Info on KHV and GHV & How the size of the Biocenosis basket affect the filtration?

Dave, from my understanding KHV was around long before GHV and one was derived from the other. The GHV virus is just a little different than what infects Koi.  It all started in Japan and then spread to the Israeli Koi farms years ago. This was long before Dr. Axelrod even came up with the long finned Koi as we know today as the Butterfly Koi.

Hey, this would make a good question on Koi Keepers Unleashed … The first to develop the Butterfly Koi? Dr Axelrod (ichthyologist) of Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine was the first.

 

To say the KHV came from frogs…well it’s more likely to be tubifex worms (AKA: sludge worms, or sewage worms) or tadpoles that are a relished food for Koi and Goldfish and was a common practice on fish farms. However, even that is debatable and some think waterfowl or birds that plague ponds may have been the carriers of the virus. This sounds to me to be the best explanation of how the virus could have spread from pond to pond without Koi coming into contact with each other.

 

 

 

 

Question:

I have found cat litter finally in a new shop. What type it is I don’t know, but looks like 5-10mm grayish looking stone. No information what so ever on the bag. I bought 4 very big bags. So now my question is:
I will go and dig the laterite my self. It will be in the form of little granules, up to 1cm radius.

Do I crush it or put it like that?

45 cm water over the baskets will be detrimental to plants like Arum lilies that are shorter than that. They need to be at least partially above water. Since mine are shorter than 45cm can I not put the baskets with less water above them? If yes how much less? Minimum???

How the size of the basket does affect the filtration?
Is it better (possible) one big basket instead of two small ones?
What is the maximum size of baskets recommended?
Maybe If not possible less water over the baskets then I will plant water lilies.

 

 

 

Answer:

I would take the Laterite and crush it up to about 1-2mm in size, if you’re a little bigger don’t worry about it. 45-cm is about 17” of water above the biocenosis baskets sound good but if you have plants that require a shallower depth then just raise that basket to the optimum depth for that plant. I show a photo of a basket (page 24) right at the waters surface because that’s the deepest it can go for the White Grass that’s in that particular basket.

The size of the biocenosis basket is optimum at 11”X11”X7” but some use a little small 9”X9”X7”and larger baskets will become very heavy once water impregnates it. Remember, the more baskets, the more filtration you will have.