# Filter Off At Night



## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

I have 2 tanks in my bedroom and even though i have got used to the "waterfall" noise at night i was wondering if it would be a bad thing to turn them off when i go to bed and then switch them on when i wake up ?


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## yusufm52 (Dec 22, 2010)

It depends on what size is your fish's are and what size is your tank?
I had 4 bala sharks, 4 gold's, and a pleco fish, in my 27 tank and once i forgot to switch on back the air pump after feeding them at night, in the morning i found 3 of my bala sharks dead, and all the others coming to the surface gasping for air. for which i had to do an immediate water change.
my fishes are all around 4"-5" long and the pleco is almost a 15".


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## Jwest (Nov 15, 2010)

you had that big of fish in that small of a tank?


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

I have a 20 gallon long that houses mollies & platties, pleco about 3" filtered by a penguin 350
I also have a 40 gallon breeder that houses 3 sunfish, pleco 5" and 1 baby turtle. filtered by emperor 400 and penguin powerhead sponge filter which i can leave on cos there is no sound from that.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Can't you raise the water level so you don't have it splashing into the tank from the filter?


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## sik80 (Mar 16, 2010)

My instinct tells me it'd be a bad idea because the bacteria in the filter are adapted to having a continuous flow of water over them that provides nutrients. Stopping the fliter would stave the bacteria of these nutrients, which could lead to some of them dying and to less effective biological filtration.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

sik80 said:


> My instinct tells me it'd be a bad idea because the bacteria in the filter are adapted to having a continuous flow of water over them that provides nutrients. Stopping the fliter would stave the bacteria of these nutrients, which could lead to some of them dying and to less effective biological filtration.


It's to early in the morning and the coffee hasn't kicked in..I read this as "the batteries in the filter" and thought what is sik80 talking about? Batteries need continuoius flow?? LOL. I agree with sik80, and like Romad's idea of raising the water level. Whenever I start hearing too much "waterfall" it's always due to evaporation and a lower water level.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

It can be done if the tank is not crazily overstocked and is planted moderately or more and show decent growth. This will stop any sudden water spike, but it doesn't do much in the fact that the tank will not heat evenly without a flow.


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## yusufm52 (Dec 22, 2010)

Jwest: well yeah i have so many fishes in a small tank, but due to a breakage of one of my tanks and due to some budget problems can't two many tanks, so am planning to give away some off the fishes, so am looking for good home owners for them .. 

Stevenjohn21 you should try raising the water level so you won't have the splashing noise.


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

Thanks for your comments everyone. The waterfall noise does not bother me and is actually soothing at times. The reason i was wanting to cut the filters off at night was 1) the impellar noise can be annoying at times and 2) i figured it would save electric over the year.


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## iamgray (Jul 16, 2010)

stevenjohn21 said:


> Thanks for your comments everyone. The waterfall noise does not bother me and is actually soothing at times. The reason i was wanting to cut the filters off at night was 1) the impellar noise can be annoying at times and 2) i figured it would save electric over the year.


What kind of filter? I have an aquaclear 110 and it can get really noisy sometimes if something is jammed in the impeller... but once I pull it out and give it a quick rinse to get whatever is stuck in there out, the impeller is virtually silent. So, maybe you've got something stuck in the impeller that's causing the racket.


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