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#1
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When to start up BioFalls?
Hi
I put in a new 900 gal. pond last fall with a Biofalls filter/waterfall. We shut it down for the winter and used a Thermopond de-icer, which worked great! I have Shubunkins/snails/frogs. Should I start up my biofalls now? The pond is ice free, but still cold up here in SW Ontario Canada (35-40F deg. days). (We have seen light snow in April before.) Thanks in advance. |
#2
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When to start up BioFalls?
"AngieNews2" wrote in message ... Hi I put in a new 900 gal. pond last fall with a Biofalls filter/waterfall. We shut it down for the winter and used a Thermopond de-icer, which worked great! I have Shubunkins/snails/frogs. Should I start up my biofalls now? The pond is ice free, but still cold up here in SW Ontario Canada (35-40F deg. days). (We have seen light snow in April before.) Thanks in advance. ========================== The unwritten rule where I live is to turn on the filters and waterfalls, whatever you have, when the water reaches 50F or more. You don't want to mix the warmer bottom water with the cold top water. -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: http://tinyurl.com/9do58 ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
#3
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When to start up BioFalls?
Thanks Koi-Lo,
I was wondering about the mixing of temps too. Angie "Koi-Lo" wrote in message ... "AngieNews2" wrote in message ... Hi I put in a new 900 gal. pond last fall with a Biofalls filter/waterfall. We shut it down for the winter and used a Thermopond de-icer, which worked great! I have Shubunkins/snails/frogs. Should I start up my biofalls now? The pond is ice free, but still cold up here in SW Ontario Canada (35-40F deg. days). (We have seen light snow in April before.) Thanks in advance. ========================== The unwritten rule where I live is to turn on the filters and waterfalls, whatever you have, when the water reaches 50F or more. You don't want to mix the warmer bottom water with the cold top water. -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: http://tinyurl.com/9do58 ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
#4
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When to start up BioFalls?
Angie,
I used to have a bio falls filter on a similar sized pond. (I've since upgraded to a pond that's about 3,000 gallons and am using a larger bio falls filter on it.) I left my filter/falls off one year but ran it after that. What I did do was replace the 1600 gph Oase pump that I used during Spring/Summer/Fall with a smaller one and I raised the pump a greater distance off the pond bottom than normal. This kept water running through the filter, which I believe is better for the bacteria and I wasn't super chilling the water on the bottom. Then, in early spring, I'd take out the bags of lava rock, bio balls and filter pads, give everything a good cleaning and hook back up the larger pump. So, to your question: I guess you could start your filter/falls back up without any problem but you're still going to have to do your annual cleaning to get it back to working. John "AngieNews2" wrote in message ... Hi I put in a new 900 gal. pond last fall with a Biofalls filter/waterfall. We shut it down for the winter and used a Thermopond de-icer, which worked great! I have Shubunkins/snails/frogs. Should I start up my biofalls now? The pond is ice free, but still cold up here in SW Ontario Canada (35-40F deg. days). (We have seen light snow in April before.) Thanks in advance. |
#5
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When to start up BioFalls?
Thanks John,
I appreciate your advice Angie "JB" wrote in message ink.net... Angie, I used to have a bio falls filter on a similar sized pond. (I've since upgraded to a pond that's about 3,000 gallons and am using a larger bio falls filter on it.) I left my filter/falls off one year but ran it after that. What I did do was replace the 1600 gph Oase pump that I used during Spring/Summer/Fall with a smaller one and I raised the pump a greater distance off the pond bottom than normal. This kept water running through the filter, which I believe is better for the bacteria and I wasn't super chilling the water on the bottom. Then, in early spring, I'd take out the bags of lava rock, bio balls and filter pads, give everything a good cleaning and hook back up the larger pump. So, to your question: I guess you could start your filter/falls back up without any problem but you're still going to have to do your annual cleaning to get it back to working. John "AngieNews2" wrote in message ... Hi I put in a new 900 gal. pond last fall with a Biofalls filter/waterfall. We shut it down for the winter and used a Thermopond de-icer, which worked great! I have Shubunkins/snails/frogs. Should I start up my biofalls now? The pond is ice free, but still cold up here in SW Ontario Canada (35-40F deg. days). (We have seen light snow in April before.) Thanks in advance. |
#6
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When to start up BioFalls?
AngieNews2 wrote:
Hi I put in a new 900 gal. pond last fall with a Biofalls filter/waterfall. We shut it down for the winter and used a Thermopond de-icer, which worked great! I have Shubunkins/snails/frogs. Should I start up my biofalls now? The pond is ice free, but still cold up here in SW Ontario Canada (35-40F deg. days). (We have seen light snow in April before.) Light snow in April? In April 1996 I started a job in Michigan, requiring me to commute from London through Sarnia. I spent that whole first month driving through blizzards. Now, in the three years I was on that job, that was really the worst driving I had, but it's definitely not always just "light" snow. Still, I'd start the pumps. -- derek |
#7
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When to start up BioFalls?
