Eheim Volcanic rock, 5 KG Biohomme plus. All these media are expensive especially the Biohomme, cost $160 for 5 kilo. if i was to use all these media in the sump, it will run me $500 and up because the SUmp uses much moore media

[limz_777]

did you wash your medias with tank water ? what is your tank size ? also 6 adult koi bioload is quite high , you might have to wash it more often

[BFG]

It appears to me that there is a lot of nutrient in your tank water that what you are seeing now is a bacteria bloom in progress. I believe the nutrients in the water has overwhelm the bacteria population till it reproduced at an extra ordinary amount. What flow rate do you have for the tank?

You might need to run a carbon reactor to remove as much nutrient as possible. A reactor is more efficient compared to using a bag as the water is forced to go through the carbon media in a reactor as opposed to flowing around the media bag. Remember, water will always take the easiest route.

You will need a pump and some hose length to connect the pump to the reactor. No need for a powerful pump, a 500lt/hr should suffice. Try to get a reactor with a top down flow. As for carbon, you could get some quality ones or the cheap ones. Different types absorb different amount of nutrient.

The next step is a bit tricky. Fill the reactor with the carbon and attach the pump to the reactor. What you need to do now is to catch the water going through the unwashed carbon media and throw that water away. Throw away all the black carbon water until the water is clear. You can use a large pail to catch the black carbon water by directing the output hose of the reactor to the pail. It will also helps you that you prepared a few pail of aged clean water to replace the amount you removed.

You might need to change the carbon frequently for a few weeks to see if the water has cleared up. After that, a weekly carbon change might be necessary to keep the water crystal clear.


Hope this helps!

[sungod666]

i wash with aged water. left overnight in a fibre tank. Tank size is around 900L, the exact dimension i forgot, because i custom made to fit my balcony.

[sungod666]

For the nutrient overload, could it be because i could have overfeed the koi. I feed them twice a day, as much as they consume in a few min.

For Flow rate, i have a 4000L/Hr pump sucking water from the sump to the main tank. I got the Eheim 2250 at 2400L/hr and now i added the Eheim 2080 at 1700L/Hr but the 2080 is placed to suck water from the sump and flow back to it. The main pump will than suck it to the tank and the 2260 will filter again. the overflow from the main tank will go through the drawer filled with wool in the sump.

As for the carbon reactor, i got a spare canister filter, can do?. so i filled up the can with new carbon than pump the tank water in. Like a flush right

[limz_777]

any pic of your tank ? by the way you using 2250 or 2260 ? feeding once per day is good enough , also make sure only you are feeding it , sometimes family members tend to overfeed too

[sungod666]

Now i feeding once per day but ever since i changed the filter, their appetite drop slightly. i am using saki hikari colour enchaner and balanced growth. both mixed together. will fish get bored of the same food over and over again?

i am using 2260 and 2080 together. attached are the pics. i got a 2 feet lamp installed in the ssump, i hope to grow some water hyacinth at the sump and since it is empty now, perhaps a few oto fish

Attachment 22443 Attachment 22442

[BFG]

Not sure if the canister filter basket can hold the carbon media granule. If it can, you could use it. As for floating plants, get those that grow fast, salvinia for example. Fast growing floating plant are good nutrient export, harvest half of them when your sump surface is full. Another good plant is the cheap and easily available Egeria Densa. I have read that this plant is a good absorber of nutrient in the water and also gives off more oxygen during photosynthesis period compared to other plants.

Hope this helps!

[BFG]

Not sure if the canister filter basket can hold the carbon media granule. If it can, you could use it. As for floating plants, get those that grow fast, salvinia for example. Fast growing floating plant are good nutrient export, harvest half of them when your sump surface is full. Another good plant is the cheap and easily available Egeria Densa. I have read that this plant is a good absorber of nutrient in the water and also gives off more oxygen during photosynthesis period compared to other plants.

Hope this helps!

[rascal]

hi, bro sungod666 , may i ask you where the shop in clementi that you said the eheim 2260 classic cost 350 and does it come with media?? thanks