How to restart your pond after winter.

Even during the months of relative inactivity over winter, your pond and it's life-supporting hardware will have undergone significant changes having experienced the physical extremes of our climate.
As the majority of koi keepers do not heat their pond over winter, for this article I will assume that the pond has not been heated but followed ambient temperature over winter.
As there has been no food added to the pond, there will have been little incentive to carry out a water change through the cold months.
So it is highly likely that the composition and analysis of your pond water will have changed, and with the changes that are going to take place as spring approaches, the pond will experience another dynamic period.
Bacteria will start to divide (still as slowly as they would do in a fridge) and commence consuming the array of inorganic and organic material that would have accumulated over the winter.
One potentially catastrophic event that you must plan to avoid is for your pump to blast new water through your rested filter and pipework, taking with it a highly anoxic and potentially toxic organic sediment that will have settled in that pipework and filter.
Clean and service pump and strainer.
Continue to do so upon first feeding.
Replace as required ready for later on in the year when aeration will be required.
Quartz Sleeve: Low-abrasive pan scourer (for non-stick pans) and hot water Pump Strainer: Bleach and hot water, stiff scrubbing brush Airdome membrane: Hot water, scrubbing brush (if you're able to retrieve it from the pond bottom!) Mechanical Media (dry and encrusted)
Pre-soak and then blast with a high pressure hose.

water pump media clean "quartz sleeve" pond temperature filter koi bacteria fish extreme air waste pipework click link to read full article

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