• Amused
  • Angry
  • Annoyed
  • Awesome
  • Bemused
  • Cocky
  • Cool
  • Crazy
  • Crying
  • Depressed
  • Down
  • Drunk
  • Embarrased
  • Enraged
  • Friendly
  • Geeky
  • Godly
  • Happy
  • Hateful
  • Hungry
  • Innocent
  • Meh
  • Piratey
  • Poorly
  • Sad
  • Secret
  • Shy
  • Sneaky
  • Tired
  • Results 1 to 13 of 13

    Thread: Ultima 2000 something wrong need help identifying issue

    1. #1
      foothill999 is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Mar 2017
      Location
      Merced, CA
      Posts
      124

      Ultima 2000 something wrong need help identifying issue

      Going to try to list what i know and hope someone has a good idea whats wrong.
      Background
      1500 gallon pond
      2 bottom drains going to ultima 2000
      1 large savio skimmer going to same filter.
      Slightly Overstocked pond but water quality always good for 2 years now except string algree going on 1 year
      Recent noticable changes are a huge growth in tiny black snails, and a spawn 2 weeks ago. Water quality was back in check within 1 week and all seemed well.
      No noticable water pressure differance when pond is running

      Problem
      When to backwash the ultima 2000 and it just didn't sound the same, as soon as i flipped the power off you can hear water rushing into the filter and then when i turn value to backflush i can barely hear the media inside turning ( and the water ussally twirls in the sight glass but now just looks almost still during back flush) and the water coming out was like regular pond water and not the nasty water i always get without fail every week. The backflush pressure of discharge water is also much slower then normal. Any ideas what is the issue?

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    2. #2
      ricshaw is offline Senior Member
      is who misses his Koi.
       
      Feeling:
      Bemused
       
      Join Date
      Jan 2016
      Location
      Southern California
      Posts
      2,085
      Ultima filter clogged with dead snail shells?

    3. #3
      jrlaubin's Avatar
      jrlaubin is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2011
      Location
      northern California
      Posts
      1,133
      if you have a shop vac that has a blower setting for the tube, you can place the ultima in backwash mode,( turn off pump) remove the while inlet fitting. Let the shop vac bow into the input for one minute..junk should sputter ou the discharge tube.
      now refit the white input fitting, turn on the pump

    4. #4
      stephen's Avatar
      stephen is offline Koiphen Member
      WWKC Lifetime Charter Diamond Member #2
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2004
      Location
      Koiphenville
      Posts
      32,139

      All Above is great Advice!

      Sounds like some serious channeling for sure. In addition to the above, 1st I would take the top off the filter, take an ax, broom, shovel handle,etc and stir the crap out of it. You may need to backwash several times. Back wash and you should should see some filthy water in the viewing glass.

      Then do the blower thing like jrlaubin suggested and backwash/blow continuously until water is clear in viewing glass. It may take several times.

      Consider attaching a decent blower to your filter and maybe backwash more frequently.

      Good Luck!

    5. #5
      pondfishguy is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2018
      Location
      Los Angeles
      Posts
      398
      I had one that I thought was operating fine for over a year. When I took it out of service and opened it up, the plastic media was just one solid clump of sticky fish waste. If your pump is not strong enough it does not fully fluidize the media during backwash and create the "cyclonic" action that it is supposed to. I second the blower approach, even on a permanent basis (tee in with a valve).

    6. #6
      foothill999 is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Mar 2017
      Location
      Merced, CA
      Posts
      124

      Thanks guys

      Quote Originally Posted by pondfishguy View Post
      I had one that I thought was operating fine for over a year. When I took it out of service and opened it up, the plastic media was just one solid clump of sticky fish waste. If your pump is not strong enough it does not fully fluidize the media during backwash and create the "cyclonic" action that it is supposed to. I second the blower approach, even on a permanent basis (tee in with a valve).
      Thanks guys my pond guy installed the pipes to the ultima with fixed fitting so i can get the head off without cutting all pipes. I am not very handy so will have to wait until tuesday to have my handyman come and cut pipes and fit cupplers on there. Then i think i can remove the head and have a look. The koi during their spawn knocked over a couple of the plants which had a bunch of plant media in it. A bunch of that made it to bottom drains which then went to pump and i know some got through motor pump basket becouse i found it under the basket. I think if i am correct its very likley the lateral got clogged. My motor is veryyyy strong i think a 6000 gph pump and ussally it backwasher is fury. Now it gurgles out more slowly. Once i get the head off i will try the shop vac technique. Will that help if laterals are clogged?
      Attached Images Attached Images  
      Last edited by foothill999; 05-19-2019 at 12:19 AM.

