Diatom filter running ALL the time?

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jcardona1

jcardona1

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 5, 2007
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South of Heaven
So i just received my new Vortex XL diatom filter. i've had it running for about 12hrs on the 400g and the water is looking great, its making a huge difference. Ive heard from folks that it should only be run about 8hrs at a time but the instructions say it can be run continuously on tanks over 25g.

Has anybody ran their diatom filter non-stop? is this possible?

thx!
 
It's unlikely you will be able to run it non stop for very long. Because of the super fine filter media it will probably plug up within a few days.

I used to use it as a maintenance filter only but changed to the Mag 350 because of the ease of cleaning it. The Mag 350 cartridges can be cleaned in a javex solution and used many times. I have extra cartridges and am still using the first ones a year and a half later. If you want to mess with diatom powder it can also be used in the Mag 350.
 
yeah its a little tedious to maintain but im ok with that as long as the water stays CRYSTAL clear!! aside from cleaning it every few days, are there any downsides to running this nonstop? i notice this things run fairly hot, any effects on the motor?
 
^
 
I just read an article on diatom filters and they said that the heat is normal...

I've never had one so its purely just relayed from the article.
 
I thought the vortex was one of the few that is able to run full time.. But is your aquarium temp under raps ? I know your nearby and its like a hundred outside and your tanks in the garage. All I know is mine can only run 3 hours straight but im looking for a nice vortex
 
yeah man being that its 400 gallons of water and acrylic, the temps do not get too hot at all. we'll see how it goes in the winter.

yeah i think im ok running it all the time. i had to shut it off this morning before work because it was so clogged. so i after i clean it, turning it back on!
 
I run my XL for a week at a time with no problems, but have never tried non-stop. I would oil the shaft once a month.
 
jcardona1;3365290; said:
yeah man being that its 400 gallons of water and acrylic, the temps do not get too hot at all. we'll see how it goes in the winter.

yeah i think im ok running it all the time. i had to shut it off this morning before work because it was so clogged. so i after i clean it, turning it back on!
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Right on man. Im keeping mine under 85 using some drastic measures. You know how stingy us HVAC guys are about using OUR AC ;)
 
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