• 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
  • Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
    Results 1 to 20 of 59

    Thread: Lava Rock or porcelain bacteria house

    1. #1
      Elsonkoi is offline Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Sep 2020
      Location
      Onatrio
      Posts
      45

      Lava Rock or porcelain bacteria house

      Ok. here is my filter setup below:

      I have 6000 gallon pond, with BD to Drum filter. with two 500 Gallon moving bed compartments after drum. the water then pumped to a small wetland (50CMx4meters) and flow back to pond. Turnover rate is 1.5 time/hour.

      i have around 25 Nisai in the pond. feeding 500 Grams per day, 100 grams each feeding, total 5 times a day.

      i am thinking to add a 1.2m long three levels bakki shower after moving bed. note.i currently have two pumps, water all pumped to wetland. Now i want one pump goes to Bakki and one goes to wetland.

      i m researching on what media should i put in my bakki based on my setup.

      i do hear many people complain about debris and slime accumulating on the surface of lava rock and over time lava stone lost its effective areas for beneficial bacteria. plus it is pain in *** to clean it. but i have drum as mechanic filter, so debris and mucks does not accumulate on lave rock. my biggest concern is algae, because drum does not filter out these tiny algae. and they will all end up in the lava pores?


      Elson

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

         

    2. #2
      kevins2ooo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2019
      Location
      Sacramento
      Posts
      406
      That's funny you asked this question...I just picked up a big feather rock this morning as my 4,500 gph shower media. I have heard only good experience from people using feather rocks. They are light but more porous than lava rock etc...and cheap. I got my 50lb for only $24, after CA taxes.

    3. #3
      kevins2ooo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2019
      Location
      Sacramento
      Posts
      406
      Here is $24 worth of feather rocks...
      Attached Images Attached Images   

    4. #4
      KTownKoinut is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Oct 2020
      Location
      Kelowna, BC, Canada
      Posts
      258
      I'm taking the advice of some that are sick of dealing with the probs created by lava.......I'm going with just the plants, and letting the roots do the work. Then my 8' dia., bog area can be cleaned out with diverting the pumps through 3 way valves, and hit'n the roots with two TPR jets and about 8,000 gph of water. They'll get tossed into a votex motion for a bit, then I can let the mess settle into the bottom, and flush the mess down a 4" bottom drain.
      Here's hoping it all works now!!!!

    5. #5
      Elsonkoi is offline Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Sep 2020
      Location
      Onatrio
      Posts
      45
      Quote Originally Posted by kevins2ooo View Post
      Here is $24 worth of feather rocks...
      very interesting Kevin, the feather rock i found online look like this. but yours looks darker than the one i find. not sure if they are same.
      Name:  feather.png
Views: 357
Size:  468.1 KB

    6. #6
      batman is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Oct 2013
      Location
      Gotham
      Posts
      1,420
      Any trickle tower/shower media has the potential to build up if the conditions permit. More an issue of pre-filtration,filter design and flow rates. Lava rock is still the most widely used material due to performance, cost and availability. A properly designed shower needs little to no maintence even with lava rock.

      In my area feather rock is difficult to find. Just like lava rock it's a natural product that varies greatly in colors, density and porosity. If buying bulk it is a PIA to cut or break into shower sized pieces.
      Last edited by batman; 02-21-2021 at 07:33 AM.
      The real Batman wears polyester! Don't be fooled by the plastic imposter.

    7. #7
      BMBP's Avatar
      BMBP is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Feb 2008
      Location
      Denver
      Posts
      187
      You are lucky to have a cheap source for Feather Rock! It costs an arm and a leg in Denver if you can even find it!

    8. #8
      coolwon is offline Senior Member
      is Garfield is my name DIY is my
      game
       
      Feeling:
      Cool
       
      Join Date
      Feb 2016
      Location
      Durban South Africa
      Posts
      3,739
      What would the boulder on the back seat weigh ?
      Last edited by coolwon; 02-21-2021 at 01:13 PM.
      Find more about Weather in Durban, ZA

    9. #9
      One Poet's Garden's Avatar
      One Poet's Garden is offline Senior Member
      is Digging. And then digging some
      more!
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Aug 2017
      Location
      Just outside the beltway
      Posts
      436
      Quote Originally Posted by Elsonkoi View Post
      i do hear many people complain about debris and slime accumulating on the surface of lava rock and over time lava stone lost its effective areas for beneficial bacteria. plus it is pain in *** to clean it.

      Elson
      Elson,

      Others here have far more knowledge and experience than I do, and they likely have better solutions. But after having huge trouble with cleaning lava rock, I did come up with a slightly better way. I had a bunch of deer netting lying around. It's like plastic string woven into a net with 3/4" holes. I cut it into large squares, and line a one gallon garden pot with it. Then I fill the pot with lava rock, and zip tie the net into a bag. This gives me gallon size bags of lava rock, which I can then put into a filter. Cleaning becomes a snap: I can pull the bags out one at a time, and rinse them off before returning them to the filter. Or I can pull them all out, clean the filter itself, and place them back in.

      Doing this actually solved a huge problem for me, as I found the cost of alternatives to lava rock prohibitive, and if I just dumped the lava rock into the filter it was such a hassle to clean I'd let it go far too long. Since I started making these small bags, cleaning has become much easier, so I'm more likely to do it. I'm certain there are much better ways, but this one has been working for me.

