Glassbeads in Pool Filter, Before or After Biomechanical?

[aquaholic]

Been using a cartridge filter with my sand gravel and bog filter. Crystal clear water with a weekly hose down. No clogging sand or losing beads

Good to hear some positive results! Hopefully others will post with their favorable solutions.
Although some may argue that a weekly hose down is still high maintenance
What size water pump do you have? Is it a pleated cartridge and how long does it usually last?

My local pool store often throws out unwanted cartridge and sand filters so it's very easy to scavenge parts or obtain working filters.

On a previous sand filter, the back flush phase required a much higher water flow rate than the normal operation phase which was kept low for electrical costs. However a variable speed pump was quite expensive so I used two separate pumps. One high pressure pool pump for the back flush and a second low pressure - high flow pond pump for normal operations. Hard plumbed in separately with simple on/off valves. Over time channeling would occur so a major breakdown and messy clean out was needed.

However a better development was to have 2 small sand filters hard plumbed in parallel. While one filter was cleaning the pond, the other filter was in a closed bypass loop with some chlorine added - to destroy any biofilm. After a month, any residue chlorine had broken down and the filters were switched over. As simple as turning some valves, adding new chlorine and walking away (once a month). I didn't need to back flush as the sand filter was like new for that month.

[fly4koi]

So with the bleach bomb you don't even need to backwash? I'm asking because my sand filter is gunked up and if bleach can loosen the sand that'll help with my conversion process.

[coolwon]

Bleach will kill off, the anaerobic bio bugs in the compacted mulm,mud,fish poop etc.

It will still be compacted.

The smell will now be a bleach smell.

Use a pressure cleaner to break up the compacted gravel.

This gunk becomes compacted, when the gravel is given a miss for a period of time.

Sand filter maintenance is VERY BIG PT on a regular basis.

I tried air .

[aquaholic]

So with the bleach bomb you don't even need to backwash? I'm asking because my sand filter is gunked up and if bleach can loosen the sand that'll help with my conversion process.

Yes, that's correct but pumped chlorinated water is continously circulated for days. Also this was done monthly so no large buildup or compaction issues had time to develop.

In your situation where you are replacing sand with beads, you just need to scoop it out. A dustpan, plastic bowl/colander or 6 inch aquarium net (which will get ruined) for example.

[fly4koi]

Thank you, are you running pressurized filter (like a pool sand filter) or the open type gravity fed ones?

[aquaholic]

Pressurized (closed) filters.

Have you changed your media over yet? Will you have an air blower for back flush?
Fingers crossed for you. I hope everything works out well.