beneficial bacteria health

[D&RW]

anybody have a good idea how long water flow can be off in an open system like a filter falls before the bacteria begin to die?

 

[DrDave]

5 hours without running water and the oxygen depletion takes a toll on the anerobic bacteria. This is plus or minus depending on water temps and such.

 

[Pondmaster]

If a person would take a small circulation pump and air pump, place it in the filter just the right way they could probably buy a sufficient amount of extra time to accomplish the task at hand.

 

[DrDave]

A small pump is a good idea. Air is nice to have, but not essential. I have never run air in my Doc Bio Filter.

 

[carolinaguy]

actually, the bacteria won't necessarily die in an open system. nitrobacter and nitrospora are supposed to go dormant with the denial of oxygen or food but come back fairly quickly. the only problem to be aware of is that good bacteria in a closed filter will exhaust oxygen quickly, 45 minutes i've been told, and can actually shift to an anaerobic mode that generates hydrogen sulfide. i tested that possibility with my q

 

[carolinaguy]

sorry hit the wrong button. i tested that with my qt canister filter and got a rotten egg smell after about 3 hours with the pump off. the water came out with a low ph too. don't know if the hydrogen sulfide smell was from good bacteria or bad, but it was there.

 

[koiguy1969]

anaerobic bacteria creates the hydrogen sulfide as a byproduct...thats the source of the smell (rotten egg)...