Just a quick note: Its been brought to my attention that barley straw extract is the target for some EU nonsense whereby they wish it banned as a biocide. There is information that this ban came in to effect in August 2020 but I've searched it this morning and it is available to buy and in fact I actually ordered some just to be sure. But do check this out if you intend buying it and depending where you are in the world may turn up different results.
Green water can be your best friend. You as pond owner hate it but the fish love it (as long as it not too thick and taking away the oxygen). Green water indicates too many fish, overfeeding, insufficient filtration, and/or some other intervention such as over cleaning, medication treatment, etc. Taking away your obvious indicator can lead to more severe problems. I would limit food for a few days, add nitrifying bacteria, and add a dozen or so food supplement tablets of Folic Acid, 800 mg each tablet, every day until green water clears up. Faster bacteria growth, healthier bacteria, and longer lasting into the cold months, and faster bacteria growth coming out of winter. Just my humble opinion and 25 year experience.
Hi, could I get your opinion on easy pod modifications, the disc to keep all the media below water level ,also there is one that fits into the centre chamber, regards james
Hi James, I must admit, I'm not a fan of modifying filters personally as I like to think the manufacturers know what they are doing. That said, if you are having a particular issue the chances are someone else has had the same issue and there may be an aftermarket fix for it. I have never had media sitting out of the water but if you do have that issue then I know the discs should work to push it down and compact it together. Do you have more media in than it comes with do you know? The sieves in the centre chamber are a bit of an opinion divider. If you have the correct amount of media, the correct flow, and the correct number of koi in your pond then the pod should be taking out fines well enough. That said, if you do have fines the sieves are good at taking them out BUT they do block and can cause a problem if you dont clean them out every day or two. Personally I would rather fix the system so it functions without needing the added maintenance of the sieve but they do work if you can keep on top of cleaning.
Hi I have an easypod with a tempest and UV 25w on a 500 gallon tank and I'm just getting green water. All was good until I introduced a pond lilly to help with nitrate over 3 weeks water went green do you think it's the lilly causing the issue. Many thanks Si
Hi Simon, it shouldn't be, plants should help to reduce nitrate if anything. Could it be coming from the the substrate that the lily is planted in? Failing that, make sure your UV is running correctly and the bulb is less than 12 months old.
Thanks Jason 🍻🍻 It can depend somewhat on whether you are pump fed or gravity fed. Ideally you want the UV after the pump so it is always full of water and doesn't overheat. You will also get optimum performance if its after the filter as it will only see clean water. If you are pump fed and gravity return it needs to go after the pump and before the filter. If you are pump fed to a gravity filter such as a bead it can go after the filter as long as it will always but full of water so if for example you have 1.5 inch pipe and it has a long run back to the pond after the UV. If you are gravity fed then it can go immediately after the pump
Lol so true.. Never invite guests. Great vid.. I always get it in the spring before my filters are working in their full capacity and my pond plants havent really started going
Hi dazzle koi the uv steriliser acts as a floculant as you say in the video why are we advised to turn the uv off when adding filter start gel TIA all your videos are really good full of useful info and to the point great channel
Hi Anthony, I honestly don't know mate and I have never done that and I matured my filter in literally no time with the UV on. I can only assume it is just easier to say turn it off than to add complexity by saying if you have a UV steriliser it has to be off but a UV clarifier can stay on. As I say, there is so much confusion and miss information around UV systems Having it off for a short period during filter maturing isn't going to cause any problem so I can kind of see why they would say that but the truth is it wont cause any harm at all leaving it on.
Great video, explains it in a way i can understand. Would love a video on understanding parasites, why do we get them? how do they get in the pond? How can we prevent them (if thats even possible) and why man made ponds suffer from them yet natural ponds dont seem to get the same issue. Iv been lucky 2 years (touch wood) and ive not had anything but i see other ponds suffering all the time and with far better filtration than mine, so i dont get it and so would love to understand how that all works👍🏽
Hi Mark, thanks for that, yes I will definitely make a video on that. I must confess ailments are my achilles heal as I've only had to treat once so I'm very inexperienced. I'll do my research though as it is something I definitely want to improve. Watch this space 🍻🍻
Brill video👍 yep that’s a good idea to a video on that, understanding parasites. And the bests why to help prevent your koi getting them. Because it surely can wipe out a complete pond of fish. And sadly some koi keepers give up after that and shut the pond down
Thanks for another informative and interesting video. Recently you mentioned you had a 35 watt UV on your pond which didn't do the job and had to be replaced. You would expect a UV of that wattage on your pond to easily do the job and raises questions about that particular make. Not sure if you can name the manufacturer on here but it could save some folks a lot of money by not buying from that particular manufacturer.
Hi Keith, yes in theory a 10W UV should be enough for my pond but I always go belt and braces and double that figure. So when I did the pond on the cheap I thought UV's where all created equal so went for a cloverleaf cheap UV , 36W. In my head I knew it might not perform as well as a better quality 36W UV but I expected it to be fine on 1000 gallons. It was useless. The pond went green and it didn't do a thing. I then upgraded to an EA Evo25W and it worked fine. I've since picked up an Evo 55W (couldn't pass it up at the price) so I'm swapping the 25 for the 55.
