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Thread: Ki media or look a like?
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21-04-2020, 01:06 PM #81
I am running the module as it comes currently. The pads are still stacking up but only I soaked them in PP for 24 hours before adding them, as suggested.
This was when they were added on 24th March
I added extra air in the next photo to try and help get them moving (6th April)
And today 1 month later, still looking pretty much the same. You see the odd one tumbling around in the mix but mostly still stacking up. I am planning on increasing my flow so hoping that will help
Based on the claimed stats it should be worthwhile in the end
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22-04-2020, 10:08 AM #82
F97726BF-CA57-44FF-9B93-436450EE639A.jpgHere’s a picture of it boiling. I will reduce air as it matures
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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03-05-2020, 08:46 AM #83
Pond pads are now turning over perfectly.Ive been able to add another 15L of micro k1.Very happy Cheers
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07-05-2020, 08:52 PM #84
Mine are still a fair way off I think. Think I’m about 5 weeks behind you
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29-06-2020, 11:12 PM #85
Oase Pond Pads with Hel X 13 in ProfiClear Compact M
I've been looking into Pond Pads today so I'm really pleased to have found this thread, and thoroughly enjoyed the information and videos from MBSITW.
I've recently replaced my Nexus 220 + Draco Drum with a Gravity ProfiClear Compact M for my 11,440L pond with 9 Koi. I've got 40L of Hel X 13 coming along nicely, which were started out with a fishless cycle whilst my koi were still in their isolation pond (ie Intex Paddling Pool!). Anyway, NPS is under control at the mo, but I want to start increasing the media slowly and so was trying to weigh up the pros and cons of adding 25L of Hel X 13 or 10L of Pond Pads. The actual cost vs surface area vs processed g/day are surprisingly comparable:
- Pond Pads: Total (& Protected) Surface Area = 5000m2/m3, food breakdown 20g/L, so 10L = 200g/Day - cost approx £40
- Hel X 13: Total Surface Area = 955m2/m3, Protected Area = 808m2/m3, breakdown 6.8g/L, so 25L = 170g/Day - cost approx £40
At these rates the pads would, in theory, provide 30g more processing (which is not a lot of difference), but the main reason I was thinking of using Pads was for the possible diversity of critters that may colonise them, thus creating a wider community of little helpers that would hopefully create a more stable environment, plus the option to eventually go all Pads if my pond needed more biological processing than the max Hel X 13 could provide in the future.
Now the drawback is that Oase do not recommend mixing Hel X with Pads in the small bio chamber of the Compact M which is why all their literature suggests either 30L (600g/day) of Pads or 65L (442g/day) of Hel X 13. Having spoken with one of the very helpful chaps at Oase this afternoon, he explained that the reason for this was because the Pads need more space to churn around whilst maturing before they play nicely with the Hel X, and it all boils together… BUT… it does apparently (and unofficially!) work if you persevere through the process of maturing the Pads, which can take up to 6 or 8 weeks (which I’m guessing may be helped along by PPing first). So, my questions are these:
1) Has anyone actually used Pads in a ProfiClear Compact M and if so, are they the only media or are they mixed with Hel X, and how successful has this been?
2) Is my idea of creating more diversity using the two types of media sound, or am I better off sticking with all Hel X, which will mature way faster than the Pads, or would a bit of perseverance with the Pads pay off?
I’d be very grateful for any thoughts and / or experience. Thanks11,440L Raised Pond, BD, Oase ProfiClear, Bitron 55W, 2x10k Aquaforte Varios, Skimmer to Waterblade
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03-08-2020, 08:35 PM #86
Oase Pond Pads with Hel X 13 in ProfiClear Compact M
Thought I'd update on what happened with my PondPads experiment.
I purchased 10L after my last post and soaked them in PP from the 3rd to the 5th July. At this point they were rinsed and put into a tall narrow bin with air-stones, in which I started a fishless cycle using Dr Tim's Ammonium Chloride and adding Oase BioKick Premium periodically. Because they were all just floating on the top, I placed a folded plastic sheet over them and weighted it down to force the majority of them under the surface of the water in the hope this would speed up the process of sinking. They were regularly stirred up and pushed back down under the plastic.
10 days later on the 15th, I took four handfuls of PondPads and added them to my ProfiClear. They floated and crowed up in the corners, so I swapped over my 60 LPM pump that I was using for the bio, with my 80 LPM from my pond airstones, and this additional aeration stirred things up better and got it moving. Within a week they were mostly all boiling, and on the 20th July I added the remaining PondPads from the bin.
Six days later and all media was happily boiling together, even the 4 bags of K1 I also have in the bio section to keep alive in case I need to use them in my All-In-One Filter for my pop-up Intex quarantine pool. So that was three weeks in total to get from PP'd new PondPads to a properly moving mixed media bed.
I'm so impressed at how quickly this worked, and for any one else wondering if PondPads are OK to use with HelX 13 in a ProfiClear Compact M, despite Oase's advice that they are not - these photos will hopefully convince you that they are!
ProfiClear Bio - Pond Pads.JPG ProfiClear Bio - K1 Bags.jpg
The media is still not totally mature, but I'm so far very pleased with the progress. Hope this is helpfulLast edited by Koiz; 03-08-2020 at 08:38 PM.
11,440L Raised Pond, BD, Oase ProfiClear, Bitron 55W, 2x10k Aquaforte Varios, Skimmer to Waterblade
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21-01-2021, 09:01 PM #87
Haven’t read all the thread but I was wondering about mixing k1 with helix in my bio chamber. Are they roughly the same size so as not to pull through the exit to pond from bio chamber??? Thanks in advance
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21-01-2021, 09:19 PM #88Freddyboy the legend
"we are water keepers first"
Johnathan
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21-01-2021, 09:57 PM #89
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21-01-2021, 10:03 PM #90
The LEGEND is here to stay
Sent from my F5121 using TapatalkFreddyboy the legend
"we are water keepers first"
Johnathan
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14-03-2021, 02:41 PM #91
Apologies if this has already been covered and I've missed it, does anyone here know how k1 micro will run in the bio of a compact-m? I have some in my current filter and would like to swap it across to seed the new drum if I get it, so long as it's not too small...
7500L semi-raised sleeper pond
Build thread: http://bit.ly/3bFxKif
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14-03-2021, 09:16 PM #92
I don’t know tbh but it’s possible that the micro (too small) will pass through the inlet / outlet mesh of the compact
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14-03-2021, 10:34 PM #937500L semi-raised sleeper pond
Build thread: http://bit.ly/3bFxKif
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15-03-2021, 07:15 PM #94
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HCairns Thanked / Liked this Post
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15-03-2021, 07:47 PM #957500L semi-raised sleeper pond
Build thread: http://bit.ly/3bFxKif
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Ajm Thanked / Liked this Post
The Daily pond temp thread
Yep , forecast snow here ! Hoping so more money to be made gritting lol Sent from my SM-S918B...