Is it OK to turn filter off at night?

Question

I have 5 basic fish in a 10 gallon aquarium. The filter is for a 10-30 gallon tank, so it is slightly oversized for this tank. It seems to create a strong current that the fish have to struggle against constantly to hold their place. So, do I need to run the filter 24 hours a day, or can I just run it, say 8 hours/day.

Thanks.

Answer 1

your fish need the oxygen so you need to let it run for 24/7
You can do 2 things:
1. check out your filter if there is a regulator on it that you can turn down the power of the movement in your water
2. or you buy an approbiate filter for your tanksize

Good luck


EB

Answer 2

I have two fish tanks in my room. One is a five gallon on the nightstand at the head of my bed, the other is a ten gallon on my dresser at the foot of my bed. The five gallon is a Marineland Eclipse Corner 5, which has a built-in filter and light. The filter on it is completely silent when the water is filled to the output. The filter I have on my ten gallon is an Aqueon QuietFlow10, and i can only hear a quiet drip, which is because I don't have the water filled up to the output; it's also silent when the tank is filled completely. Filters should never be turned off. So I suggest you either find a new home for your fish or get a new quieter filter. Whenever something from my tanks is bothering me, I turn on some music just loud enough to drown out the equipment. I put the sleep timer on the music player, and it turns off automatically after an hour. I'm already sound asleep by then, and can still hear my alarm in the morning.

Answer 3

The filter needs to run 24/7.

I run filters rated for twice the size of all my tanks and the fish are fine. Then again, I run AquaClears which have flow control levers so I can make the flow weaker or stronger as needed. Check and see if your filter has something similar.

Some fish do better with a strong current than others. If you have long-finned, slow-swimming fish that really seem to be struggling, you can place plants and decor around the tank as "wind-blocks" that the fish will rest under and behind when and if they need a rest.

You'll probably notice that some of the fish will hide from the current often and others like to sit right under the outflow "riding the waves."

Answer 4

Don't worry about fish struggling. In the wild they often live in water that has natural currents and they are expecting that current to bring them food and oxygenated water so they instinctively love it.

As far as night they are still breathing (and not getting added oxygen from the plants in the dark) so keep the filter running.

Answer 5

You need to run it all the time - this is what adds dissolved oxygen to the water, beside filtering the water. There should be a knob on the tube that pulls the water out of the tank - turn this to adjust the flow so it's not as strong.

Answer 6

You shouldn't have to worry about the filter at night. You need to get a filter that is right for their tank or get a bigger tank that goes with the filter. You always need to have the filter on.

Answer 7

if you turn the filter off at night sudomonis gases will build in the filter and it could muck up the tank . there are ways to slow the filter down but first need to know what type of filter

Answer 8

If your filter doesn't have a knob to turn down the current, it's often made so that if you pull the intake tube up slightly, it will reduce the flow. If you still have your instructions, there should be some way to make that happen.

Answer 9

You should leave it on 24/7 so the tank will be clean continually. Also, clean the water out frequently.

Answer 10

You need to buy a new filter (obviously) because its not the right one.... your fish are living in torment! There constantly being tortured by this current..... buy a new one asap but until then....yes, you have to leave it on all the time because if you dont, itll screw up the system....wht would u do if YOUR toilet stopped flushing?..... same thing......lol... ♥ Cassie