Filter media in the winter

[Oldhead]

So what does everyone do with the media in their filters when its too cold for the bacteria? This doesn't enclude basement ponds ( sorry koiguy). Its nice out today and I was debateing on wether or not to go out and clean it all out for next year, but its still not cold enough to turn off the pump

 

[stroppy]

i give mine a clean with pond water clean the pump and leave it running all winter

 

[sissy]

I just clean mine and leave it dry out and then store it in a tote under my front porch .The lava rock I clean and dry it and just put it in a garbage can with the lid on and under the front porch .Some of the rock I put in a bucket with holes drilled in it with my smaller pump in the bottom of the bucket .

 

[j.w]

Same here...........clean, let dry and store away.

 

[koiguy1969]

i would clean, dry and store it away as well if i didnt use in the basement wintering ponds filter.

 

[Oldhead]

Well i cleaned it but its still in there. maybe in a few weeks I'll take it out. I wanna redo the filter bases and increase the discharge size from 2" to 3 "

 

[sissy]

just need to keep an eye on your weather reports and be prepared to work fast and maybe be cold while doing it .I know here for all this week supposed to be in the 60's and finally got a frost here friday morning and got most of my gardens cleaned out and cleaned the filters also .

 

[taherrmann4]

Clean, dry and store in garage! The one year that I left it in I had mice build a nest in the fines filter. I also leave the drain open on my filter, just enough to let out any snow, or rain that might get in there.

 

[sissy]

Very true tmann forgot that

 

[fishin4cars]

I clean it and put it back and keep running it. I don't shut down for the winter, If I have to shut the filter down due to ice I'll clean the filter again good before starting the pump back up but it's still in the filter falls, mainly acting as mechanical filter only.

 

[Waterbug]

I've never kept a backyard pond in freezing conditions, only mud ponds, but I was surprise to read that people remove the media. Why isn't it common to sink the media to the bottom of the pond where the bacteria might survive? Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria die at 32F but the pond bottom hopefully stays at 39F or above. Just curious.

 

[ididntdoit99]

I've never kept a backyard pond in freezing conditions, only mud ponds, but I was surprise to read that people remove the media. Why isn't it common to sink the media to the bottom of the pond where the bacteria might survive? Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria die at 32F but the pond bottom hopefully stays at 39F or above. Just curious.

I keep one of mine in the bottom, the other one is dry.

 

[addy1]

lol my filter media gets to freeze, get cold and whatever happens happens. Can't remove all that pea gravel to store it lol

We will turn off the pump and bring it inside once it decides to start freezing...................(external)