clinton1621

I've seen several posts on here about turning filters off for extended periods, and I know this is definitely bad.... I have always turned my filters off for feeding to prevent food getting sucked into the intake and or blown around so the fish have a hard time eating (they are off for no more than 5 to 10 minutes max) any suggestions or comments about this or is there a better way??

David C

I use a feeding station and it works great. Theres no water movement inside the station so the food just sits and waits for the hungry fishies to get it. It only took a couple of feedings for the fish to get used to it, now they know exactly where to go for food

COBettaCouple

That short of a time period shouldn't affect them too much but an alternative could be to temporarily buffer the filter flow - like with a filter sponge over the outflow.

clinton1621

Thanks for the suggestions =) I miss my fluval being able to just cut the flow off while it kept the water inside circulating so maybe I'll have to break down finally and buy another one lol

Tavel

i leave mine running all the time because I feel stopping and starting puts wear on the components.

most of the fish are fast enough to get the food pretty much the second it's dropped on the surface. Others, like my gourami, I put into a net to feed. the gourami actually just swims into the net now, I don't even need to chase him.

(it's annoying though, sometimes I need to catch a different fish, but the gourami keeps following the net around. lol)

Lucy

I don't feed any of my fish flakes, so I don't have that problem.
My tetras get slow sinking pellets, the betta get pellets or blood worms, one at a time and my frog gets sinking pellets that I put in a little dish for him.

I turn my filters off when I do a water change but it's never off long enough to effect the cycle.

Tavel

i actually don't even turn my filters off when i do a water change, only because i don't like restarting them.

(I do turn then canister off though, only because it would spray all over the room if i didn't).