Ada yang tahu tentang Montmorillonite Clay? Dipasaran misalnya ada merk REFRESH.
Apakah betul bisa meningkatkan clarity dari air kolam?
Ini adalah salah satu artikel tentang itu.
Montmorillonite Clay in Koi Ponds
This article was written by Kusuri Products USA
The best way to keep Koi would be to have a very large mud pond at the bottom of our garden. Our very own natural ecosystem, which we know, would be the best for our Koi. Impractical of course, because we want to see our Koi, feed them, care for them, and take pleasure in their majestic beauty, etc.
If you were to ask the experts, (that being the well known breeders in Japan), their opinion about the conditions in which we in the northern hemisphere could use to keep our pets healthy and vibrant in the limited closed pond environment, they would offer the usual answers: good water quality, natural foods, no overstocking, keeping the organic debris low, etc. And if asked why the water in certain areas of Japan is better for Koi, they would say that the natural mountain and spa waters all contain a high presence of minerals.
Minerals are vital. Whether human or fish, an intake in some form is required to sustain life. Koi in a natural environment can ingest minerals, intake minerals in solution through the gills, (osmosis), and, to a minor degree, through the skin itself. Koi kept in mineralized mountain or spa water do directly benefit from the high presence of minerals in the form of better color, scale luster, growth, health, and white pigmentation. However, when translated into the conditions in our home ponds, the mineral content in most public water supplies do not provide enough of the many trace mineral elements that are beneficial to Koi. What little minerals are available are removed from the water very rapidly by the Koi in a closed pond system where water is not constantly replaced. Montmorillonite clay can replenish the water with minerals, and improve Koi as mentioned above. Montmorillonite clay is widely used by the hobbyist to help replenish the water mineral quality and maintain Koi color, luster, health, etc. as mentioned above.
So what is the magical substance? Montmorillonite is the collective name given to a very wide range of clay mineral powders found all over the world. They come in many forms: Bentonites, Hectorites, Saponites; the list of defined types is extensive, though very few are suitable for a Koi pond, some are processed clays used in the oil and pharmaceutical industries because of their ability to refine and absorb colorants, vegetable oil, etc. Some clays contain metals and phosphates; some clays react with water, and alkalinity/acidity levels are changed. An inappropriate clay can cloud a Koi pond and irritate Koi for days!
Montmorillonite clay gets its name from the French town where it was first mined as long ago as 1874. It is essentially a hydrated alumino-silicate. The lattice layer structure of the material when added to a Koi pond will absorb water, and through a process called Ion exchange, minerals are released into the water. Secondly, a high purity clay can absorb protein and color from water, giving a pond a remarkable increase in clarity. Clay is not like salt, for example, and does not dissolve completely. A little powder will settle in a pod, and most Koi will readily ingest the mineral powder.
This has led to some interesting university research in the U.K. Independent research at the University of Exeter, Devon. Marine biologists have proen that a specific montmmorillonite mineral clay, (supplied by Kusuri Products Ltd.), when also added to food, will potentially increase the growth rate on Vyprinid species by up to 21%. The research suggests that this particular clay incorporated into a Koi diet, acts as a catalyst for better absorption of food nutrients by bonding aflotoxins to the clay. High purity clays are pure earth mineral products and should contain no chemicals, metals, or phosphorous elements.
Normally the clay is supplied as a very fine powdered product. To apply to a pond, take the measured amount of powder, and mix into a gallon bucket of water from the pond. Because the pond will go milky in color for a few hours, clay is normally applied in ponds in the evening. Add about 1/2 the solution around the pond, or by your water return. Then add the remainder about 30 minutes later, after mixing the solution again. The average pond should clear in about 8-12 hours, and an increase in water clarity improvement and Koi appetite may be noted 24 hours after application. Regular weekly use will normally improve the color and white luster on Koi in about 4-6 weeks. Beneficial minerals added to pond water should ideally be applied weekly all year round, and can be used at any pond temperature. A good mineral clay with the correct analysis, in the correct proportions added to our enclosed ponds, will result in better water clarity, Koi health, growth, vitality, and color.
High purity clays are few, but there are 1 or 2 products that have many users, notably Refresh and Humin powder from Japan, and, more economically: Kusuri Klay
Hello guest! It looks like you aren't a member already. Get now full access and register for free! And Don't Forget to get our KOI's ID Member Card
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks