Is it possible to turn off the filter in the aquarium at night and for what reasons?

It has been about two centuries since aquariums appeared in Europe. But attention to exotic fish continues unabated. A large, beautifully designed aquarium is a prestigious decoration in any home and a great stress reliever.

An aquarium is an unnatural closed water world with its own complex ecological balance. To maintain a comfortable life for fish and algae, the water in the aquarium must be properly filtered, and it must be replaced regularly at intervals of about once a week. Stability and quality of filtration in a home pond is ensured by a special purification filter consisting of a pump and a container with filtration material. In this article, we will consider the selection criteria, care and answer the question of whether it is possible to turn off the filter in the aquarium at night.

Before buying a water purification device, you should decide on the number of future residents of the aquarium, what plants will be present there and whether the filter can cope with water purification and removal of sewage.

Optimal filter criteria are minimum size, reliability, serviceability, maximum efficiency. Also, the price of the product and the manufacturing company are of great importance when choosing.

Usually, after buying such a filter, you no longer think about the quality of water purification from impurities and mechanical impurities.But because of their price, such devices are of little relevance.

The middle price segment is represented by a large number of models. These are practically all European brands: Aquael, Ferplast, Sera and many others. Such filters are more affordable and will last long enough.

Unknown and inexpensive manufacturers mainly from China. How they will work, how much water they can filter - nothing definite can be said about them. Usually, such devices are bought as temporary or spare to replace those that have failed.

Filters are of various types, they are divided into bottom, external, hinged and internal. The filter material and construction also differ. In turn, the efficiency and noise are of great importance.

Indoor models are usually installed inside domestic waters, are small in size, low in performance and low in noise floor. Maintenance is simple and convenient.

The main purpose of the hydrofilter is to circulate water in the aquarium and remove waste products from fish and turbidity. No matter how different devices are in appearance and design, they have a common principle of operation:

• water with impurities is drawn in by a water pump;
• cleaned mechanically or chemically;
• treated water flows back into the tank;
• forcibly and evenly mixes the water layers.

All these parameters affect the ease of use of the unit, the speed and quality of cleaning the aquarium liquid.

In addition to cleaning from unnecessary impurities, the unit has another important function - it is to saturate the water in the aquarium with air. In the closed space of the aquarium, in addition to fish, beneficial bacteria grow, which have a positive effect on the eco-balance. In the absence of oxygen, they begin to die and decompose, while releasing chemical compounds that are harmful to the aquarium population.

That's why it is absolutely impossible to turn off the pump at night - the device must work constantly. Short-term shutdown of the filter pump for maintenance is allowed.

If the pump is always running (around the clock), then the biological balance in the aquarium is maintained in a stable state. The water stays clean for a long time, the fish are healthy.

If the air supply is cut off for extraordinary reasons, for example, a pump breakdown or a power outage, aquariums with a volume of more than 50 liters will tolerate this situation without any problems. For smaller aquariums, this can be a huge hazard. With a single shutdown, large aquariums will cope with the problem, but if you turn it off often, then fish diseases or even death can happen in the near future.

Colonies of beneficial bacteria live in the filter container, so cleaning must be treated with great care. It is undesirable to use detergents when washing the pump and filter.

The frequency of such filter maintenance is influenced by the number of fish living in the aquarium.

To flush, unplug it from the mains and carefully remove it so that impurities and food residues do not fall to the bottom of the aquarium. Then disassemble the pump, rinse the internal parts and the filter element. Then reassemble everything in reverse order and put the unit back in place.

The reasons for the incorrect operation of the filtering complex may be different. Let's consider the main ones, as well as ways to eliminate the problems.

• Filter clogged with waste from the aquarium population... The operating time of the device is not unlimited and very much depends on the location in the aquarium and the quality of the water. A sure sign is a drop in air pressure at the outlet of the pump. Corrected by regular cleaning or replacing the filter when worn. The place of installation is important. The unit must be completely submerged in water, but not touching the bottom so that soil or other elements do not fall into it.
• Low electrical voltage. The pump operates with power fluctuations. It is eliminated by installing a device that stabilizes the voltage in front of the consumer.
• Breakdown of the pump... Water stops circulating even with a clean or new filter. The solution is to replace the pump. In no case should you try to repair it yourself. It is recommended to take it to a workshop for repair or purchase a new one.

• It is dangerous to leave the water treatment element idle in the aquarium for a long time. If this happens, then you should take it out and wash it thoroughly.
• It is strictly forbidden to carry out any work on the aquarium while the pump or any other electrical equipment is on.
• To keep the compressor in working order, it must not be allowed to operate outdoors - the motor may overheat and fail.
• A new filter must not be put into the aquarium immediately. First, it must be thoroughly washed to exclude the ingress of bacteria that can harm microflora and fish.

See below for an overview of the internal filter.