Turning off the filter at night and its consequences

[seavashr]

Hello everyone.

I am a biologist and decided to run a FOWLER. (I had FW before).
I love my absolute silence when I sleep and I think I might turn off the Ehiem canister filter at night.

I am sure it is not the optimal condition but lets talk about it.

Most nitrification organism (bacteria and archaea, Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter) are aerobic, However we still have anammox (anaerobic oxidation of ammonia by ie Planctomycetes).

I am sure not all of the microbial community will die during 9 hour of lack of circulation in the filter(think how hard it was to get ride of all those algae or cyanobacteria). Yes, it will reduce the viable and active cells but I won't say they "all will die". Moreover this will provide opportunity for Anaerobic anammox to get active.

When no input of resources (in our case tank water) is added to our "reactor"(filter) cells first go into dormant phase, then spore and then die. Others might get the opportunity to get active(as I said about anammox).
So I hypothesis that turning off the filter at night should act as a little time freeze on microbial community of our filter?
I try to search some peer review articles about this. But I would like that you guys share your experiences and your thought

1-what do you think?

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Now Please comment about technical aspect of this scenario:
I have 60 gallon tank with lots of live rock and few fishes.
I set a timer to turn off the Ehiem Canister classic off by 11pm and turn it on by 7am. Does it start to filter again automatically. I never used canister so I don't know about priming.

2-Now please comment about technical aspect of automatic turning off/on

[hockeyhead019]

Well in the case of SW most of your BB is in the rock's nooks and crannys in which case you just need to keep the water in your tank circulating. You'd be absolutely fine turning the filter off at night, so long as you have power heads circulating the water in your tank when the filter is off

[Brhino]

I don't know anything about saltwater filtration, but I do have a canister filter. It won't have any problems coming back on after a period of being turned off. It won't need priming or anything so long as you didn't drain it or allow air to enter it somehow.

[Cliff]

I agree with Hockeyhead

With enough good quality live rock, you won't need the cannister for biological filteration. Were you also planning to run carbon or phosphate remover in the cannister ?

[funkman262]

I've never heard of anammox occurring in our aquaria, most likely because its growth rate is so slow which is also what's limiting its use in wastewater treatment. In our aquaria, it's outcompeted by faster growing bacteria and rendered useless.

[seavashr]

Thanks everyone

You'd be absolutely fine turning the filter off at night, so long as you have power heads circulating the water in your tank when the filter is off

I actually plan to turn off the powerheads too! But again I will keep low number of species to water volume. Do you think the follow of water is that important?

With enough good quality live rock, you won't need the canister for biological filtration.Were you also planning to run carbon or phosphate remover in the canister ?

Well, If you think adding carbon and phosphate remover helps; sure I will do.

I want to have canister filter to keep my aquarium cleaner(physical removal) and help remove chemical as well. And some biological will be bonus.
and yes I want to have lots of rocks

I do have a canister filter. It won't have any problems coming back on after a period of being turned off. It won't need priming or anything so long as you didn't drain it or allow air to enter it somehow.

So you Let say I use one input and output tube into the tank. The timer can turn it off and on and it starts to work as nothing happened?

I've never heard of anammox occurring in our aquaria, most likely because its growth rate is so slow

You are absolutely correct, because it won't be able to compete with more energetically favored oxidation. But my main idea was to discuss that I don't think if filter goes off,(which basically means you have the same media in filter) over the night "it's bacteria will die" as some believe. I think this reduce the efficiency and capability of the biological filtration of canister. However as it starts next day it will be able to catch up biological degradation of ammonia. What do you think?

[funkman262]

I really don't know how long these bacteria can survive without oxygen. If ammonia were the limiting factor here then they would simply be able to consume degrading cells for nutrients until the flow starts back up and brings nutrients into the canister again. It's different with oxygen though. If anything, there might be facultative anaerobes that would simply use the most energetically available ions available to them, which in this case would be nitrate.

But as others have said, I don't think leaving the canister off at night would be an issue anyway as long as you have enough live rock for aerobic bacteria to colonize.

[Brhino]

Note that, as per OP's other thread, he would also like to shut off his powerhead at night.

[smaug]

Get a rena xp.I have 3 of them running and cant even tell.

[Goes to 11!]

Hello everyone.

1-what do you think?

-------------------------------------------------------------
Now Please comment about technical aspect of this scenario:
I have 60 gallon tank with lots of live rock and few fishes.
I set a timer to turn off the Ehiem Canister classic off by 11pm and turn it on by 7am. Does it start to filter again automatically. I never used canister so I don't know about priming.

Just a quick thought occurs to me.

If you have never used a canister filter, You may be very surprised at the noise you [don't] hear.