Hello Daz, thank you very much for a very informative video. I hadn’t realised the differences between uv “soft / hard”, and as a consequence, have battled to keep my pond water as green free as I can with ponds of various shapes and sizes. I wonder if you could offer some advice. My pond is one of those wooden (similar to log cabin construction) 6feet x 6feet, and about 32 inches deep. It is fed by an above ground filter / uv combination, and is fed by a 1400 l/h pump. I felt the uv treatment was being overwhelmed by to much flow, hence I put in an additional valve and pipework to “waste “ flow back to the pond, and was able to reduce / regulate flow to the uv and filter, without putting any unnecessary back pressure on my pump. This has helped very much, but the water doesn’t totally clear. I don’t really want to throttle the flow to uv / filter too much for fear of burning out the uv (8 watts) lamp. Your help ‘ suggestions would be very much appreciated. Best regards, Geoff.
Hi Geoff, its hard to say for sure without seeing it all but 8 watts is probably a little small for your volume. I have 1000 gallons and a cheap 36w UV wasn't enough so I had to increase it to a 55w. Its in full sun with a relatively large window. Your flow also sounds very small but it is really dependent on the filter and what the manufacturer recommends as the optimum flow. Higher flow makes your mechanical filtration less efficient at collecting waste but it is counteracted by the fact that you will pull more waste in to the filter in the first place and more often. UV units also have an optimum flowrate. The more times the green cells pass through the UV light source the more they will floculate and the bigger they will get making them easier for your mechanical filtration to catch them. See if you can find out what flow your filter manufacturer recommends or if not, have a look for a similar unit and see what they recommend for that one. Without seeing it my gut feeling is that your flow is too low
Hey Daz, have you heard of Dr Novak? Something some old time koi keepers have used for years is anoxic filtration. You describe parts of it in the bakki shower video but old timers use bags or buckets of lava rock allowing the water to flow around not forced through. Might be a suggestion for another video. Seems like you would be the type of man that would dig into it.
Hi mate, I have heard of it yes, but I dont know much about it. I remember a while back reading Syd Mitchell's thoughts on it and it sounded good. I think from memory it was a bit complicated and I do like to try and keep it simple if possible. I'll have another read up though, its definitely interesting stuff 🍺🍺🍺
Do you find it works well? I’ve just ordered some waiting for it to come. I have a very small goldfish pond and the green water is driving me insane! My water is normally so clear too, I don’t have a UV in my filter system so I’m at a loss as to what to do, I’d rather have blanket weed than this ☹️ Where’s the best place to put the bales, I was thinking in the waterfall ?
Hi, barley straw can work well in smaller fish ponds. The trouble is you need to keep replacing it every few months. The best solution is a UV if you can fit one in somewhere. You need to put it somewhere where it is fully submerged all the time 👍👍
I’m just building my first koi pond while watching your videos for support. Your very informative and your knowledge is second to non it really is. Can I just ask a quick question just to clear something up. My father in law to be used to breed goldfish years ago and is adamant that a bog filter is all I need for filtration. Can you advise on this please. Cheers Ade
Hi Adrian, no unfortunately you cant filter a koi pond with a bog alone. Koi are a completely different ball game than goldfish. They produce enormous amounts of waste compared to most other fish. You need a proper koi specific filter such as an eazy pod or a nexus but there are some cheaper alternatives to but they come with downsides. A bog filter can be a useful addition in some instances but its not for using as the sole filtration. What size is your pond going to be? Are you having a bottom drain or pump fed?
@@DazzleKoi thank you so much. That was my thoughts with the research I did but wanted to hear from the horses mouth. My pond is a P shape with a depth of 1m roughly about 10,000 liters. I could dig deeper in the main section. Do you think I would regret not doing that as I’m just at that stage now. I have got a nexus 210 second hand to try and keep cost down. I don’t think I needed one that big but it was to good a price. Yes I plan to put bottom drain and gravity feed the filter. Thank you again for taking the time to reply. Ade
Hi Ade, the nexus 220 is ideal for that volume mate, good choice 👍 Regarding the depth, 1m is the absolute minimum you need so if you can, I would go deeper. Not too much though as you'll take the volume up and the nexus may struggle if you go to far. Maybe another foot? Bottom drain and gravity is perfect, just be aware though that you need to get the drain in the right place. Flow and circulation are vital for keeping the pond bottom clear and flushing the waste to the drain so with an irregular shape you need to be careful to avoid dead spots.
@@DazzleKoi if I go down another foot in the main part of the pond and put the bottom drain with air pump in the middle of that. then put a waterfall type outlet on the bottom of the P. Do you think that will flow the water out of that Chanel into the drain ? Or put an outlet lower down in that back wall. I could do a drawing but not sure how to put on this reply.
