OK........It's that time of year to clean up all your bio filtration to get ready for winter. .... Cleaned up the original filters and all the extra bio material in my Savio skimmer and Savio waterfall. Myself here in Zone 7 have about 3 weeks until a killing frost, so my multitude of plants will keep the ammonia and nitrates in check until the bacteria gets back going in my filters. Only feeding Cheerios now, no high protein food, I really don't think the fish would be be harmed if we cut off feeding now....... It's just a feel good thing for us...... Only chore left for me is cutting down the jungle...... Uggh
It's that time of year
- Thread starter Jimmy Gibson
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As long as you clean with dechlorinated water, the bacteria will not be affected. Cleaning filters doesn't have to kill your bacteria.
I realize that...... Even though I used city water the bacteria will be back by the time I cut all the plants back . Even then all my plants over winter and the huge root system holds bacteria over the winter, we rarely have ice and I have never seen my water temperature get below 35. Really all I was trying to remind pond folks that a good cleaning in the fall is just as important as in the spring......
We had our first killing freeze last night - October 7! Way too early. I did manage to get my tender plants either inside or covered. But I still have to get in the pond one more time... brrr... to clean up and move lilies and lotuses and clean the filter pads. I'll be honest - I hose mine down with the garden hose, chlorine and all. When people say "swish them around in pond water" I think "you're kidding, right?" These things are A. heavy B. large and C. literally covered in slimy goop.
(For reference, my bio-filter is only for mechanical filtration. All the biological filtration is handled by the bog, plants, and algae.)
(For reference, my bio-filter is only for mechanical filtration. All the biological filtration is handled by the bog, plants, and algae.)
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We had a light frost list night. I didn't cover my tender plants so they're probably toast 
I've always used water straight from the hose to clean skimmer pads....when we had koi, they were thick with muck within days!
I've always used water straight from the hose to clean skimmer pads....when we had koi, they were thick with muck within days!
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We are going from 36 am 58 day to almost 68 day tomorrow.
So Tomorrow, the bog plants all get yanked. A few hours probably more yanking plants, tossing plants, playing in the mud. I get totally covered, no matter how careful I am.
Turning off the pumps and draining them. I leave the pumps down by the pond all winter just covered up, loosely for air flow.
Put in the pond breathers, ready for winter. Last year never turned them on.
Pond currently 60f. Could leave it running longer, but with external pumps I don't take a chance with a power out and a freeze. Then my pond winter vacation begins.
So Tomorrow, the bog plants all get yanked. A few hours probably more yanking plants, tossing plants, playing in the mud. I get totally covered, no matter how careful I am.
Turning off the pumps and draining them. I leave the pumps down by the pond all winter just covered up, loosely for air flow.
Put in the pond breathers, ready for winter. Last year never turned them on.
Pond currently 60f. Could leave it running longer, but with external pumps I don't take a chance with a power out and a freeze. Then my pond winter vacation begins.
Don't know i'd try that with koi THEY POOP way too much . imo have to wait until the water is 40 or less constantly. THE KOI ARE TOO ACTIVE until which time.
i also leave my bog plants until spring, So when they die and droop over they act as an insulator for the winter. The cold will keep them from rotting and polluting the water.
only when temps drop to below 20 for an extended period of time do i shut down the pumps off
i also leave my bog plants until spring, So when they die and droop over they act as an insulator for the winter. The cold will keep them from rotting and polluting the water.
only when temps drop to below 20 for an extended period of time do i shut down the pumps off
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I'm toying with the idea of keeping our waterfall running this winter since we don't have fish. Of course if it gets frigid, I'll turn it off so pipes don't freeze. Some of my floating plant baskets are wilting due to colder temps, so we'll cut them back soon.
Same @addy1 ! I watch lots of Youtube gardening videos and think "how do you stay so CLEAN??" haha!
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I leave everything running all year long. But I'm gonna do some severe "thinning of the herd" this fall, after the first killing frost.
the person in the videos is just a figure head . They only look like they did the work
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I gotta get myself that figurehead job… just spent four days hauling and spreading mulch and I’m not sure my feet will ever be clean again!
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Well I am sure most of you are happy to be heading into your "pond vacation"..I remember that feeling when I lived in Virginia.. a well needed rest (I had two of the largest Biofalls and a huge pond that was in a bowl so I had a lot of run off and the biofall mats were SO heavy with goop and the biofall bags weighed a ton...I had to clean all of that about every two weeks! Ugh, I was so happy to turn everything off for winter...Now, here in Florida, with a MUCH smaller pond and no run off I only have to clean my biofall mats twice a year and my skimmer mat every two weeks so I don't need a vacation anymore...Yes, I have to deal with the heat (I have Northern blood but I have to say that the fact that everything stays green all year is a decent trade off...I am actually getting used to the heat...Now the 60's is a bit chilly! LOL
but I have to say that the fact that everything stays green all year is a decent trade off...I am actually getting used to the heat...Now the 60's is a bit chilly! LOL
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What state are you thinking of GBBUDD? I was thinking about North Carolina for awhile but I find that when everything turns brown my morale goes along with it
Actually,when my Husband and I were snowbirds and made the trip from Florida back up to the Adirondacks I always found that our stop over in Georgia had a higher heat index and was more humid that where we had left in Florida....I do love the fact that I seldom have to don a coat also Fun to go outside at night or early in the morning in my nightie too When I lived in Charlottesville, VA it was hotter and more humid than here in the Summer..Loved all of the birds though, beautiful state...They can keep that orange clay soil though...Every time it rained there was no place for it to go..If I ever moved back there I would make sure I lived at the very tippy top of a hill and had a French Drain surrounding my house