Pond heating in winter

Posted on December 12, 2011 by esearing

I saw someone was offering a ThermaKoi pond heater for $700 on craigslist the otherday and it got me to researching more about pond heaters and other options. According to Peter Waddington at KoiKichi.com today’s Koi are not four season fish and will suffer if water is too cold. Peter’s minimum water temperature recommendation is 50* though some studies have shown Koi can survive down to 38*, but I don’t really want to test that .

So the question becomes do I shell out $700 which is more than I paid for my fish, or do I find alternatives. I already explored the Solar option which for our usual cloudy winter days would not keep water temps stable. Then I got to thinking about geothermal properties of the earth. After digging through a few hundred websites about ground temperatures I finally found some sites tracking shallow ground temperatures in my area. For your purposes it can be assumed that the ground temperature at 30 feet is the same as your yearly average temperature. variance from that value at 2-5 feet depth can be as much as +/- 15*. In my area in early December, ground temperature is 50-57* at a mere 4″, 54.2 average at 8″, so just my normal 4″ depth buried pipe is adding to temperature stability. Once my pond temperature drops below 50*, I will by pass the filters and waterfall which will reduce air exposure and heat loss.

But as an enhancement I am thinking of digging a 2 foot deep trench and burying a PVC loop so I can get longer runs at slightly warmer temps than surface temperature and hopefully stay above 50* and keep my pumps running. Rain and snow may impact the ground temperature so I should not run pumps during those times. I imagine the rubber liner is also absorbing heat from the ground below it so the bottom temperature is a few degrees warmer than the surface temperature.

Aside from heating the water in winter I can also use it for cooling in the summer. The May-Sept average temperature is around 75-77* which is much cooler than the air temperature.

Heat containment is another issue I am researching. Something along the lines of a plastic tent/lid over the pond to reduce heat loss due to wind and air exposure. Not sure how the Home Owners Assoc. will respond to that so it will have to look nice too.

In the meantime I have reduced the flow through the filter and over the falls, as well as moved the air diffuser higher up in the water so it isn’t moving as much warm water from bottom to top. Checking temperature a few times daily to make sure it is not swinging to widely.

IF anyone reading this has tried this, please let me know your results by commenting here or use my contact form at top of the site.

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Sleepless nights dreaming of my next pond

Posted on December 8, 2011 by esearing

It must be the tinkerer in me that keeps me awake at night planning the future pond. I think building the pond is more fun than actually managing the existing pond. So here is my next perfect pond to be built some time in the future when time, money, and energy allow.

Size – fits into 10×20 rectangle
Shape – kidney-ish – or oval but not rectangular.
Depth – 5 feet, mostly in ground
Gallons – 5000 to 6000 gallons
Structure
– Concrete/shotcrete with steep sides and sloped bottom to 2-3 bottom drains, no shelves
– flat and raised rock ledges at top large enough you need an excavator to move.
– small waterfall or possibly Japanese garden style falls between two large rocks to small upper veggie filter
Flush-able Filter system – gravity flow from bottom drains to horizontal flow chamber (endless river concept), 1 or 2 fish safe skimmers
Pumps – external, one for each bottom drain and one for skimmer circuit, 1200-1500 GPH
mid water returns with jets that can be aimed any direction
aeration for filters and pond bottom.
UV on each circuit returning to the pond

And of course 20 perfect Koi to go in it.

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November Pond Conditions Calendar

11/09/2011
Water temp 60*, Air temp 45-70*, PH 8.2
Water change 5% was clear. UV is preventing blooming algae but black algae is growing on the rocks.
The netting is keeping most of the leaves out of the pond but I still am checking the leaf basket daily for other debris.

EXPENSES
Water bill $22.
autumn-prep bacteria – $40
de-clorinator – $18

11/12/2011
Water temp 50-55*,Air temp 38-65*, PH 8.1
Filter clean out still showing some dirt/dead algae being captured. Hyacinth are still green.
Ceased feeding fish. Algae still growing on sides and rocks, but UV is killing green water algae.

11/19/2011
Water temp 50*, air temp 38-55*, ph 8.8
PH is spiking likely due to fallen leaves in the veggie filter. Will clean it out tomorrow.

11/24/2011
Water temp 55-58*, air temp 45-68*, PH 8.2
PH has returned to normal since removing leaves. Added 1/2 dose of algaefix to reduce some of the string algae. Fish seem to be healthy. The Sanke (Rudolf) has developed more orange tones behind his eyes and below the lateral line. He may be stressed or just showing off some winter color.

11/29/2011
Water temp 50*, air temp 35*
Sudden shift from warm(65+) to cold air temperatures (32+) but the fish do not seem to mind. Heavy rain helped with water changes this week. Leaves have mostly fallen off the bradford pear trees so I don’t have to fight them as much. Not much debris in the leaf basket.