Hi Andrew, I plan to get on to it this weekend. With a bit of luck I will get enough time to finish it but it depends on the weather and what my wife has planned for 😁
Great video as usual. What dimensions are your pond? I know you've said it is just a tad under 1000 gallons. I'm thinking of building a raised pond in March, probably can't fit anything more than a 1000 gallons. Won't have the time to clean the filter daily like you do so I'm thinking of the smallest filtreau drum and then just a barrel of aerated k1. Does that sound alright to you? I know you've said this isn't your forever pond etc, but do you think you could feasibly keep koi of any size in it? If you had say max 5
Hi Ryan, dimensions from memory are approx. 2.8m x 1.8m x 1m deep and they are external sizes. If you are thinking of a drum check out the Draco minima. Its a combi so has mechanical and biological and its made for small ponds like this. Costs around £1000. If you go with a separate drum though your idea will work great. Stocking is always a contentious issue. I'm pushing it with 7 to be honest. I wont say you couldn't raise 5 koi to a reasonable size in this volume but its not ideal. With the right filtration and good husbandry you will be fine 👍
Hi Daz, love all your videos very interesting I’ve learnt a lot from you. You could find this interesting as I am running a 36w external UV-C for 10 years now with a reduced flow though it and I have never had a green pond in all that time. Because of the price of the bulbs I only replace them every 2 years. Only half the pond gets direct sunlight throughout the day. I live in Sydney Australia so you would think if anyone was going to get a green pond it would be me. My pond is over stocked with koi, having said all that I have a huge filtration system, even with large plants growing in it. I have a question for you or anyone reading this, is there a LED UV-C bulb out there? Kind regards Mark James
Hi Mark, interesting stuff. I think the sunlight, while an important factor, is less critical than the nutrients. You'll know I didn't talk about sun on the pond. Reason is if you take away the nutrients, you don't get green water. But if you take away the sunlight, you still can. Indoor ponds go green for example. So I think in your case you have taken away the nutrients successfully with the plants probably. Once you get that well established, natural balance it should continue to work perfectly with little or no interference from us. Regarding LED's , I haven't even thought about that before. Off the top of my head, in theory an LED bulb can produce any wavelength of light so in theory they can definitely produce UV light. However, I feel it would be so small as to be no use for anything really. Not enough to clear a pond or give you a suntan for example.
Dazzle Koi. What's your thoughts on a good brand of uv light bulb. As I'm currently using the "Tropical Marine" Germicidal uv-c 72w inline with abother V2 16w Steriliser also . (What would you recommend people)?
Hi Simon, I'll be honest I don't know a lot about the individual bulbs or who makes the better ones. I have only ever used the Phillips/Osram long life bulbs which seem to be pretty standard. I'm not sure how many options there are to be honest, they seem to have the market cornered. There are some slightly cheaper options on ebay but I haven't used them. Kockney koi for example sell a bulb that they call a kockney koi bulb but its obviously bought in and rebranded but I have no idea who actually makes it. I think I would just recommend you stick to the phillips/osram ones if they do a bulb that fits your UV, they seem to be good quality from my experience.
Hi George, they tend to have a max flow rating but few I've seen have an optimum rating. I think there is an element of getting excess back pressure and blowing seals and/or leaking if you try to push to much water through a small UV. In terms of the flow and how it effects the performance, I have never been able to prove one way or the other that it makes a difference to be honest. Slower flow in theory gives a longer residence time, so the cells are under the UV longer, but a faster flow means the cells are passed through the UV more times in any given period. Swings and roundabouts I think.
Could I empty the water out and start a fresh as my bulb went before I noticed the pond is half size of the one in your video behind you and we just have a small mixture of goldfish evt
Hi David, you could do yes. You would need to make sure to treat the water for chlorine before any fish go back in though. As long as you have a good filter the green water should clear within a week of fitting a new bulb.
@@DazzleKoi hi daz a pressure premium filter 15000 from swell uk, withnan 18v bulb ive had it a few years with no problems my ponds about 3ft deep and 4ft sq, ive spent the afternoon changing 2 3rds od the water its that bad. Many thanks.
Seems strange that its been ok for so long. Have you changed your food or anything like that? That can cause issues if you are using a higher protein with lots of waste leading to high nitrates. If I had to guess though I'd say you need a bigger UV than that. The sun is really strong at the moment and that isn't a lot. I had a 36W UV on 1000 gallons and it wasn't enough. I had to up it to a 55W to get it clear.
Really informative video mate I’m currently really struggling with Green water, I have an Evolution Aqua 55 UV, will that be a clarifier or a steriliser, pond volume is 8000 litres I’m currently running a 10’000 EA Vari pump at 80% therefore turning the pond over roughly once every hour, filter is a BD to a Nexus 220 with two under water returns, cheers mate.
Hi Gary, the EA units are clarifiers. 55W on the volume that you have should be more than enough. How old is the bulb? You need to change the bulb every spring to maintain the performance.
@@DazzleKoi I only filled my pond last September and after reading FB posts on certain Koi Groups the majority of people commented they turn there UV off over winter so I only turned mine on last Monday so in essence the bulb as been used for 8 days, it is slowly clearing looks better again this morning, my worry was why it went green in the first over winter as hardly zero sunlight, but your comment about high nitrite levels can cause green water so I’m going to monitor that closely as well, I’ll be honest I was gifted four fish by my uncle last September as he was closing his pond down and I’ve hardly feed over winter so as of yet I’m not tested the water, by the way Daz are you based in St.Helens as your accent sounds familiar.
Hi Gary, I am mate, yes. Originally Clock Face but I'm over in Eccleston now. You around here? Most ponds go green and suffer blanket weed in the first 12 months. Its just part of the bedding in and finding equilibrium process. I would leave the UV on all the time though. Water goes green indoors so the reduced daylight over winter wont stop it happening. Sounds like it clearing now though. I've got the blanket weed at the moment.
@@DazzleKoi born and breed in Haydock mate, just moved to Newton 2 years ago, yeah my green water seems to be getting better every day, as you suggest I’m going to leave the UV on all year round.
