 Getting
the best results from Black Knight filter brushes
In order to get the best results from the use of your Black
Knight filter brushes, it is important first to consider their
priority function.
If you are using them as a pre-filter to remove the bulk of
the coarse waste, a system of single interlocked hanging brushes
is best. If you want to trap an even greater proportion of
the waste, the brushes need to be either vertically or horizontally
double interlocked (see System Layouts).
Whichever installation design you choose, the method of water
introduction to the chamber will have an effect on the efficiency
of the brushes. Generally the water should flow into the chamber
at slow speed rather than being jetted in under pressure.
Water travelling at high speed not only causes turbulence,
which will disturb settled material, but it can also wash
off some of the waste which has been trapped successfully
in the brushes.
Cleaning the brushes When a significant
amount of waste has built up on the brushes, it should be
flushed away. If there is a drain in the bottom of the filter
chamber then stop the inflow of pond water and drain the
chamber completely. When it is empty, the brushes and the
chamber should be flushed using buckets of pond water. When
the filter is clean, the drain can be closed and filtration
can resume. Cleaning in this way will retain most of the
beneficial bacteria that live on the brushes but the rotting
waste is removed and cannot do any more harm to the water
quality.
If there is a more persistent accumulation on the first
lines of brushes then these can simply be taken out, hosed
down and put back. The chlorinated water from the hosepipe
will kill some of the beneficial bacteria on those brushes
but the primary function of the first brushes is mechanical
filtration and therefore any contribution they make to the
biological effort should be regarded as a bonus.
Biological filtration
 When
brushes are used for biological filtration, it is important
to remember that a biological colony will function only
when six to eight weeks have elapsed after the system is
commissioned. It takes this amount of time for the bacteria
to reach full strength.
Once your system is running efficiently, it is important
that the pump is never switched off for more than a few
hours at a time otherwise the biological colony will begin
to die. The same will happen if the filter materials are
allowed to dry out.
Water quality
Do not expect your water to be clear until your filter
has been running for at least eight weeks. After this time,
an ultra violet steriliser can be used if necessary to limit
the growth of unicellular algae (the type which causes green
water), but most ponds will clear naturally. The water should
be tested for ammonia and nitrite on a regular basis to
ensure that good quality water conditions are maintained
for the fish. If a reading is persistently evident on either
or both of these tests then it is likely that the pond is
overstocked for the size of filter you are using. The only
long term solutions to this are to increase the size of
the filtration system or reduce the pond stocking level.
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