Posted on November 25, 2011 by esearing | Comments Off on November Pond Conditions Calendar

Plumbing failure – Winter clean out

Posted on November 22, 2011 by esearing

It pays to check your plumbing circuits every now and then to make sure they can stand alone if necessary. Yesterday while cleaning the pond I turned off the line to the bio-filter and let the jets continue to circulate. There was one joint not glued well or possibly not at all and it could not handle the pressure and came apart. Fortunately this happened when I had time to deal with it on a relatively warm day. Had this happened on a freezing day I am not sure what I would have done. Replaced about $6 in parts to make it all work again.

In addition to my normal weekly cleaning process I removed about 1/2 the hyacinth and cleaned out the veggie filter, removing a bunch of leaves and sludge. It behaves as a settlement chamber. I guess the hyacinth and surrounding trees were adding to the debris but the fine tangle of roots and plants kept it in the veggie filter. I should probably muck vac it out once in a while.

I am currently studying traditional Japanese joinery in preparation for building my fence around the pond and a faux well box to hide the bio-filter. More to come on that later.

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My pond diagram – updated

Posted on November 20, 2011 by esearing

Here is the latest diagram of my pond with new pipe layouts and UV added. Also updated valve locations and dimensions. The 3 way valve near the skimmer is usually open to both the skimmer and bottom drain in normal operations. I can close the skimmer while feeding. The 3 way valve after the pump is usually closed to waste during normal operation but is closed to the pump when cleaning the bio filter. If a large water change is needed I can pump to waste. The UV Sterilizer valves are usually open while the main pipe is closed. The UV circuit can be shut off so I can remove for maintenance or storage. The veggie filter also has a drain line not pictured.

NOTE: This is not an ideal KOI pond. This is what I built with my budget constraints. If looking for how-to do it right try koikichi.com.

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Water Hyacinth – Pros and Cons

Posted on November 17, 2011 by esearing

Adding a veggie filter after your bio filter is a good way to use up any remaining nitrates/nitrites in the pond system. Many of us turn to species that grow quickly and absorb any nutrients so that algae has less nutrients to feed on. Water Hyacinth is usually a common choice because it is cheap and reproduces easily. In southern states it is even somewhat winter hardy as long as there are few days below 20* which allows for year round de-nitrification.

Water hyacinth is a member of the pickerelweed family and survives in sun and shade. The plants vary in size from a few inches to over a 3 feet in height. The plant has glossy green, leathery leaf blades attached to petioles that are often soft and inflated. Fibrous roots dangle in the water from the underside of the plant. Hyacinth does flower mid to late summer with bluish-purple petals. Its fruit is a three-celled capsule containing many seeds.

Water hyacinth grows into intertwined mats which may block submerged plants and other floating-leaved plants. Oxygen is reduced below the plant mats and the dense floating mats can impede water flow and create breeding conditions for mosquitoes. Water hyacinths have become an environmental problem and caused economic concerns in southern US climates. It should never be deliberately discarded to lakes, rivers, streams, or drainage ditches. Control and removal from open bodies of water has proved difficult.

Water hyacinth is thought to be unable to survive in temperatures below 20 degrees F.The green leaves may die at temps as high as 32*, but the roots will store enough energy to survive. Longterm exposure to sub freezing temperature has a detrimental impact to its ability to reproduce. Eventually a species may evolve that could be hardy in cold temperatures. In summer months the plant can double in size every 7-14 days.

Excessive plants can be removed manually from the veggie filter and placed in the Koi pond. The fish will eat the roots and shred the leaves leaving little of the original plant behind. The fibrous roots and shredded leaves can clog leaf baskets and cause problems with pump impellers so the pump may require daily inspection or cleaning. The shredded leaves can also help with small leaks as they tend to find and clog the holes.

Excessive plants may also redirect water in the veggie filter such that it finds new avenues to escape in directions other than directly to the pond. The thick mat may also cover problems in the veggie filter that need to be addressed like decaying leaves on the bottom. Pond owners should reduce the plants and inspect conditions of the overall pond system. Disposal should include composting and/or feeding to fish. If you wish to use hyacinth in combination with other water plants you will need to contain it and remove larger plants as they grow.

UPDATE: My hyacinth started turning yellow and brown in Dec as soon as some nights hit the high 30’s, so I removed it on the 10th.

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Mechanical Pre-filters for Ponds

Posted on November 13, 2011 by esearing

In the never ending quest to find the perfect filtration system I have stumbled upon some interesting designs. Most are undersized for a big pond despite their designers claims. Or they are fitted for 1″ hoses which is silly for a filter designed for a 4000 gallon pond. However there are a couple that look like they were well thought out and could at least have a chance at achieving good mechanical filtration.

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A slightly smaller variation of this concept is the TurboVortex pre-filter by FluidArt which suctions water into the base of the unit capturing large solids though settlement onto a settling plate. The smaller lighter weight solids will float up and be trapped in a layer of bio-balls before passing on to the pump strainer basket or the filter. Backwash is achieved by reversing the flow.

The advantage to both of these systems is that the solids are removed before they reach the pump, prolonging pump life, and reduction of particles before they reach a UV sterilizer or biological filter, which can improve performance. There are also larger variations of leaf catchers but they will not filter out the smaller solids.