Nice one, my Mums still on Gorsey Lane so not far from you at all. I'm looking for ponds local to me to start my pond profile videos as soon as lock down allows, let me know if that's something you'd be up for 👍
Hi Rex, yes if youre gravity fed you want to connect straight in to your pump from the pod outlet so straight down to whatever size your pump inlet is and get the pump as close as you can 👍
@@DazzleKoi thanks for that, I thought it was ok to go to 1.1/2 but wanted to check first. Ponds coming on ok but need a change in the weather to finish the block work, started to put posts in place To take the roof that’s about all I can do due to the weather.👍
Hey! I love your videos and I've watched every single one of them. I had a question on UV - C ( a true uv c btw) models, the submersible ones, where you place that in your filter, it's like a light bulb and apparently it's recommended not to let it on for more than 6 hours. Any thoughts on that? Is it okay to let it on 24/7? Waiting for your reply in anticipation :D
Hi mate, I haven't personally used a submersible UV so I'm not sure why that would be. I've had a quick look at the amalgam units and I cant see anything about only having it on for 6 hours a day. I'm a bit stuck on this one to be honest. It may be wise to contact the manufacturer of the UV you have and ask them. Sorry I cant be more help 👍
@@DazzleKoi Thanks for the reply, yeah I don't see this warning in my particular unit. But there was one I was interested in on Amazon months ago, and it had this warning. I contacted the seller about it and he had no clue why. If I happen to find the answer one day, I'll make sure to post in an update on here. Looking forward to your next upload :D
Hi mate it hard to see but your walls in the pond still look black!! My pond is 2 years old and my water is spot on but the walls have all gone green and like 5mm grass across all sides and bottom. How do you keep yours clear Thanks Martin
Hi Martyn, its normal to get a covering on the walls at various times of the year to be honest. In the first 12 months it comes and goes until everything settles down. If you can keep nitrates down that will help a lot.
Hi mate, that sounds like you have enough UV on there. Just keep an eye on it and it should clear. If your UV is good and you have good mechanical filtration it should clear within a week 👍
@@DazzleKoi just an update i was away for a while and the pond looked much clear and all the while only 13watts of uv was running, i think trickle system is not a good choice when starting a new pond
Thanks for the reply. Within the last month I've noticed that the wall's and the bottom of the pond started turning white very slightly now it's rearly noticeable with a white slimy substance coating the inside of the pond which I believe is now turning the water milky. Nothing new has been added no treatments water parameters are all spot on. I do add bicarb regularly as I use ro water as a drip in drip out. Fish seem happy still eating plenty. Also this is my first pond first attempt at keeping koi so I'm still learning
Hi mate, I must confess I'm struggling here. A bacteria bloom of some kind maybe or plant material breaking down? Do you have any water run off that can get in the pond? Any wood with wood stain on that rain could wash in to the pond?
haha, youre not wrong. Its a sports feild behind so they have a big fence and the posts are for nets to stop balls coming over. What looks like barbed wire is actually string lights. If you watch one of my later videos I have bamboo screen over the fence now and it looks a lot better. That was when I hadn't finished building it.
Did you ever consider rehearsing what you're going to say, or maybe even writing out a simple script? That would make it much better for your viewers instead of having to waste time while you hemm and haw around trying to find the right way to say something, or remember some key fact. Why even do a video if.... never mind. smh
Aww mate, I wasted my time reading your comment, while you hemm'd and haw'd around trying to find the right way to say what you wanted to say and then it just fizzled out to a 'never mind'!! Have you ever considered rehearsing what you are going to write first?
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Just a quick note: Its been brought to my attention that barley straw extract is the target for some EU nonsense whereby they wish it banned as a biocide. There is information that this ban came in to effect in August 2020 but I've searched it this morning and it is available to buy and in fact I actually ordered some just to be sure. But do check this out if you intend buying it and depending where you are in the world may turn up different results.
Green water can be your best friend. You as pond owner hate it but the fish love it (as long as it not too thick and taking away the oxygen). Green water indicates too many fish, overfeeding, insufficient filtration, and/or some other intervention such as over cleaning, medication treatment, etc. Taking away your obvious indicator can lead to more severe problems. I would limit food for a few days, add nitrifying bacteria, and add a dozen or so food supplement tablets of Folic Acid, 800 mg each tablet, every day until green water clears up. Faster bacteria growth, healthier bacteria, and longer lasting into the cold months, and faster bacteria growth coming out of winter. Just my humble opinion and 25 year experience.
Hi, could I get your opinion on easy pod modifications, the disc to keep all the media below water level ,also there is one that fits into the centre chamber, regards james
Hi James, I must admit, I'm not a fan of modifying filters personally as I like to think the manufacturers know what they are doing. That said, if you are having a particular issue the chances are someone else has had the same issue and there may be an aftermarket fix for it.
I have never had media sitting out of the water but if you do have that issue then I know the discs should work to push it down and compact it together. Do you have more media in than it comes with do you know?
The sieves in the centre chamber are a bit of an opinion divider. If you have the correct amount of media, the correct flow, and the correct number of koi in your pond then the pod should be taking out fines well enough. That said, if you do have fines the sieves are good at taking them out BUT they do block and can cause a problem if you dont clean them out every day or two. Personally I would rather fix the system so it functions without needing the added maintenance of the sieve but they do work if you can keep on top of cleaning.
Hi I have an easypod with a tempest and UV 25w on a 500 gallon tank and I'm just getting green water. All was good until I introduced a pond lilly to help with nitrate over 3 weeks water went green do you think it's the lilly causing the issue.
Many thanks
Si
Hi Simon, it shouldn't be, plants should help to reduce nitrate if anything. Could it be coming from the the substrate that the lily is planted in? Failing that, make sure your UV is running correctly and the bulb is less than 12 months old.
