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  1. #1

    Trickle filter in winter?

    Afternoon all,
    I have been running a 3 tier trickle filter since April this year as an add on filter to a sieve and bead filter, Im wondering would it be best to turn off and strip it down for the winter months or leave it on at a reduce flow.



  2. #2
    Can you share some pics of your trickle filter? Tks.

  3. #3
    Sorry for the delay, no photos yet as phone problems, but I have measurements, it is fibreglass and is 34" H x 36" W x 14" D It is fed by a Super fish 1000 pump that can be controlled by inline valve. Hope this is helpful.

  4. #4
    If you mean a shower biofilter then, obviously, if you run it over winter, the bugs will stay alive in their near dormant state and be ready to "wake up" and start their bio job as soon as the water warms in spring but there will be considerable chilling as the water falls through the cold air.

    Turning it off will save the chilling but the bugs will die and the media will have to re-mature from scratch every spring so I see two possible solutions:

    Either the shower could be insulated to prevent heat loss and left running or my preferred solution would be to turn it off and put the media into a net bag and tuck it away somewhere in the filtration system or even in the pond itself.

    Fish still create ammonia in winter, in lower and lower amounts as their water cools, even right down to the lowest survivable temperature. Biological filtration doesn't switch off at any particular temperature. The bugs' activity roughly matches the ammonia output from fish, i.e. as the temperature falls and the fish become less active and produce less and less ammonia, the bugs also become less and less active. So, by keeping the media in the filter system or the pond. the bugs it supports will always have oxygen and the nutrients they need to survive.

  5. Thanks Ajm, perniciousviper, Tropheus, john1 Thanked / Liked this Post
  6. #5
    Thanks for that I think your idea of netting the media and over wintering in the pond is a great idea never thought of that, thanks once again.

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  8. #6
    If you can, hang it above an air stone or plonk it on the floor on top of an air stone to create some water movement through it.

  9. Thanks supersting, Ajm, john1, perniciousviper Thanked / Liked this Post
  10. #7
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    Sting,
    Ive done just this and seems to be working well, bagged up all the crystal bio from rotoshower and somehow squeezed it into nexus 200 after doubling the air, pond is heated and bearing in mind spiralling costs I would have had alot of pipework and shower to insulate, all bubbling away nicely and readings remain good.
    Fibreglassed/5000 gals/4.5 m Tunnel/Spindrifter/Twin drums/Bio chambers/Beads/Showers/Remora ASHP

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