Knowing About Aquarium Filtration
Aquarium filters are a key component in physical tank maintenance for a healthy environment for any fish or aquarium plants. They take care of physical debris, help break down toxins, and keep water clear. However, it can be confusing to determine how long to run your aquarium filter every day. There are many factors in determining the running time, the different types of filters, and more importantly, what their best practices are!
Types of Aquarium Filters
Before getting into how long you should run your filter, it’s important to understand the different types of filters available:
- Mechanical filters – removes particulate matter from the water like uneaten food and/or fish waste. Most of the time, they use either filter sponges or filter pads.
- Chemical Filters: These use materials such as activated carbon to adsorb impurities and toxins from the water.
- Biological Filters: These filters utilize beneficial bacteria, which will break down harmful things such as ammonia and nitrite.
- Canister Filters: This is an external filter which can use many different types of filtration media and provides filtration for larger tanks.
- Hang-on-back (HOB) Filters: Mostly used for smaller aquariums, HOB filters sit on the back of the aquarium and provide external filtration.
- Sponge Filters: Best for use in breeding tanks or very small aquariums, sponge filters run from air and provide gentle filtration.
Factors That Affect Filter Run Time
There are several factors which affect the runtime of your aquarium filter:
- Tank Size: larger aquariums typically will have longer filtration times, due to the larger volume of water. Your aquarium will find its pace with the right filter when you have more volume of water to exhaust into. If the filtration has a shorter runtime than settling, your aquarium will reach that resting phase more quickly than a filter with a natural filter cycle and settling time. Equipping your tank with a good filter and utilizing your fish’s bioactive process, your aquarium will develop into its own living ecosystem.
- Stocking Levels: A heavily stocked tank, with more fish, will produce more waste – meaning it will require longer filtration to maintain water quality. If the bio-process is working properly, the aquarium and filtration can consume more waste faster than you could measure it.
- Type of Filtration System: Different filters cache filaments and materials in multiple methods and at different efficiencies. A high-quality canister filter can sometimes have a shorter run time than a basic HOB filter. This could depend on your water quality. If your water parameters are fluctuating a lot, or trending, you may need to run the filter longer. Another thing to consider is your bioload; the more fish and plants you have, the greater your bioload will be, which can affect your filter run time.
So how long should you run your filter after it runs?
Generally speaking, the best option is to continue running the filter continually, or constantly, 24/7. This will keep your water filtered and cycled, keeping your water clean and providing a safe environment for your fish and other pets. Here are a few things to consider:
- Continuous Operation: For most home aquariums, particularly fish tanks; you want to keep your filter running continually. This is the best option for your tank to stabilize and keep consistent water parameters.
- While Water Changes: You should always keep your filter running while you change water; when your filter runs constantly, it allows your new water to mix with the old water and keep overall water quality.
- After Adding Chemicals: If you are adding chemicals or medications to your water, it is in your best interest to keep your filter running while you add those to your tank, in order to speed up the mix and distribution of those in your tank.
- After Cycling the Tank: After your cycling process is complete, you should continue to run your filter 24/7 to encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria that will create a successful and healthy environment.
When to Turn Off the Filter
As stated above, running your filter 24/7 is in your best interest; however, there are a few specific instances it makes sense to stop running the filter:
- When Cleaning the Filter: If require to clean your filter, you can stop your filter briefly while you clean it, but you should start the filter back up when you can to benefit the beneficial bacteria.
- When the Power is Off: If your power goes out, your filter will stop running. When your power is restored, you will want to check to make sure your filter is again operating, in order to maintain your water quality.
- When You need to Make Short-term Changes: If you have a specific issue you are hoping to address, like bubbles in the intake or a noisy filter, you may have to think about short-term changing your filter, depending on the context. Just remember to turn it back on again once you have solved your problem.
Testing Water quality
To monitor whether your filter is doing a good job filtering your water, monitor your water quality parameters, like ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and temperature; if you start to see spikes (particularly ammonia and nitrite), you will know there is something you need to change about your practices.
Regardless of your budget, I recommend getting a water testing kit as it allows you to quantify and track your water quality with compounds. You will spend financial investment and time keeping your plants and fish happy and healthy. Indicators to keep an eye on for poor water quality include the following:
- Cloudiness of water.
- Bad smells.
- Uncontrollable algae growth.
- Fish displaying signs of stress or illness.
In Summary:
The best thing you can do for your fish, is to keep your filter running 24/7 for a clean healthy environment. You will want to consider the type and size of your tank, your stocking levels, the type of filtering system you are using, and if you need to change your practices every once in a while. You will want to monitor your water quality regularly, so you know how your filter is running. For budget-minded aquarists, there is so much information available to aquarists and their design, you should reach out if you are ever an aquarist in distress, from hobbyists to professionals. Keep your integrity in regards to your practices and time, and you will have an aquarium to be proud!