Hi Dazz enjoy your videos Thankyou
Uv light before or after the filter
Your thoughts please..
Thanks Jason 🍻🍻
It can depend somewhat on whether you are pump fed or gravity fed. Ideally you want the UV after the pump so it is always full of water and doesn't overheat. You will also get optimum performance if its after the filter as it will only see clean water. If you are pump fed and gravity return it needs to go after the pump and before the filter. If you are pump fed to a gravity filter such as a bead it can go after the filter as long as it will always but full of water so if for example you have 1.5 inch pipe and it has a long run back to the pond after the UV. If you are gravity fed then it can go immediately after the pump
Lol so true.. Never invite guests.
Great vid.. I always get it in the spring before my filters are working in their full capacity and my pond plants havent really started going
Hi Chris, yes that does seem like a popular time for green water. I've got a bigger UV on there now so hopefully I'll avoid it but time will tell.
Hi dazzle koi the uv steriliser acts as a floculant as you say in the video why are we advised to turn the uv off when adding filter start gel TIA all your videos are really good full of useful info and to the point great channel
Hi Anthony, I honestly don't know mate and I have never done that and I matured my filter in literally no time with the UV on. I can only assume it is just easier to say turn it off than to add complexity by saying if you have a UV steriliser it has to be off but a UV clarifier can stay on. As I say, there is so much confusion and miss information around UV systems
Having it off for a short period during filter maturing isn't going to cause any problem so I can kind of see why they would say that but the truth is it wont cause any harm at all leaving it on.
Great video, explains it in a way i can understand.
Would love a video on understanding parasites, why do we get them? how do they get in the pond? How can we prevent them (if thats even possible) and why man made ponds suffer from them yet natural ponds dont seem to get the same issue. Iv been lucky 2 years (touch wood) and ive not had anything but i see other ponds suffering all the time and with far better filtration than mine, so i dont get it and so would love to understand how that all works👍🏽
Hi Mark, thanks for that, yes I will definitely make a video on that. I must confess ailments are my achilles heal as I've only had to treat once so I'm very inexperienced. I'll do my research though as it is something I definitely want to improve. Watch this space 🍻🍻
@@DazzleKoi ah see your like me then, im just fearfull iv been lucky for too long and its coming haha top man 👍🏽
Brill video👍 yep that’s a good idea to a video on that, understanding parasites. And the bests why to help prevent your koi getting them. Because it surely can wipe out a complete pond of fish. And sadly some koi keepers give up after that and shut the pond down
Very true 👍
Great info as always daz, any news on research of media for shower? Cheers 👍
Hi Richard, yes getting there now. I'm going to do a final construction vid a separate vid just on media. Hope to have something in the next week 👍👍
@@DazzleKoi excellent, thanks for reply👍
Nice update On the green water syndrome 👍
Cheers Carol 🥂🥂
Thanks for another informative and interesting video. Recently you mentioned you had a 35 watt UV on your pond which didn't do the job and had to be replaced. You would expect a UV of that wattage on your pond to easily do the job and raises questions about that particular make. Not sure if you can name the manufacturer on here but it could save some folks a lot of money by not buying from that particular manufacturer.
Hi Keith, yes in theory a 10W UV should be enough for my pond but I always go belt and braces and double that figure. So when I did the pond on the cheap I thought UV's where all created equal so went for a cloverleaf cheap UV , 36W. In my head I knew it might not perform as well as a better quality 36W UV but I expected it to be fine on 1000 gallons. It was useless. The pond went green and it didn't do a thing.
I then upgraded to an EA Evo25W and it worked fine.
I've since picked up an Evo 55W (couldn't pass it up at the price) so I'm swapping the 25 for the 55.
Hello Daz, thank you very much for a very informative video. I hadn’t realised the differences between uv “soft / hard”, and as a consequence, have battled to keep my pond water as green free as I can with ponds of various shapes and sizes. I wonder if you could offer some advice. My pond is one of those wooden (similar to log cabin construction) 6feet x 6feet, and about 32 inches deep. It is fed by an above ground filter / uv combination, and is fed by a 1400 l/h pump. I felt the uv treatment was being overwhelmed by to much flow, hence I put in an additional valve and pipework to “waste “ flow back to the pond, and was able to reduce / regulate flow to the uv and filter, without putting any unnecessary back pressure on my pump. This has helped very much, but the water doesn’t totally clear. I don’t really want to throttle the flow to uv / filter too much for fear of burning out the uv (8 watts) lamp. Your help ‘ suggestions would be very much appreciated. Best regards, Geoff.
Hi Geoff, its hard to say for sure without seeing it all but 8 watts is probably a little small for your volume. I have 1000 gallons and a cheap 36w UV wasn't enough so I had to increase it to a 55w. Its in full sun with a relatively large window.
Your flow also sounds very small but it is really dependent on the filter and what the manufacturer recommends as the optimum flow. Higher flow makes your mechanical filtration less efficient at collecting waste but it is counteracted by the fact that you will pull more waste in to the filter in the first place and more often. UV units also have an optimum flowrate. The more times the green cells pass through the UV light source the more they will floculate and the bigger they will get making them easier for your mechanical filtration to catch them.
See if you can find out what flow your filter manufacturer recommends or if not, have a look for a similar unit and see what they recommend for that one.
