# leave filter on or off during water changes



## dangmatic (May 12, 2007)

do u guys turn off ur filters when ur doing water changes?


----------



## LGHT (Nov 9, 2005)

dangmatic said:


> do u guys turn off ur filters when ur doing water changes?


No reason to leave it on


----------



## Dizzy Dawg (May 1, 2007)

No reason to turn it off


----------



## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

There is need to turn off filtration if your intake and outtake never go above the water line-If they do-Then the filter should be turned off-


----------



## ___ (Feb 19, 2006)

I leave it on...as well as me heater...... i have the fresh water readey to put back in b4 i vac the tank.


----------



## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

I turn both off because the water gets below the intake line on the filter and the prescribed minimum fill line on the heater...plus, it's such a quick process that it doesn't affect the water all that much to turn off the two for a few minutes.


----------



## Doktordet (Sep 22, 2006)

I turn my HOB off but leave the cansiter filter running since the water never drops below the intake line.


----------



## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

I leave my filters on. I use the HOB's output as a visual mark on the tank during water changes. When the water preasure starts dieing off the return, then I know that I have removed about 20-25 gallons from the tank. Then, I let it refill and repeat the process. That way I am removing about 20-25 gallons of old water, then another 20-25 gallons of old/new water to do larger water changes.


----------



## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

i have an xp3 so the intake is too far down to go above the water line and the output(jet) just shoots the water on the surface

all i do it lower the heater so it doesnt raise above the water line


----------



## cueball (May 24, 2005)

i leave um all on cuz i only take out bout 4 inchs at the most at a time.. plus i do thangs real quick as well


----------



## SUS (Mar 10, 2007)

I turn everything off, Its too much of a hassle to move the heaters, and deal with the splashing of 2 FX5 jets and the AC500 splashing. I also turn the lights off, my p's freak if the lights are on durning water changes.


----------



## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

My filters are far to expensive to chance burning them out by dropping the waterline too low. I turn them off.


----------



## Hater (Apr 21, 2006)

I change 50-60% of the water, so I don't have a choice but to turn all mu filters off.

Hater


----------



## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

I used to turn mine off, but i forgot one time to turn em back on and 8 hours later my three 7 inch rbps were dead in my 75g so i just keep them on now


----------



## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)




----------



## Zip (Apr 17, 2005)

I turn mine off 
#1 because I do 50-60% changes like Hater, and 
#2 because I sometimes stir up a lot of crud as I move driftwood around or the python, and would rather give the crud the opportunity to settle back onto the gravel where I can vac it up, instead of having it sucked into my filters which would require me to clean them more often.


----------



## NJSOM (Jan 28, 2007)

I turn my off and put a Magnum 350 that I use just for water changes. I had a bad experience once and I learned from my mistake. The chlorine killed my bacteria and my tank recycled even with aquasafe.


----------



## Ahmed (Jun 23, 2007)

Definitely switch off before water chagne by a good 10 minutes. To allow debris and dirt to settle on teh floor. Easier to vaccum than have them float in the current.


----------



## dangmatic (May 12, 2007)

there seems like theres mixed opinions?...


----------



## the_skdster (Aug 15, 2006)

I don't turn anything off. All my heaters turn themselves off and my filters intake never go above the fill line.
I do about 30-40% water change at times.


----------



## Doktordet (Sep 22, 2006)

the_skdster said:


> I don't turn anything off. *All my heaters turn themselves off *and my filters intake never go above the fill line.
> I do about 30-40% water change at times.


Do you have stealth heaters or glass?


----------



## maknwar (Jul 16, 2007)

I turn off my emp 400's so all the items that are not sucked up and just hanging on the intake tubes fall off. Sometimes there is stuff on the back of them that I cant see and this allows it to fall and get sucked up by the vac.


----------



## Snake_Eyes (Jun 14, 2006)

I change 50-60% and I turn off my canisters but leave my HOB on, the intakes are always below the water line and my heaters shut off automatically


----------



## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

What do you all use to fill the tank tap water and do you use chems to treat it?



___ said:


> I leave it on...as well as me heater...... i have the fresh water readey to put back in b4 i vac the tank.


----------



## Snake_Eyes (Jun 14, 2006)

I use with Prime.


----------



## hle_81 (Dec 3, 2003)

I turn everything off (filters, lights, heaters) when I do a water change. Just to be safe and I can't stand the splashing sound from the filters.


----------



## CichlidAddict (Jul 1, 2005)

I turn off everything. It's all on a power strip anyway so it's just one switch.


----------

