Hi,

I have this http://www.lgpc.com/Product/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=1084
Little Giant (Pondworks) 400 gallon filter in my 100 gallon pond and have added the bio-balls. My question- anyone have any idea how and where to place the bio-balls? Do I totally remove the two filters? I had to add a couple of small rocks to one side of the pump to hold the filter in place and on the bottom of the pond. On the other side of the pump I put the bio-balls, then the plastic grate goes on top of all that, then both filters, then the lid. I am not sure if I am using them properly. I couldn't find any instructions on how and where to place them. Anyone with a clue???

Thanks :rolleyes:

I've never had that filter. You put all the stuff that came with it in the filter as well as the rocks and bioballs? If you squashed all that in there, it should be fine. Ideally, you want the filter pads before the bioballs in the flow. I don't know which way water flows in the filter.

Hi Robyn,

The filter is a little bigger than a shoe box. The water enters the filter through the top which is basically a plastic grate. Then it flows through the two filters pads that are stacked, then to and into the pump and back out the tubing attached to the top of the pump. The filter pads are on top of the bio-ball so the water does flow through the pads first.
I think I read someplace that the pond water need to flow slowly through bio-filters in order for them to work properly. How do I know when the bio part of the filter is working? What I mean by that is how do I know when the good bugs are finally working to help filter?

If the water is flowing slowly over the good bacteria, they have time to deal with the ammonia and nitrite coming by. However, if it's too slow, there may not be enough new water coming by to provide enough ammonia and nitrite. More flow gives more mechanical filtration. So, you have to balance the two things. If the filter box was made for that pump size, it should be fine.

If you had readable ammonia and/or nitrite before putting in the new filter, and then later read no ammonia or nitrite, they you would know the biological filter was working. If your pond is lightly stocked or already partially established, you may never have enough ammmonia or nitrite to register. Yet, good bacteria will certainly grow in the filter. Bacteria start to multiply as soon as they have a surface and food (animal wastes mostly). They may be helping already.

The pond has three small goldfish about 2" or less and my pond is a little over 100 gallons. I have checked the ammonia and it was zero. I don't have a nitrite test kit yet so I can't check that. I am just starting out so am adding test kits as I go :)
When I was cleaning the filter Sunday (as I do every week) I noticed on the bio-balls these little grayish white "things" attached to the bio-balls. They were standing straight out on each of legs of the balls, so this is something new. I didn't try to remove them but they weren't there a couple of weeks ago.
I started adding liquid barley last week and have been putting in the sludge reducer every two weeks for the past month now.
The water is still green and I do have the string algae clinging on the rocks and plants. I can see down into the pond about half way so it's not too bad. I am tempted to try to try get rid of green water by wrapping some quilting batting around the filter. Should I just let the pond be for now and let it get established? The fish seem to be just fine. They chase and "push" each other around after the evening meal and seem to have lots of energy. The floating pond plants are a little worse for the wear though..

The fish don't mind the algae. My page on algae is at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/plants/algae2.htm and lists some things to try. It takes time for a pond to establish itself. Algae is part of the pond. The white things on the bioballs could be almost anything from bacteria to worms to fungus to moss animals. Do they move?

No the white things do not move at all so they can't be worms. They remind me of little slivers of metal clinging to a magnet, you know how the slivers stand straight out from the magnet itself. Really interesting... I wish I had a microscope to have a closer look. Next time I clean I will get a magnifying glass and have a look. I was hoping that to good bacteria was getting established in the filter.

Be careful how hard you look, you may not like what you see! :D

I thought about that once I put up the post.
Maybe some creepy crawleys ;)