Without seeing it my gut feeling is that your flow is too low
Great vid Daz
Thanks mate, much appreciated 👍👍🍻
Had to wacht it 3 times to try to fully retain it.. and although I understand it, there is no way I could explain it 😂 nice video as always.
Thanks Lau 😁😁
You and everyone else. LOL
Hey Daz, have you heard of Dr Novak? Something some old time koi keepers have used for years is anoxic filtration. You describe parts of it in the bakki shower video but old timers use bags or buckets of lava rock allowing the water to flow around not forced through. Might be a suggestion for another video. Seems like you would be the type of man that would dig into it.
Hi mate, I have heard of it yes, but I dont know much about it. I remember a while back reading Syd Mitchell's thoughts on it and it sounded good. I think from memory it was a bit complicated and I do like to try and keep it simple if possible. I'll have another read up though, its definitely interesting stuff 🍺🍺🍺
Very useful and interesting, thanks.
Thanks very much, I appreciate that 🍻🍻👍🍻🍻
Great video again been using barley straw for years that’s a new one on me
Hi Terence, yes same here. Apparently its classed as a biocide so some 'clever' people have decided we can't be trusted with it 😁
Do you find it works well? I’ve just ordered some waiting for it to come. I have a very small goldfish pond and the green water is driving me insane! My water is normally so clear too, I don’t have a UV in my filter system so I’m at a loss as to what to do, I’d rather have blanket weed than this ☹️
Where’s the best place to put the bales, I was thinking in the waterfall ?
Hi, barley straw can work well in smaller fish ponds. The trouble is you need to keep replacing it every few months. The best solution is a UV if you can fit one in somewhere. You need to put it somewhere where it is fully submerged all the time 👍👍
@@DazzleKoi ok I’ll keep my fingers crossed, thanks so much for answering, enjoy your videos very much
No problem, good luck 👍👍
I’m just building my first koi pond while watching your videos for support. Your very informative and your knowledge is second to non it really is.
Can I just ask a quick question just to clear something up. My father in law to be used to breed goldfish years ago and is adamant that a bog filter is all I need for filtration. Can you advise on this please.
Cheers Ade
Hi Adrian, no unfortunately you cant filter a koi pond with a bog alone. Koi are a completely different ball game than goldfish. They produce enormous amounts of waste compared to most other fish. You need a proper koi specific filter such as an eazy pod or a nexus but there are some cheaper alternatives to but they come with downsides. A bog filter can be a useful addition in some instances but its not for using as the sole filtration.
What size is your pond going to be? Are you having a bottom drain or pump fed?
@@DazzleKoi thank you so much. That was my thoughts with the research I did but wanted to hear from the horses mouth. My pond is a P shape with a depth of 1m roughly about 10,000 liters. I could dig deeper in the main section. Do you think I would regret not doing that as I’m just at that stage now. I have got a nexus 210 second hand to try and keep cost down. I don’t think I needed one that big but it was to good a price. Yes I plan to put bottom drain and gravity feed the filter. Thank you again for taking the time to reply.
Ade
Hi Ade, the nexus 220 is ideal for that volume mate, good choice 👍
Regarding the depth, 1m is the absolute minimum you need so if you can, I would go deeper. Not too much though as you'll take the volume up and the nexus may struggle if you go to far. Maybe another foot?
Bottom drain and gravity is perfect, just be aware though that you need to get the drain in the right place. Flow and circulation are vital for keeping the pond bottom clear and flushing the waste to the drain so with an irregular shape you need to be careful to avoid dead spots.
@@DazzleKoi if I go down another foot in the main part of the pond and put the bottom drain with air pump in the middle of that. then put a waterfall type outlet on the bottom of the P. Do you think that will flow the water out of that Chanel into the drain ? Or put an outlet lower down in that back wall. I could do a drawing but not sure how to put on this reply.
Depends a lot on the size and shape. Can you send a quick pic of the shape, roughly to scale or with dimensions on, to darren-fitzgerald@sky.com?
Another great information vid mate.. Every day is a school day at your place mate!! 👍😉😉
Thanks Pal, I appreciate that 🍻👍🍻
Love the videos they are a great help! Whens the next bakki shower video?
Hi Andrew, I plan to get on to it this weekend. With a bit of luck I will get enough time to finish it but it depends on the weather and what my wife has planned for 😁
@@DazzleKoi perfect mate! My boxes were delivered last week so I'm ready ha
Nice one, I'll get my arse in gear 😁😁
Great video as usual. What dimensions are your pond? I know you've said it is just a tad under 1000 gallons. I'm thinking of building a raised pond in March, probably can't fit anything more than a 1000 gallons. Won't have the time to clean the filter daily like you do so I'm thinking of the smallest filtreau drum and then just a barrel of aerated k1. Does that sound alright to you? I know you've said this isn't your forever pond etc, but do you think you could feasibly keep koi of any size in it? If you had say max 5
Hi Ryan, dimensions from memory are approx. 2.8m x 1.8m x 1m deep and they are external sizes. If you are thinking of a drum check out the Draco minima. Its a combi so has mechanical and biological and its made for small ponds like this. Costs around £1000.
If you go with a separate drum though your idea will work great.
Stocking is always a contentious issue. I'm pushing it with 7 to be honest. I wont say you couldn't raise 5 koi to a reasonable size in this volume but its not ideal. With the right filtration and good husbandry you will be fine 👍
Thanks mate that's super helpful. I'll check the draco out. Keep up the good work with the videos
No problem 👍
Mine is 26000 gallons. I learn nothing here.
