In which things are maintained

Nose back to the (slower, Winter) grindstone and in with some filter cleaning. A project for this week may be to extend below an existing filter and add in a long, t-junction pipe to replace a water pump with an air pump (more effective, less expensive).

A visit was had from a chap at the Environment Agency, but no discharging was being done, so his visit was fairly perfunctory, though he enjoyed having a look in the tosai house.

Lee from LB Aquatics Consultants came to lunch to see Mark and Lisa, but kindly bought enough cakes with him to include me, as well. So I was also invited to lunch and we spent a great time mulling over such varied topics as the BKKS, the merits of various bad jokes, the best way to empty a silted pond, Israeli koi, Defra, the Sargasso Sea, veterinary competence in the field of koi and more bad jokes.

After Lee left, we carried on with clearing the banks of the reed bed - the bonfire was got going again and I tackled brambles with an axe while Mark chainsawed another willow tree. I arranged to come back again next year around spawning time so that I can get a better idea of how things are when Cuttlebrook's at a fuller tilt.

As it got dark, we moved onto the rest of the first set of filter cleans for the week. I *think* I'm beginning to get the hang of the process:

1. turn off pump and isolate system
2. 'boil' the air through the biomedia for a good long time
3. lift the standpipe and drain the filter
4. use the hose to jet-clean the screen and the screen-tank
5. use the hose to clean the inside of the filter
6. ensure muck is un-trapped from inside the pump hose at the bottom of the filter
7. replace standpipe and begin refilling - slowly, so you don't suddenly suck any fish down onto the bottom drain
8. switch the air back to from the central tub of biomedia and switch the pump on again, gradually opening the system up

Something I definitely know; three bad cheese jokes:

Q: Whaddya call cheese that's not yours?
A: NACHO cheese!

Q: What do you call a horse hidden in cheese?
A: Mascapone

Q: What did the cheese say when it looked in the mirror?
A: Halloumi.


The best fishy jokes we could come up with were;

Q: What do you call a fish with no eyes?
A: A fsh.

Q: What do you call a fish with three eyes?
A: A fiiish.