Losing Beneficial Bacteria

[unknownuza13]

Does anyone know the time window that you start losing bacteria when a filter is off. EX. when doing a water change if the wet dry is off for 15 minutes am I losing a substantial amount.. Does anyone know if it is 5 min.. 5 hours.. or more before you lose your colony?

 

[xxxdrewww]

i dont think your loseing any if your filters off for 15 minures as long as its wet im shure it will last awile

 

[kido]

yup, from what i read they won't die off if you keep them wet and oxygenated

 

[twk1]

Good Question... I've always wondered about that too. I think xxxdrewww and kido is right.

 

[redtailfool]

Just make sure the media doesnt dry out. Ive done that several times (specially w hang on back filters ) and the result is cloudy water next day. Why? the tank is doing a mini-cycle because all the water spilled out from the filter.

 

[rayman45]

never worryed about that

 

[redtailfool]

never worryed about that

If you do water changes fast or if u dont turn filters off then it shouldnt be a problem.
It takes a while to do water changes and i turn off my wet dry and HOB filter ...

 

[rayman45]

yea... i only used 404's... so i left them on during waterchanges...

 

[redtailfool]

Cool..one thing less to worry about then. But once you get the 180 youll be in a whole new ballgame with the wet dry.

 

[Vince]

I've read somewhere that the bacteria just encasesthemselves with a hard shell over them, and when oxygen comes around, they come alive again. But I am not sure about the media drying up, I guess that would kill them. But I ain't no scientist. I gotta find that resource again. Can't rememberif I saw it at koivets.com