    7. #7
      pondfishguy is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2018
      Location
      Los Angeles
      Posts
      398
      Since you mention low flow and the possibility of debris, I would put the the 6 way valve into the "waste out" position which will completely bypass the filter and check to see that you have full flow, to be sure there isn't debris/pluggage in the pump housing/impeller.

    8. #8
      Russell Peters's Avatar
      Russell Peters is offline Supporting Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2007
      Location
      Thorntown, IN
      Posts
      24,730
      It could also be the spider gasket inside the head of the unit.
      people like to vehemently defend their purchases and find it incredulous that anything could be better

    9. #9
      foothill999 is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Mar 2017
      Location
      Merced, CA
      Posts
      124

      Results

      Quote Originally Posted by pondfishguy View Post
      Since you mention low flow and the possibility of debris, I would put the the 6 way valve into the "waste out" position which will completely bypass the filter and check to see that you have full flow, to be sure there isn't debris/pluggage in the pump housing/impeller.

      I reached my hand in there and can fewl the impeller and nothing that i can feel. I went and tried backflush again and when its on waste it has more pressure from disharge pipe
      And water is visable at lop of pump motor basket view. When i turn to backflush it is slower from discharge and in the pump view area water notiables drops to about an inch below the lop which i dont recall it ever doing.

    10. #10
      foothill999 is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Mar 2017
      Location
      Merced, CA
      Posts
      124
      Quote Originally Posted by Russell Peters View Post
      It could also be the spider gasket inside the head of the unit.

      What would sysmptoms be of this?

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    11. #11
      foothill999 is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Mar 2017
      Location
      Merced, CA
      Posts
      124
      Update: finally was able to get inside the filter, had to get new unions since the builder glued everything on we unscrewed the top and lifted it off and as i suspected the laterals appeared to be 100 percent blocked mostly with aquaplant media (formely spilled in pond) , the white looking basket wasnt too bad. Ultima 2000 Filter is mostly buried so i left that in place added pond water, stirred media, vacuum dirty water, repeat. Cleaned all laterals put it all back together. I know having clogged laterals is no good but can anyone explain what that would actually effect.... has my filter not been working all this time? We have been having mass amounts of green string algee and wishful thinking but hoping this small fix will help control that.

    12. #12
      sandthemall's Avatar
      sandthemall is offline Supporting Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2012
      Location
      La Crescenta, CA
      Posts
      745
      Ultima media is very light and slightly negative bouyant (you will probably not need a blower to clean it out). First things first: Find out where the problem is in a systematic way. 1)Getting inside the Ultima is easy. Have a look and see what's going on inside. Clean out anything that needs cleaning. Do this with with water still in the Ultima. Keep an air stone going if you're going to be working on it for more than an hour. This will keep the bacteria alive. Once cleaned and if the problem persists, then maybe something is clogged in front of the Ultima. 2) So check the entire inlet side from the pump to the drain and skimmer. 3) Check the outlet side etc...etc...etc.. You will find something.

    13. #13
      q2005's Avatar
      q2005 is offline Supporting Member
      is Japan Koi Buying 2023 LIVE
      STREAM
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Feb 2005
      Location
      West Sacramento CA
      Posts
      27

      More then Likely.....

      remove the lateral assembly from inside the filter tank. More then likely the check valve inside your lateral assembly is stuck ( Open position) which does not activate the backwashing jets. Solution is to purchase a new lateral and baskwashing will be good as new. Good luck



      Quote Originally Posted by sandthemall View Post
      Ultima media is very light and slightly negative bouyant (you will probably not need a blower to clean it out). First things first: Find out where the problem is in a systematic way. 1)Getting inside the Ultima is easy. Have a look and see what's going on inside. Clean out anything that needs cleaning. Do this with with water still in the Ultima. Keep an air stone going if you're going to be working on it for more than an hour. This will keep the bacteria alive. Once cleaned and if the problem persists, then maybe something is clogged in front of the Ultima. 2) So check the entire inlet side from the pump to the drain and skimmer. 3) Check the outlet side etc...etc...etc.. You will find something.

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •