Pond after the winter question...

[bomber]

I just hooked up my pump on the first day of spring. After it ran for a day I tested my water and I do not have a reading of ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate.....

I left all my bio media in the water, does this mean I have to cycle my pond all over again?

This is my first year after the winter. So I am still hazy on how the bio media works after winter..

Thanks for reading..

bomber

 

[Muske]

Did you remove the fish?

If so, maybe wait til the water temps. get a little warmer (depends on location too) before you add them. You will want to give the pond a head start to re-build the BB that was lost over the winter. There is plenty of organic matter from last fall to feed the current BB population and get it going. You will also have a string algae bloom soon, if it hasn't already started, so don't be alarmed. It is just a part of the spring/fall cycle and happens as BB and plants either die off, or haven't started activly growing. A water chage is also a good idea to dilute some of the nutrient load to help with the algae bloom. Not necessary though if you did a decent fall clean up.

Once the pump gets the water oxigenated, the BB will be at work again. Some is lost over the winter, some strains hibernate, some are cold water strains and others will begin working once water temps. are right. There is so many different types of BB that there is bound to be some still viable in the pond. You could also spike it with a liquid BB if you like. Just make sure water temps. are in range.

 

[bomber]

The fish were left in the water with a de-icer. The depth is 4' deep so that all koi's were at the bottom hibernating.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Yanbbrox]

For future ref, keep everything running through the winter, if any BB survives then it will populate quickly when things warm up. Feed little at this time, it will let the filter catch up. I'm currently increasing the feed slightly each day, since they have started on the feed again, (granted I've added an extra 60k of K1).

 

[bomber]

Leave my return pump running even in the winter????

 

[Muske]

If the return does not splash in a way that it will cause a major ice dam, let it rip. I haven't shut off my pump in 5 years. Excluding maintenance of course.

Ice does form, but a little tweak of my waterfall in the fall keeps a pretty smooth sheet of water flowing. I also have about 4K gph, but I just keep an eye on it when temps. get below 0 for a few days or more. It will even form a shell of ice and the water just flows behind it. As ice form avail. water gets locked up so top off is necessary

This is a pick of the ice building.

 

[bomber]

I will have to post some photos when I get the chance this weekend. I am new to the pond world and it was advised to take everything out.

The water fall is not like yours, its more like this http://www.123ponds.com/cf24w.html and the company that built this for me advised me to remove the pump and UV. Maybe I do not need to remove the pump or UV but I just wanted to make sure the waterfall would not be damaged but the winter. Damage as in the pvc bursting underground then there would be very costly since the pond is build right into my patio with pavers. All the plumb work is under my patio.

This advise could be like advise from the LFS to aquariums that's why I posted it here n MFK.

Photos to come.

 

[Muske]

Is the PVC solid or Flex?

I have flex-PVC and it is only buried 3-4" below grade in some spots. Again, never any issues with freeze/thaw cycles or the pipes bursting. I know for sure the pond and plumbing has been through temps. that have seen 20 below for a few days. Night time temps are even worse.

That spillway you have should make for a smooth return. Unless it hits some rocks and boulders before it reaches the pond. Even so, mine it not a perfect sheet of water flowing into the pond. There are some boulders in the falls that i don't touch and they cause some splashing.

Maybe at the end of next season you can run it to see how it preforms. You can always sht down the pump if needed...

 

[5280critters]

I never turn mine off either seems to just fine I have flex PVC and it is above ground here in Colorado and has never froze. My brother on the other hand turned his main pump/filter off and just used a smaller filter for the winter and lost two turtles (RES) and three koi. He thought he would be safe and it did not work out so well for him this year. Headed over to his place this weekend to help sort out the mess.

 

[Pondergirl]

I also leave my pumps and waterfall running all winter, even the spitters around the edge. You will get some ice formation, but the water will continue to run. The continued filtration helps with amonia and other bi products that occure in the water once the surface starts to freeze.