Do you turn your filters off?

[Karlsbad]

Originally posted by RTR
A diatom filter is not intended for chronic use, it is short term clarifying filter. This has nothing whatsoever to do with routine tank filtration. Good grief. Diatoms are massively powered huge volume filters.

Much ado about nothing.

Vortex XL is 200 gph

I posted the link to this FAQ stating the same thing as manual in question , I wasn't talking about Diatom filters and like I said the manual I saw it in said turn off ALL your filters

The main reason we don't recommend it is because most fish will not be able to stand the strain of constantly having to swim against the strong current generated by the Diatom Filter or any other high flow filter for that matter.
Fish needs rest and may very well die if they don't get it. Naturally it is up to the individual to determine how much current his fish can tolerate and how much filtration is necessary, depending on the size of the aquarium and fish. I strongly suggest that all power filtration be turned off for a few hours each day unless it is particularly needed at the time

 

[ewok]

Vortex XL is 200 gph

votex XL is more like 400 gph

do i ever turn any of my filters off? NEVER (or very rarely)

i'm even pretty well over-filtered on everything..........

what's the vortex you are referring to? i let my xl run on tanks until it restricts pretty commonly...... sometimes that can take 3 or 4 days. just too cheap to toss the powder until it's truly "used" i guess.

 

[JSchmidt]

Fish are normally well adapted to their native environments. Some of those environments are mostly still waters, but many fish natively live in water with constant current. Rivers don't turn off at night, nor do lakes or oceans.

Fish that need relatively calm water can usually find a place to hang out in the tank where they don't get blow around. Angelfish float in plants, mbuna huddle in rock crevices... I think the main concern should be setting up filter water returns so that there are areas of less current in the tank for fish that need it.

Obviously, if you have sufficient current that your fish are getting blown around the tank, that could eventually tire out the fish.

HTH,
Jim

 

[125gJoe]

" Can I run my Diatom Filter continuously?

The Diatom Filter is designed to operate continuously in salt or fresh water. The main reason we don't recommend it is because most fish will not be able to stand the strain of constantly having to swim against the strong current generated by the Diatom Filter or any other high flow filter for that matter."

This is bad advice .... Very bad.. I use the Vortex XL and there is no way I would leave it on for long periods -- no way. The pump itself heats up some, to the point of not leaving it unattended. This is normal heating of the pump. Another point is the diatom powder will clog after some hours of use. It depends on how dirty the water is too..
The Vortex is an excellent product, but the manual "writers" are somewhat illiterate! There have been many complaints about first time users of the filter due to poorly written instructions.

The Vortex is not a "canister" filter, but rather a "specialty" filter that can really "polish" tank water to the point of it resembling clean air!

Another point is to clean it thoroughly after each use. You cannot re-use the diatom powder. Use fresh powder on the next use of the Vortex.

 

[Roland]

I think the main point here is that the nitrifying bacteria in your filter are aerobic and require air. Should your filter be turn ed off for more than a couple of hours, the bacteria will become aneobic. This is very bad news. Apart from cleaning, I would never turn your filter off, the longer its been running aerobicly, the more mature your beneficial bacteria colony will be

 

[ewok]

125gJoe

This is bad advice .... Very bad.. I use the Vortex XL and there is no way I would leave it on for long periods -- no way. The pump itself heats up some, to the point of not leaving it unattended. This is normal heating of the pump.

just as a guess... you don't often use the filter?

have you oiled the bearing either? just above where the shaft enters the housing where it connects to the canister there is a bushing/bearing. the factory setup doesn't have enuf oil. i know, i found out the hard way sort of. when i first got my XL it got VERY hot, hot enuf to cook on actually i think. i ran it for awhile and it actually started squeeling and was fairly close to seizing up (because it was too dry). i called big als and they told me the same thing i'm saying here, "oil it".

i think vortex actually sells a special oil for it actually, but you don't need it. i use a simple 3 in1 oil and it has worked fine. i might have even over oiled it at first to compensate.......

patience grasshopper....... oil it well, let it run when you are there and i think eventually you will find the heat level going down as it "breaks in". that's what happened with mine......... now i have no qualms about leaving it running, even when i sleep or leave the house, it is nowhere near as hot.

good luck

 

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by ewok
just as a guess... you don't often use the filter?have you oiled the bearing either? i think vortex actually sells a special oil for it actually, but you don't need it......... now i have no qualms about leaving it running, even when i sleep or leave the house, it is nowhere near as hot.
good luck

Yes, I have oiled it, and with their oil too..

"Hot" is up to the user I suppose... I consider the Vortex XL an accessory filter and will not let it run for long periods. Besides, the filtration IS the diatom powder, and it can clog rather quickly (couple hours or so...sometimes more ...)
I use the Vortex on almost every water change.

 

[RTR]

A well-oiled XL can run extended periods, but the limiting factor on diatoms is the clogging of the powder.

Neither the thread title nor the original post specified Diatom fillter. I very strongly suspect most resposes would have been quite different had the word "Diatom" been properly inserted. To apply polishing filter logic and tecniques to biological filters is IMHO absurd. Also misleading. Very annoying, again IMHO,

End of thread for me.

 

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by Karlsbad

It was a vortex manual which is available online it says that it will make the fish tired.
vortex

RTR, it was this post that got me giving (hopefully) good advice.. Now that I see your post it kinda makes sense that "diatom filters" should have been the topic..

 

[ewok]

Originally posted by 125gJoe

I consider the Vortex XL an accessory filter and will not let it run for long periods.

the last time we went down this road (or topic) i was poking around the vortex homepage and they sell a foam insert for either the d1 or the XL to basically make it a "normal" filter. they must consider it adequate to run steadily....... ugly as **** tho.

i only use mine for occasional cleaning and polishing too tho, i think the longest it's run continuously has been around 4 days (on my 90g)......