Barrel Filter questions (Winter maintenance) and other questions
Hi folks I know summer is just starting but I learned a hard newbie lession from last year. As it was my first year with 3 barrel filtration system (K1 media int hem) I forgot to empty the berrals before the cold Canadian winter. Of course over the winter the 2" pipes that go from berral to berral carrying the water cracked
Luckly I ran into this miracle wrap stuff that pretty much completely stopped the leaks!
Questions is do I have to empty all 3 barrels just before winter every year? In that process I would loose all of the beneficial bacteria... Is that the normal process? Just kick start the filtration every season by adding some BB.
Yes you need to drain the barrels each year before they freeze or you will be repairing them every year. once you start them up in the spring they will quickly recolonize with bacteria.
I keep my media In my pond over winter. When it was bioballs they were in a mesh bag. Now I have feather rock in milk crates. I take the milk crates out of the barrel in the fall and float/ tie them in the pond for winter.