The quality of Living water is determined by the health of the microorganisms in a dynamic equilibrium with the filter system. The stability of the pond, chemically and physically, determines the health of these microorganisms. Water stability is an end product of planning and proper filter design. Water stability takes time and patience. It requires staying within limits. Maintaining stability requires a filter system that can be cleaned without disrupting the koi pond.
Water stability is the prerequisite to balance. Stable water conditions promote good water quality. Stable pond conditions determine how long it will take for Mother Nature to reach a state of dynamic equilibrium. The microorganisms, plankton, algae and plants and koi fish depend on a stable water chemistry in order to function properly without constant disruption.
Most organisms in the pond are quite capable of functioning outside of perfect preconceived notions. What they are not good at is change. Endless change within the water affects all organisms negatively, not just the fish. The fish depend on these multitude of organisms to condition the water. Constant change within the pond chemistry and environment creates antagonism. The good bugs are out of balance with the bad bugs. The fish are usually the ones to pay for this antagonistic environment. A proper multiple chamber filter will encourage and support water quality and stability.
When you install a prefilter ahead of the biofilter you just made a quantum leap in achieving stable Living Water Quality. A good prefilter prevents solids from reaching the pump and biofilter. Now you can clean the prefilter without disturbing the biofilter bacteria. The biofilter bacteria are very slow growing and are easily lost in vigorous frequent cleaning.
A good filter system would require weekly cleaning of a prefilter and cleaning the biofilter once or twice a year! This is the difference between filtration and water purification. This is a very important concept to understand. Filtration is the removal of solids from the water. Purification is the conditioning of the water by the action of bacteria, microorganisms, algae and plants.
As the water flows through the biofilter it is in contact with large numbers of bacteria. These bacteria not only consume ammonia and nitrite but recycle all the other dissolved organic and inorganic wastes like phosphates and carbon based molecules and left over small solids which past through the prefilter. These bacteria grow on and in between the media, layer upon layer in a bacterial matrix that becomes a little universe all it’s own.
This stable population of bugs requires good oxygen flow and stable conditions to flourish. These bugs may take 6 months to a year or more to fully establish. Frequent “disruptive cleaning” of the filter media washes away stable colonies of bacteria. Large filters will bounce back more easily than small ones. Ponds in very cold climates will rely on many aquatic plants for biofiltration since the bacteria often freeze in the winter and a biofilter is restarted every year.
Some of the bacteria in the biofilter and gravel bottoms consume high quantities of phosphorous. In fact, given stable conditions, some of these phosphate eating bacteria can actually grow faster than algae. They are capable of digesting enough phosphate that the algae just starves. This is how a pond clears itself of green water or hair algae when the system is given time and stability.
Frequent “disruptive cleaning” of the Biofilter or gravel bottom is antagonistic to stability. This is one reason why ponds go green after a vigorous filter cleaning. Improper filtration is also the reason ponds need big U/V sterilizers. A proper filter size and design greatly reduces the need for a U/V.
Source:
http://www.lagunakoi.com/Multi-Chamber-Filtration-Library-sc-360.html
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