Hi Daz, love all your videos very interesting I’ve learnt a lot from you. You could find this interesting as I am running a 36w external UV-C for 10 years now with a reduced flow though it and I have never had a green pond in all that time. Because of the price of the bulbs I only replace them every 2 years. Only half the pond gets direct sunlight throughout the day. I live in Sydney Australia so you would think if anyone was going to get a green pond it would be me. My pond is over stocked with koi, having said all that I have a huge filtration system, even with large plants growing in it. I have a question for you or anyone reading this, is there a LED UV-C bulb out there?
Kind regards Mark James
Hi Mark, interesting stuff. I think the sunlight, while an important factor, is less critical than the nutrients. You'll know I didn't talk about sun on the pond. Reason is if you take away the nutrients, you don't get green water. But if you take away the sunlight, you still can. Indoor ponds go green for example.
So I think in your case you have taken away the nutrients successfully with the plants probably. Once you get that well established, natural balance it should continue to work perfectly with little or no interference from us.
Regarding LED's , I haven't even thought about that before. Off the top of my head, in theory an LED bulb can produce any wavelength of light so in theory they can definitely produce UV light. However, I feel it would be so small as to be no use for anything really. Not enough to clear a pond or give you a suntan for example.
Dazzle Koi. What's your thoughts on a good brand of uv light bulb. As I'm currently using the "Tropical Marine" Germicidal uv-c 72w inline with abother V2 16w Steriliser also . (What would you recommend people)?
Hi Simon, I'll be honest I don't know a lot about the individual bulbs or who makes the better ones. I have only ever used the Phillips/Osram long life bulbs which seem to be pretty standard. I'm not sure how many options there are to be honest, they seem to have the market cornered.
There are some slightly cheaper options on ebay but I haven't used them. Kockney koi for example sell a bulb that they call a kockney koi bulb but its obviously bought in and rebranded but I have no idea who actually makes it.
I think I would just recommend you stick to the phillips/osram ones if they do a bulb that fits your UV, they seem to be good quality from my experience.
Great vid Daz. Am I correct in thinking that the UV's are sensitive to water flow rates?
Hi George, they tend to have a max flow rating but few I've seen have an optimum rating. I think there is an element of getting excess back pressure and blowing seals and/or leaking if you try to push to much water through a small UV.
In terms of the flow and how it effects the performance, I have never been able to prove one way or the other that it makes a difference to be honest. Slower flow in theory gives a longer residence time, so the cells are under the UV longer, but a faster flow means the cells are passed through the UV more times in any given period. Swings and roundabouts I think.
Could I empty the water out and start a fresh as my bulb went before I noticed the pond is half size of the one in your video behind you and we just have a small mixture of goldfish evt
Hi David, you could do yes. You would need to make sure to treat the water for chlorine before any fish go back in though. As long as you have a good filter the green water should clear within a week of fitting a new bulb.
Hi pal any advice. Ive changed my uv, chemicals with still green water , its driving me crazy , been like this for a while, thanks
Hi mate, what size is your pond and what size and make of UV do you have?
Also, what mechanical filter do you have on there?
Daz
@@DazzleKoi hi daz a pressure premium filter 15000 from swell uk, withnan 18v bulb ive had it a few years with no problems my ponds about 3ft deep and 4ft sq, ive spent the afternoon changing 2 3rds od the water its that bad. Many thanks.
Seems strange that its been ok for so long. Have you changed your food or anything like that? That can cause issues if you are using a higher protein with lots of waste leading to high nitrates.
If I had to guess though I'd say you need a bigger UV than that. The sun is really strong at the moment and that isn't a lot. I had a 36W UV on 1000 gallons and it wasn't enough. I had to up it to a 55W to get it clear.
@@DazzleKoi thanks mate , ill get a better bulb tomorrow, ill let you know if its successful, thanks for your help pal.
Really informative video mate I’m currently really struggling with Green water, I have an Evolution Aqua 55 UV, will that be a clarifier or a steriliser, pond volume is 8000 litres I’m currently running a 10’000 EA Vari pump at 80% therefore turning the pond over roughly once every hour, filter is a BD to a Nexus 220 with two under water returns, cheers mate.
Hi Gary, the EA units are clarifiers. 55W on the volume that you have should be more than enough. How old is the bulb? You need to change the bulb every spring to maintain the performance.
@@DazzleKoi I only filled my pond last September and after reading FB posts on certain Koi Groups the majority of people commented they turn there UV off over winter so I only turned mine on last Monday so in essence the bulb as been used for 8 days, it is slowly clearing looks better again this morning, my worry was why it went green in the first over winter as hardly zero sunlight, but your comment about high nitrite levels can cause green water so I’m going to monitor that closely as well, I’ll be honest I was gifted four fish by my uncle last September as he was closing his pond down and I’ve hardly feed over winter so as of yet I’m not tested the water, by the way Daz are you based in St.Helens as your accent sounds familiar.
Hi Gary, I am mate, yes. Originally Clock Face but I'm over in Eccleston now. You around here?
Most ponds go green and suffer blanket weed in the first 12 months. Its just part of the bedding in and finding equilibrium process. I would leave the UV on all the time though. Water goes green indoors so the reduced daylight over winter wont stop it happening.
Sounds like it clearing now though. I've got the blanket weed at the moment.