In article ,
Derek Broughton wrote: Light snow in April? In April 1996 I started a job in Michigan, requiring me to commute from London through Sarnia. I spent that whole first month driving through blizzards. Now, in the three years I was on that job, that was really the worst driving I had, but it's definitely not always just "light" snow. Still, I'd start the pumps. In related good news, summer is slated for the second tuesday in august this year. -- Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net |
#8
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When to start up BioFalls?
ROFL!
"Richard Sexton" wrote in message ... In article , Derek Broughton wrote: Light snow in April? In April 1996 I started a job in Michigan, requiring me to commute from London through Sarnia. I spent that whole first month driving through blizzards. Now, in the three years I was on that job, that was really the worst driving I had, but it's definitely not always just "light" snow. Still, I'd start the pumps. In related good news, summer is slated for the second tuesday in august this year. -- Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net |
#9
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When to start up BioFalls?
Richard Sexton wrote:
In article , Derek Broughton wrote: Light snow in April? In April 1996 I started a job in Michigan, requiring me to commute from London through Sarnia. I spent that whole first month driving through blizzards. Now, in the three years I was on that job, that was really the worst driving I had, but it's definitely not always just "light" snow. Still, I'd start the pumps. In related good news, summer is slated for the second tuesday in august this year. LOL. I'll hold you to that! -- derek |
#10
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When to start up BioFalls?
Yikes!
Well, London/Sarnia is considered part of the "snow belt" of SW Ontario Luckily, I live in the "Banana Belt" of Ontario! lol I don't remember ever having blizzards in April down here....knock on wood! Thanks for the note! "Derek Broughton" wrote in message ... AngieNews2 wrote: Hi I put in a new 900 gal. pond last fall with a Biofalls filter/waterfall. We shut it down for the winter and used a Thermopond de-icer, which worked great! I have Shubunkins/snails/frogs. Should I start up my biofalls now? The pond is ice free, but still cold up here in SW Ontario Canada (35-40F deg. days). (We have seen light snow in April before.) Light snow in April? In April 1996 I started a job in Michigan, requiring me to commute from London through Sarnia. I spent that whole first month driving through blizzards. Now, in the three years I was on that job, that was really the worst driving I had, but it's definitely not always just "light" snow. Still, I'd start the pumps. -- derek |
#11
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When to start up BioFalls?
We have had some late, heavy snow storms in the "banana belt", but the snow
was gone in a few days and can't really remember if any of them happened as late as April or not - the traditional weather paterns in this area are getting warmer all the time - not that I have a problem with that - I'm disliking the cold more all the time Gale :~) Yikes! Well, London/Sarnia is considered part of the "snow belt" of SW Ontario Luckily, I live in the "Banana Belt" of Ontario! lol I don't remember ever having blizzards in April down here....knock on wood! Thanks for the note! "Derek Broughton" wrote in message ... AngieNews2 wrote: Hi I put in a new 900 gal. pond last fall with a Biofalls filter/waterfall. We shut it down for the winter and used a Thermopond de-icer, which worked great! I have Shubunkins/snails/frogs. Should I start up my biofalls now? The pond is ice free, but still cold up here in SW Ontario Canada (35-40F deg. days). (We have seen light snow in April before.) Light snow in April? In April 1996 I started a job in Michigan, requiring me to commute from London through Sarnia. I spent that whole first month driving through blizzards. Now, in the three years I was on that job, that was really the worst driving I had, but it's definitely not always just "light" snow. Still, I'd start the pumps. -- derek |
#12
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When to start up BioFalls?
900 gallon is pretty small. I would run the pump but not over the water falls until
the water temp was going to stay above 55oF. the reason is fish immune system shuts down below 50-55 and sudden drops in temp can stress fish, brink out ich. if you have a flow adjuster on the pump you could cut it back so it wouldnt put a big flow over the waterfall ... keep an eye on water temp. Ingrid "AngieNews2" wrote: Hi I put in a new 900 gal. pond last fall with a Biofalls filter/waterfall. We shut it down for the winter and used a Thermopond de-icer, which worked great! I have Shubunkins/snails/frogs. Should I start up my biofalls now? The pond is ice free, but still cold up here in SW Ontario Canada (35-40F deg. days). (We have seen light snow in April before.) Thanks in advance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/ sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup www.drsolo.com Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website. I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site. |
#13
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When to start up BioFalls?
Thanks Ingrid
wrote in message ... 900 gallon is pretty small. I would run the pump but not over the water falls until the water temp was going to stay above 55oF. the reason is fish immune system shuts down below 50-55 and sudden drops in temp can stress fish, brink out ich. if you have a flow adjuster on the pump you could cut it back so it wouldnt put a big flow over the waterfall ... keep an eye on water temp. Ingrid "AngieNews2" wrote: Hi I put in a new 900 gal. pond last fall with a Biofalls filter/waterfall. We shut it down for the winter and used a Thermopond de-icer, which worked great! I have Shubunkins/snails/frogs. Should I start up my biofalls now? The pond is ice free, but still cold up here in SW Ontario Canada (35-40F deg. days). (We have seen light snow in April before.) Thanks in advance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/ sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup www.drsolo.com Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website. I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site. |
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