      Thanks,

      Bill

    10. #10
      icu2's Avatar
      icu2 is offline Administrator ~ WWKC President
      ~ WWKC Treasurer
      is sorry otters exist
       
      Feeling:
      Annoyed
       
      Join Date
      Feb 2007
      Location
      Poulsbo, WA
      Posts
      32,942
      There's a variety of rock quarries label as "feather rock" which just adds to the confusion. The stuff that many use is what's shown in
      post #3. It has a sharp texture that will cut your hands. Post #5 looks more like pumice. Both are light weight but #5 doesn't have
      the pores like #3 has.
      But like batman said, lava rock would work as well, it just weighs more. It doesn't get any more dirty than feather rock if the water
      is well filtered before pumping it over the shower. My media (feather rock) is pre filtered by a drum filter and I haven't cleaned
      the media in this shower in 14 years...

      Name:  Shower level 2 5.30.17 resized.jpg
Views: 366
Size:  208.7 KB
      --Steve



      Koiphen 2021 Koi Person of the Year!

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

         

    11. #11
      Elsonkoi is offline Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Sep 2020
      Location
      Onatrio
      Posts
      45
      Quote Originally Posted by batman View Post
      Any trickle tower/shower media has the potential to build up if the conditions permit. More an issue of pre-filtration,filter design and flow rates. Lava rock is still the most widely used material due to performance, cost and availability. A properly designed shower needs little to no maintence even with lava rock.

      In my area feather rock is difficult to find. Just like lava rock it's a natural product that varies greatly in colors, density and porosity. If buying bulk it is a PIA to cut or break into shower sized pieces.
      Batman

      shower sized pieces, what size are you talking about here specifically?

    12. #12
      Elsonkoi is offline Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Sep 2020
      Location
      Onatrio
      Posts
      45
      Quote Originally Posted by icu2 View Post
      There's a variety of rock quarries label as "feather rock" which just adds to the confusion. The stuff that many use is what's shown in
      post #3. It has a sharp texture that will cut your hands. Post #5 looks more like pumice. Both are light weight but #5 doesn't have
      the pores like #3 has.
      But like batman said, lava rock would work as well, it just weighs more. It doesn't get any more dirty than feather rock if the water
      is well filtered before pumping it over the shower. My media (feather rock) is pre filtered by a drum filter and I haven't cleaned
      the media in this shower in 14 years...

      Name:  Shower level 2 5.30.17 resized.jpg
Views: 366
Size:  208.7 KB
      great steve

      thats all i want to know, glad you have it for 14 years without maintenance, i guess its the drum filter working magic here. whats the mesh size in your drum filter?

      Elson

    13. #13
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      My two issues with lava rock are its weight , and size . The largest lava rock that I’ve found available in My area is about 3/4” , and at that size , it packs too tight together, and clogs easily . Using it in a shower filter is like creating a down flow gravel filter that given time , will clog and overflow

    14. #14
      kevins2ooo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2019
      Location
      Sacramento
      Posts
      406
      Wish I read this before I removed the rock from the back seat. I did cut my hand as a result of how sharp it was.

    15. #15
      batman is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Oct 2013
      Location
      Gotham
      Posts
      1,420
      It is excellent filter material. Not only is it sharp (volcanic glass) the dust produced from processing is sharp and if it gets into your lungs can cause issues down the road. Goggles, gloves and breathing protection required.
      The real Batman wears polyester! Don't be fooled by the plastic imposter.

    16. #16
      kevins2ooo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2019
      Location
      Sacramento
      Posts
      406
      Quote Originally Posted by batman View Post
      It is excellent filter material. Not only is it sharp (volcanic glass) the dust produced from processing is sharp and if it gets into your lungs can cause issues down the road. Goggles, gloves and breathing protection required.
      Ah, that's a valid concern. Would a regular surgical mask do for protection?

    17. #17
      coolwon is offline Senior Member
      is Garfield is my name DIY is my
      game
       
      Feeling:
      Cool
       
      Join Date
      Feb 2016
      Location
      Durban South Africa
      Posts
      3,739
      Quote Originally Posted by batman View Post
      It is excellent filter material. Not only is it sharp (volcanic glass) the dust produced from processing is sharp and if it gets into your lungs can cause issues down the road. Goggles, gloves and breathing protection required.
      Set up a garden sprayer while breaking it up.

      This would help to keep everything from flying around, and into your eyes and chest.
      Find more about Weather in Durban, ZA

    18. #18
      trapper is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2019
      Location
      N. Cal.
      Posts
      451
      Quote Originally Posted by Elsonkoi View Post
      very interesting Kevin, the feather rock i found online look like this. but yours looks darker than the one i find. not sure if they are same.
      Name:  feather.png
Views: 357
Size:  468.1 KB
      What you found is perfect, ya won't have to cut it up.. I've seen FR come in different shades of grey and it'll all work fine..

    19. #19
      trapper is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2019
      Location
      N. Cal.
      Posts
      451
      Quote Originally Posted by BMBP View Post
      You are lucky to have a cheap source for Feather Rock! It costs an arm and a leg in Denver if you can even find it!
      Have you checked at the landscaping supply yards? That's where I find it here in Cali..

    20. #20
      trapper is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2019
      Location
      N. Cal.
      Posts
      451
      Quote Originally Posted by kevins2ooo View Post
      Ah, that's a valid concern. Would a regular surgical mask do for protection?
      That would work, I used my wet tile saw to cut mine up and there's no dust.. I cut mine into approx 1"x2" pieces and have a pre filter and S&G before the shower..

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

         

    Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

    Posting Permissions

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