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  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    How Much Fresh Water do you Change?

    on my old pond i used to change about 10% a day as it was a smaller volume...

    but i'm finding i'm still changing 10% a day with my new pond, or nitrate levels start rising,
    and the fish don't look as bright, happy, and active...

    asking some questions on youtube to Japanese hobbiests, some that have answered, have said about 20%...
    ....a day!
    one purging a ton a day to waste from stand pipe bottom drains, not connected to filter systems.
    and adding 2 ton back in on a 10 ton pond.
    but it appears their water is a lot cleaner and less contaminated than ours...

    .....should we be adding more fresh filtered water?


    Last edited by davethefish1; 01-12-2021 at 08:37 PM.

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  3. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion Ajm's Avatar
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    Main pond I do around 20% a week
    Fry tank I do 10% daily

    Rightly or wrongly but its working at the moment

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
    Freddyboy the legend

    "we are water keepers first"

    Johnathan

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  5. #3
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion Ajm's Avatar
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    Really hope they not on a water meter ooo

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
    Freddyboy the legend

    "we are water keepers first"

    Johnathan

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  7. #4
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion samp09's Avatar
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    I tend to do a 10% change every week and a half in summer, and less in winter.

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  9. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ajm View Post
    Main pond I do around 20% a week
    Fry tank I do 10% daily

    Rightly or wrongly but its working at the moment

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
    Quote Originally Posted by samp09 View Post
    I tend to do a 10% change every week and a half in summer, and less in winter.
    how are your nitrates from the tap and in the pond?
    do you have any nitrate reduction filters... anerobic or biocenosis?

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    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion samp09's Avatar
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    My nitrates are generally pretty good. I got ammonia from the tap but nitrate is usually good with no nitrate reduction filters I only have the roto gravity shower.

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  12. #7
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
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    Hi Dave,

    I trickle in 10 to 15% a week in the summer but in the winter i turn trickle on and off every other day just to put some fresh water in....
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

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  14. #8
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by samp09 View Post
    My nitrates are generally pretty good. I got ammonia from the tap but nitrate is usually good with no nitrate reduction filters I only have the roto gravity shower.
    the roto shower must be helping out quite well then mate

    my nitrates are about 5ppm from the tap atm, and about 10ppm in the pond,
    but if i drop down to less than 5% a day, then the nitrates soon start creeping up to 20ppm.

    ideally i'd like them less than 5ppm in the pond, but that won't happen without a dedicated nitrate reduction method...
    like an anerobic filter, or biocenosis baskets, or recycle RO...

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  16. #9
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by smartin View Post
    Hi Dave,

    I trickle in 10 to 15% a week in the summer but in the winter i turn trickle on and off every other day just to put some fresh water in....
    cheers mate,
    do you have good KH levels in your tapwater...
    as not putting much fresh water in could see your KH levels drop?

  17. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion smartin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by davethefish1 View Post
    cheers mate,
    do you have good KH levels in your tapwater...
    as not putting much fresh water in could see your KH levels drop?
    Hi Dave,
    my KH has always been around 3 in my pond, i buffer with SB to 4/5 and then it gradually reduces back down to 2/3 over time, i then re buffer as required but rarely do i allow it to get to 2, i check parameters weekly and this is checked also,
    2200 gallons,infinity window,
    Evolve 4k combi,spindrifter,
    2x20k pumps, BD,Skimmer,
    Shower, ASHP

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  19. #11
    My fresh water top up is governed mostly by drum rinsing (very sensitive and accurate pond level float valve).
    In the Summer when the drum rinses more often, more top up water is called for.

    The average top up rate is around the 5% per week mark.
    The anoxic section of my filter keeps the NO3 levels at or under 10ppm.
    I do have to add bicarb to maintain KH (I buy it in 5kg tubs).
    My DIY ponds from 1988 until present day.
    All can be found here:
    https://www.ukzero.com/pond.htm

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  21. #12
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion samp09's Avatar
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    My KH is around 10 at the mo with more frequent water changes due to the treatments etc although this has only gone up to every 6-9 days treatment depending. It did drop to around 4-5 in summer iirc, I got some Bi carb in case but haven't had to use it yet.

