foam on my water

terrydog · 03-09-2010, 10:28 PM

hi all
i have just fitted a roto shower to my pond 2 days now and the return to the water was causing bubbles so i got a down pipe and put it in to the water to stop it now im getting micro bubbles which is giving me foam how can i get rid of this so i can see my fish or should i wait if so how long?

ogawa only · 03-09-2010, 11:23 PM

foam build up , or should i say foam that doesn't seem to disperse and just builds up is a sign of DOC's , dissolved organic carbon/compounds .

unfortunately , these are due to a multitude of things , including bio filtration , food entering the pond ...... well everything you can think of !!!

best way to get rid of DOC's is by foam fractionation , but they can be diluted by water changes

what your seeing is the process of total break down of waste , with the end result as dissolved organics , you get this in tiny amounts with bog standard filtration , but when you use any type of wet/dry trickle/bakki system , they really do the job , and with the high oxygen intake of this type of filter , its acting like a protein skimmer , with its only fault being it just doesn't take the foam straight to waste , if it did , we would be looking as shear filtration perfection

so mabe do some water changes , and start cleaning the pond slowly , then mabe , if your up for a bit of diy , build a foam fractionator , i'm building one next weekend , so i'l do a photographic diy jobby so if you feel like a bash at it , you got all the details you need .

steve

terrydog · 04-09-2010, 08:57 PM

nice one steve the koi god ill look for this foam thing i just got a surface skimmer to go on my pump maybe this will help was going to get one for the crap but may move some bubbles just got a new fish well happy with it i think its a goast koi ill try get a pic but next fish will be from that farm in kent i got room for 3 more then im full plus them growing thanks steve top guy

ogawa only · 05-09-2010, 09:06 AM

no probs

getting the docs out of freshwater , is a lot harder than say ... marine , salt/brackish water , but alot of koi keepers have been working overtime , and the American boys and girls have come tops , with some seriously good DIY systems , and they are extremely cheap compared to the ones you buy from dealers ect ... we are talking half the price for one's where you have to go and look around for the 6in pipe , or even cheaper for the ones made from 110mm pipe . and if i'm honest they seem to do the job better !!!

once you start to remove DOC's by foam extraction , and then tweak the remainder (the ustripable's ) out by water changes , the filter works better , combine the two, removal and dilution , and the TDS will drop (tap water permitting) and the growth of the fish with definitely improve , than add a high quality food .... the old myth , of "a koi will only grow as big as the pond " goes down the drain !!!

steve

terrydog · 05-09-2010, 10:13 PM

hi steve
been reading again would it be pos for me to do this at the end of my shower tower please look at the video in link DIY Clarity Protein Skimmer - Koi Forum - Koi-Bito Magazine straight from Japan
and are you going to that koi show in coventry is it any good im thinking if i can make it cheers dave

ogawa only · 06-09-2010, 12:03 PM

thats the one i'm making , stole the idea from koi bito

very easy to make

i'm not able to go to any koi shows this year , up to my neck with the dogs and dog shows lolz
steve

terrydog · 07-09-2010, 12:01 AM

thats good steve but would i be able to put one on my roto shower with just a big pipe into a small pipe with a tap like hes got in the clip would it just be a case of working out the flow or do you think i would need more air .? i dont think i got anything to lose to try just some pipe and a t bit got a tap al i need ids foam to pull the proteins of or have i got it all wrong

ogawa only · 07-09-2010, 12:06 AM

roto shower would be the perfect try out, as everything is in place , upto where you want to add on , worst case it dont work , and you remove the add on

steve

terrydog · 07-09-2010, 09:33 PM

hi steve
thats what i thought but is they not a fomula to work out the cubic cm in the big pipe to the small one or will the tap sort it.? o how do i use declorinater and best one please

ogawa only · 07-09-2010, 10:28 PM

I think the best way to work this out , would be by trial and error , so the only thing i would fix in place would be the large pipe T piece , and the tap and return , the rest i would fit together with pte tape , so that you can pull the back end off and tinker with it to get it right , before you glue it forever

i'm making mine this weekend, and ive had a thought of adding my RO feed into the back of the unit at the base , as newly osmossis water is acidic , until it gases off , so it could really boost the whole gizmo

steve