backwashing and beneficial bacteria

[VAPondGuy]

6000 gal koi pond with an Ultima filter and black media.
I backwash and rinse once a week. As that day approaches, the pressure builds and the flow diminishes.
I'd like to backwash more frequently. Are beneficial bacteria on the media removed during backwashing/rinsing?

 

[mrsclem]

Are you rinsing the filter with pond water or tap water? If tap water and there is chlorine in it, then you could be killing off bacteria. Just rinsing with pond water and backwashing won't hurt .

 

[WaterGardener]

You can backwash every day if you are using dechlorinated water without any damage to the bacteria. But if you have to do it that often, chances are your filtration isn't up to the task. Pond filters are notorious for being over-rated for the amount of water they are supposed to handle, so the common thought these days is to have at least twice the size of filter that is recommended for your pond. More can only help.

 

[VAPondGuy]

Thank you for this. I'm flowing only pond water through the backwash/rinse cycles of the filter. No tap water.