Can I switch off my filter at night?

[Dragons Bay]

Can I? Will there be harmful effects for the fish/plants?

 

[Great Lakes]

I guess I am curious as to why you would want to do that. The noise? If its a bio wheel, you can not. And I really wouldn't recommend it anyways, although I guess you could get away with it as long as the tank is healthy, and remains so.

 

[Dragons Bay]

I guess I am curious as to why you would want to do that. The noise? If its a bio wheel, you can not. And I really wouldn't recommend it anyways, although I guess you could get away with it as long as the tank is healthy, and remains so.

I'm not too keen in arguing with my Dad over the filter. As long as the fish would be healthy, I want to balance my family relations.

It's not as bad as you think, mind you.

 

[Cian McLiam]

I would not advise ever switching the filter off. If its too noisy you could get a quieter model and switch over gradually.

The bacteria in the filter require slow moving water at all times, they are not free swimming and so need their food brought to them. If the water is not flowing, they can only process the ammonia and nitrite in the immediate water and can only use the oxygen available in the stagnant water also. What this means is that huge numbers of bacteria will start to die off within hours, causing an ammonia and nitrite spike in the tank. Plus the fact that the water is no longer moving so toxins can build up at the lower levels of the tank.

Ken

 

[smb]

Just to back up what Ken said, never turn your filter off overnight. This could send your tank into a mini-cycle or a complete cycle. Nitrosomona and Nitrobacter are aerobic and will start to die off without the fresh oxygen which the filter brings them.

 

[Lateral Line]

No - it is a really bad idea. The bacteria will suffer significant losses. You risk ammonia spiking your tank.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

If it's noise that's the problem it might be worth considering a canister filter. place the outputs below water level and facing up just enough to cause a ripple on the surface. It becomes silent. I don't like the noise of filters either, so this is my solution.

 

[Interfire]

What kind of filter is it anyways? I mean if a filter is THAT loud then there is something actually wrong with the filter.

Try raising the water lvl as high as you can, if it's hob that should help/fix/solve the problem.