Well not to argue with RTB, who is a pretty smart cookie.....but, it has
been my understanding that bacteria starts to drown after 20 minutes,
depending on the outside temp for total death, in the hours I suppose.

What I do know is, if my filter is off for more than an hour I pump to the
grass for the first couple hundred gallons to get rid of the HS, even at 30
minutes I try to catch the first gallons that wash down the stream &
waterfall in a bucket. If it's hot, after 20 minutes I pump to the grass.
~ jan


On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 21:05:25 -0500, Rhino wrote:

I have a question to a problem. The breaker that my pump is on keeps tripping.
I know the reason and I have an electrician coming on Monday. As it happens I
have been able to discover when it trips fairly quickly and so far no harm no
foul. The pump is on another circuit for now. Once before when my pump cratered
and for the four days before I got a replacement I keep airstones going.
My academic question is:
How long will the bacteria in the filter system live without constant aeration.
I an using an up flow water column that flows through window screen media then
through a heavily planted top layer "veggie" filter then to the waterfall
outflow. The incoming water water had a venturi to add O2 before it reaches the
filter media. When the pump goes off, the filter is still under water and in
the dark. At what point does the bacteria start dying and your filter is set
back along with the attendant problems? How long without constant water/O2
movement before the filter is toast?
Rhino



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"Without the second ammendment, the others are just suggestions."


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Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
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