@@DazzleKoi born and breed in Haydock mate, just moved to Newton 2 years ago, yeah my green water seems to be getting better every day, as you suggest I’m going to leave the UV on all year round.
Nice one, my Mums still on Gorsey Lane so not far from you at all. I'm looking for ponds local to me to start my pond profile videos as soon as lock down allows, let me know if that's something you'd be up for 👍
Great video as usual Daz,
Just a quick question, on the eazy pod the return is 3” is it ok to go from 3” to 1.1/2” for the return
Thanks.
Hi Rex, are you pump fed or gravity fed?
@@DazzleKoi I’m going to be gravity fed
Hi Rex, yes if youre gravity fed you want to connect straight in to your pump from the pod outlet so straight down to whatever size your pump inlet is and get the pump as close as you can 👍
@@DazzleKoi thanks for that, I thought it was ok to go to 1.1/2 but wanted to check first.
Ponds coming on ok but need a change in the weather to finish the block work, started to put posts in place
To take the roof that’s about all I can do due to the weather.👍
Yeah its not ideal trying to build at this time of year. Frost is your enemy. And lack of motivation in the cold if you're anything like me 😁
Great video daz have you got a way of contacting you I have a few questions
Hi mate, you can email me if you like or Facebook. Darren Fitzgerald-Ward on Facebook or I have a page under Dazzle Koi 👍👍
Hey! I love your videos and I've watched every single one of them. I had a question on UV - C ( a true uv c btw) models, the submersible ones, where you place that in your filter, it's like a light bulb and apparently it's recommended not to let it on for more than 6 hours. Any thoughts on that? Is it okay to let it on 24/7? Waiting for your reply in anticipation :D
Hi mate, I haven't personally used a submersible UV so I'm not sure why that would be. I've had a quick look at the amalgam units and I cant see anything about only having it on for 6 hours a day. I'm a bit stuck on this one to be honest. It may be wise to contact the manufacturer of the UV you have and ask them. Sorry I cant be more help 👍
@@DazzleKoi Thanks for the reply, yeah I don't see this warning in my particular unit. But there was one I was interested in on Amazon months ago, and it had this warning. I contacted the seller about it and he had no clue why. If I happen to find the answer one day, I'll make sure to post in an update on here. Looking forward to your next upload :D
Cheers mate, unless its specific to that one unit overheating or something. Let me know if you find out 👍
Superb info 👌👌
Cheers Paul 🍻🍻
Hi mate it hard to see but your walls in the pond still look black!! My pond is 2 years old and my water is spot on but the walls have all gone green and like 5mm grass across all sides and bottom. How do you keep yours clear
Thanks Martin
Hi Martyn, its normal to get a covering on the walls at various times of the year to be honest. In the first 12 months it comes and goes until everything settles down. If you can keep nitrates down that will help a lot.
Informative
Cheers Paul 👍🍻🍻👍
I don't have any UV whatsoever and my water is crystal clear. I do have quite alot of plants and rocks though
Hi mate, yes the plants will help by consuming the nitrate and phosphate that feeds the weed and algae 👍👍
I have a small pond the water cleared for a while then turned green again then i added another uv tube i hope ot will clear again 😩
Hi mate, that can happen, particularly if it is a new pond. It can take more then a year for a pond to stabilise and reach equilibrium 👍
@@DazzleKoi its now 26w of uv and i changed the system to gravity feed hope that helps
Hi mate, that sounds like you have enough UV on there. Just keep an eye on it and it should clear. If your UV is good and you have good mechanical filtration it should clear within a week 👍
@@DazzleKoi sure mate will keep u posted
@@DazzleKoi just an update i was away for a while and the pond looked much clear and all the while only 13watts of uv was running, i think trickle system is not a good choice when starting a new pond
Can you please help me with milky water
Hi mate, has it just recently gone milky or has it been that way a long time? I assume you have not added anything new or any treatments etc?
Thanks for the reply. Within the last month I've noticed that the wall's and the bottom of the pond started turning white very slightly now it's rearly noticeable with a white slimy substance coating the inside of the pond which I believe is now turning the water milky. Nothing new has been added no treatments water parameters are all spot on. I do add bicarb regularly as I use ro water as a drip in drip out. Fish seem happy still eating plenty. Also this is my first pond first attempt at keeping koi so I'm still learning
Hi mate, I must confess I'm struggling here. A bacteria bloom of some kind maybe or plant material breaking down? Do you have any water run off that can get in the pond? Any wood with wood stain on that rain could wash in to the pond?
I put shade cloth over my pond
Hi mate, I have put one over my pond now to. Good for hiding your pond from herons too 👍👍
i love this video but i got to say the beautiful pond looks like its in front of a prison?
haha, youre not wrong. Its a sports feild behind so they have a big fence and the posts are for nets to stop balls coming over. What looks like barbed wire is actually string lights.
If you watch one of my later videos I have bamboo screen over the fence now and it looks a lot better. That was when I hadn't finished building it.
Did you ever consider rehearsing what you're going to say, or maybe even writing out a simple script? That would make it much better for your viewers instead of having to waste time while you hemm and haw around trying to find the right way to say something, or remember some key fact. Why even do a video if.... never mind. smh
Aww mate, I wasted my time reading your comment, while you hemm'd and haw'd around trying to find the right way to say what you wanted to say and then it just fizzled out to a 'never mind'!! Have you ever considered rehearsing what you are going to write first?
Daz ignore this comment, you are an easy listening, I love watching your videos. Plz plz don’t change anything!!!