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  23. #13
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by smartin View Post
    Hi Dave,
    my KH has always been around 3 in my pond, i buffer with SB to 4/5 and then it gradually reduces back down to 2/3 over time, i then re buffer as required but rarely do i allow it to get to 2, i check parameters weekly and this is checked also,
    you're doing more than me then
    i tend not to check ammonia and nitrite that often once the pond has cycled...
    the test i use most is DPD4 chlorine weekly due to how much i use fresh water.

    but i do drop a KH test now and then though,
    but with a tap KH of 11 the last time i added bicarb was when i was running RO...

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  25. #14
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ukzero View Post
    My fresh water top up is governed mostly by drum rinsing (very sensitive and accurate pond level float valve).
    In the Summer when the drum rinses more often, more top up water is called for.

    The average top up rate is around the 5% per week mark.
    The anoxic section of my filter keeps the NO3 levels at or under 10ppm.
    I do have to add bicarb to maintain KH (I buy it in 5kg tubs).
    i've though about sticking a couple of anoxic baskets in my set up come spring,
    just to see if it will help soak up a bit of nitrate,
    i'm old skool just can't give up the bio chamber and shower

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  27. #15
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by samp09 View Post
    My KH is around 10 at the mo with more frequent water changes due to the treatments etc although this has only gone up to every 6-9 days treatment depending. It did drop to around 4-5 in summer iirc, I got some Bi carb in case but haven't had to use it yet.
    same as me,
    my tapwater is high in KH, i've only ever added bicarb when running RO in the old pond....

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  29. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by davethefish1 View Post
    i'm old skool just can't give up the bio chamber and shower
    I still run my "regular" bio chamber on tickover as a back-up.
    Having fish in the pond before I started the anoxic experiment meant that I had to have active biological filtration at all times.
    It was a case of increasingly bypassing the bio chamber in stages as the anoxic baskets kicked in (15 of them for 7 fish, 24-29").

    If you are going to try an anoxic/standard hybrid system I would recommend plumbing anoxic in parallel to rather than in series with your existing bio if it's to have any real benefit.
    My DIY ponds from 1988 until present day.
    All can be found here:
    https://www.ukzero.com/pond.htm

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  31. #17
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    I hardly ever change pond water and run anoxic baskets,bio and shower.
    Top up maybe if and when needed usually never.

    However I do have problems with kh and have to keep a vigilant eye on it.
    I think when the drum operates a certain amount of water goes into the clean side and as my drum works off mains water and that has zero kh and rain going in that drops the kh so buy s/bicarb by the sack.

    That is the only test I do now as the pond is very settled.
    John

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  33. #18
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by john1 View Post
    I hardly ever change pond water and run anoxic baskets,bio and shower.
    Top up maybe if and when needed usually never.

    However I do have problems with kh and have to keep a vigilant eye on it.
    I think when the drum operates a certain amount of water goes into the clean side and as my drum works off mains water and that has zero kh and rain going in that drops the kh so buy s/bicarb by the sack.

    That is the only test I do now as the pond is very settled.

    depending on if i wanted to only have my 250 liters of CSM in my shower for bio, and scrap my K1 micro chamber.
    i could then use it for anoxic, and i wouldn't have to do much other than add the baskets....

    otherwise it would mean more plumbing, more pipework, and more filter chambers next year....
    Last edited by davethefish1; 02-12-2021 at 04:41 PM.

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    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion dbs's Avatar
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    Blimey - I think my trickle is circa 1,500 ltrs per day which is around 30% a week, though it is 17c and my babies are still getting through 10kg of food a month, water is good

    I did have it at 1,200 a day but I turned it up to check effect on Seneye ammonia readings... did nothing, so will likely turn it down again

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  37. #20
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dbs View Post
    Blimey - I think my trickle is circa 1,500 ltrs per day which is around 30% a week, though it is 17c and my babies are still getting through 10kg of food a month, water is good

    I did have it at 1,200 a day but I turned it up to check effect on Seneye ammonia readings... did nothing, so will likely turn it down again

    my trickle rate of about 1100 litres a day, is partially for nitrate readings,
    but also to remove hormones in the water that fish excrete, and any biological byproducts...
    all i know is they are a lot livelier and happier with a lot of fresh water coming in

    though i will proably back it off a bit when i drop the temp right down for winter...

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