Is it possible to turn off the compressor in the aquarium at night?
![Is it possible to turn off the compressor in the aquarium at night?](https://fashion.decorexpro.com/images/article/croppedtop/450-255/2019/06/mozhno-li-vyklyuchat-kompressor-v-akvariume-na-noch-8.jpg)
It is very difficult to say with certainty whether to turn off the compressor in the aquarium at night, as this depends on several factors that influence the decision. For some aquariums, switching off will not bring any unpleasant consequences in the morning, while for others, switching off the aeration even for several hours is not recommended.
Let's figure out when it is permissible to stop forced aeration at night, and when it is better to refrain from such a decision.
We take into account the details
The following factors must be taken into account without fail:
- the size and shape of your aquarium;
- population with fish and snails;
- the presence of algae in the aquarium;
- decorating elements.
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The numerical characteristics of the water surface depend on the size of your aquarium. The larger the space, the better the exchange of gases between living organisms and the external environment takes place. In this case, the fish have excellent conditions for life, and the compressor also additionally regulates the oxygen supply.
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Thus, it is always advisable to have, if not a huge, then significantly larger aquarium than is required for the number of free-swimming fish. The larger the volume of the aquarium, the less chances that your pets will experience oxygen starvation at night, if you plan to turn off the oxygen supply compressor. Try to avoid crowding your aquarium by any means. - move out growing plants, purchase a larger aquarium.
And if the fish are overpopulated, then remove them from the existing composition, leaving only the normalized number of individuals.
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Risk factors
Very important avoid overpopulation, which depends on how big your aquarium is... If you turn off the air compressor in an aquarium teeming with fish at night, then there is a huge chance that in the morning you will find several individuals killed from a lack of oxygen. This is due to the fact that one individual has less oxygen in an aquarium with an inoperative compressor, and if it is overcrowded, then the chances of oxygen starvation increase several times.
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During the day, algae in the aquarium release oxygen during photosynthesis, but at night the situation changes dramatically - plants at this time of day, on the contrary, begin to consume oxygen from the water. Therefore, it is logical to assume that even in a not very densely populated aquarium, the nightlife of the fish is complicated.
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Why disable?
Turning off the compressor at night can have various reasons - the owner wants to save electricity or does not consider it necessary to operate it at night, believing that the fish are sleeping.
However, you must understand that the maintenance of any pets is associated with different expenses, therefore, even before purchasing living creatures, you need to think about whether you are ready for additional items of expenses for the maintenance of living beings... Fish need their own aquarium, additional lighting and aeration, food and plants that facilitate their daytime existence.
If you have a lot of fish and the aquarium looks overcrowded, you should be prepared to purchase a second one and set aside to avoid crowding and risk of suffocation.
Otherwise, when you have a spacious aquarium with a minimum of vegetation, you can sometimes turn off the compressor at night, but be sure to monitor the reaction of the fish in the morning. Whether they have enough oxygen is easy to understand by paying attention to where the fish swim. If they hovered close to the surface of the water, it means that at night they actively swam up to swallow air.
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Conclusion
Based on everything described above, we can conclude that additional aeration can be turned off only in a spacious aquarium with a small population of algae and animals.
In the morning, you can always tell exactly if you made a mistake by turning off the compressor. If it is obvious that the fish lack oxygen, do not let the aeration shut off anymore.
Remember about plants that consume oxygen at night - if there are a lot of them, they will "take" oxygen from the fish at night, making it difficult for them to breathe.
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If you take into account all the above factors and do not miss important points leading to the death of fish, then the additional air supply at night can be turned off. In other cases, the compressor must be constantly running.
You will learn about whether it is possible to turn off the compressor in the aquarium at night in the following video.