FILTER OFF WHEN GRAVEL VAC?

[bartender_in_ny]

THIS may sound dumb but i know if the filter is off (for how long?) the bacteria will die in media? should u have filter off when syphoning + water chg and gravel lite vac?

 

[bartender_in_ny]

also? i fig. if the filter is running during this maitanence all the junk would be stirred up? and then go in to media? any help would be greatly appreciated, this forum is so awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! hope im not being a pian!!!

 

[TheShocker]

I leave mine on

 

[fishyjessie]

it depends on what type of medium you have in your tank. i trun my sand tank filter off when i vaccum but all the others get left on. there is no problem leaving the filter on as long as no thick gunk will get sucked into it (ie sand etc)

 

[Bol]

I turn mine off. And, just as a reminder, along with the heater! if the heater is placed in a way that some of it is out of the water during the water change.

For one thing, about half the time I'm also rinsing off a filter cartridge at the same time, and removing cartridges while the filter is running makes an unnecessary mess in the tank.

For another, if you leave the filter running, the gunk you stir up will clog your filter cartridge a bit more.

And third, with a HOB filter, like your Penguin, you're going to have a pretty substantial waterfall if you leave it on while doing a, say, 25% water change. That may not be a problem in a tank with no live plants, couldn't say.

When I do water changes, the filter is usually off for 10-30 minutes (occasionally a bit longer), and I've never had any measurable "mini-cycles" after a water change.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

if the filter is running during this maitanence all the junk would be stirred up? and then go in to media?

This is why I leave mine on. Where would you rather this junk, in the filter or in the aquarium? It's much easier to clean it out of the filter