Bio-Filter Question

[Marshall]

Does the bacteria that harbor in the bio filter have any temperature sensitivity? Such as shock to cold temps?

 

[MitchM]

The bacteria will become dormant, but what do you consider "shock" and what do you consider "cold temps"?

 

[Marshall]

The bacteria will become dormant, but what do you consider "shock" and what do you consider "cold temps"?

Shock as in killing the bacteria or seriously reducing their numbers and by cold I mean whatever the low temp is that will begin to kill/damage them ?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Any abrupt and substantial change in temperature will temporarily inhibit the conversion efficiency of any bacteria.
Nitrifying bacteria die at 0C/32F.

 

[MitchM]

Nitrifying bacteria prefer a temperature range of 65 - 85f, on the high end 95f will be fatal. On the low end, at 65f, activity will start to reduce by 50%, temperatures below 50f will reduce activity by 75%. Activity stops at 39f.
(edit I've found different temperature numbers for the activity levels)

 

[Marshall]

Any abrupt and substantial change in temperature will temporarily inhibit the conversion efficiency of any bacteria.
All growth ceases at 0C/32F, but Nitrifying bacteria do not die rather they go dormant.

Okay. I was talking about regular temp changes now that winter has set in because my smallest pond does not have a heating system so I just wanted to make sure the cold was not gonna destroy the bio-filter system. So far the lowest water temp I have seen in the log was 58F and that was only one day

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Unless the entire pond freezes, you will still have viable nitrifying bacteria.