Pre-filters need to be back washed/cleaned regularly so the debris does not breakdown. These systems have lots of valves for switching water flow direction to achieve this. Little water is required for back washing compared to dumping water from a large bio filter or back washing a packed bead filter. Pre-filters are designed as mechanical filters and should not be relied on for bio filtration.

SIMILAR:
Vortek-SS Prefilters
GC-Tek Aqua Sieve – More of a large leaf basket.

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Inline solar water heater

Posted on November 10, 2011 by esearing

For colder climates it is likely necessary to heat your pond to keep the water temp above 34* which is where fish begin to die.

I came across this pool Solar Heater and thought it may even work for a pond. You can use more than one in series. The heaters need to be placed after your filter so debris does not build up inside the tubing.

You may even be able to create a diy version since it is little more than black tubing in an enclosed clear dome. You might be able to also use it as a heat exchanger with water circulating slowly through it in a closed loop. If you have ever left your garden hose on the lawn on a sunny day you know how warm the water inside can get. You could also create a heating circuit by adding a timer to a pump that only works during the day, or use a low powered solar fountain pump and circulate water through the heater when the sun is shining (at no additional costs).

The only thing that would make it not work is if your water flow is too fast to aborb the heat as it flows through the solar collector. Also, those nasty icy or snowy days are not likely to be very sunny. So it would be more of a method to use to reduce need of an electric heater, not necessarily as a replacement.

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Waterco Multicyclone taken apart for cleaning

Posted on November 2, 2011 by esearing

A couple of weeks ago I disassembled the Waterco Multicyclone 50 for a good cleaning. I removed the clear bottom portion easily, but then had to undo the 15+ nuts and bolts that hold together the top grey sections. I marked the sides of the unit in 3 places to make sure I could reassemble it. The inside was fairly clean but a couple of the vortex cones were clogged with bradford pear fruit stems. A good blast of water from the hose was all it really needed. Possibly, you could merely unscrew the top union and spray a strong jet of water down into the unit and probably have similar results.
Reassembly was a bit tricky because the o-rings that make it water tight tend to slip out of their slots. Below is a picture of the unit for those who may not be willing to disassemble their own.

Here is a schematic of all the parts. You can find a description of the parts Here

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Pond UV – Jebao CW-55

Posted on October 29, 2011 by esearing

I finally got around to purchasing a UV sterilizer despite the fact that the cooler weather has been effective in fighting algae. I had the opportunity recently to purchase a 120 watt UV sterilizer at near half price of $700, but figured I could buy alot of algaefix for that amount. I was surfing ebay the other day and found a Chinese brand UV sterilizer with 55watts for $79 + 20 shipping. So I modified my plan and added it to my box filter line which has about a 2000 gallon per hour flow. Not all my pond water will flow through it but the volume is close to full pond turnover per hour. 55watts at 2000 gph gives me 36 watts per gallon which should suffice for algae killing. I may not use the UV during the winter, but I have turned it on for now and hope to see a change in clarity since algae keeps sneaking back in due to the amount of warmth and sunshine here in the southern USA.

Plumbing
I installed two 2×1.5 Ts on the main line to the filter box. from the 1.5 side I added a single union ball valve which connects via female threaded adapter to the UV. I have a valve going in and coming out in-case I need to remove the UV for maintenance I can shut off the flow through the Tees. Between the Tees I added another ball valve so I can control flow through the main pipe and force some of the water through the UV.
The UV is only 1.5 inch piping so I could not direct all the flow through it without reducing overall flow to my filter.

Costs:
UV Sterilizer – $99
plumbing parts – $35 – the union ball valves were about $9 each.
time- 2 hours disassembling reassembling

Jebao CW-55
This is not a strong sturdy piece of equipment. The plastic housing is rather thin and I will need to be careful not to step on it. I thought about mounting it on a board for additional stability but the ground is level where it sits. It should work like other UVs though, and for 1/5th the price of other 55Watt UVs I can replace it if it breaks. Bulbs are readily available when I need to replace it. I would recommend it to anyone on a tight budget. Standard US female threaded PVC adapters seem to fit this unit if you don’t want to use the barbed fittings that come with it.

Changing Bulbs
This is a bit of a challenge. Mine did not want to open. IF you press in the button on the side then twist counter clockwise about 1/12th rotation, it should come apart. There is a catch that locks it horizontally. Then you have to remove the threaded cylinder that holds the outer glass tube. Once the glass tube is removed the bulb merely unplugs. Be gentle so you don’t break the glass tube but forceful enough to remove it.

UPDATES:
After 12 hours of running I can see the bottom again. Still not perfectly clear but better than yesterday.
After 3 days the water is very clear but still has a green tinge.
After 1 week of running no more green colored water at all. It was so easy to clean the mats in my bio filter. No real dead algae debris either.
4 Months later, The unit has worked well but the uv bulb has burned out, possibly due to ice or condensation on extremely cold day. Replacement bulb $28.

AFTER 3 Years of service the housing developed a leak at one of the seams where another piece of plastic is welded on. the weld was a thin are in the housing so I assume the water pressure overtime broke through the slit. The quarter inch slit was losing 200 gallons per day. Time to buy another.

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