Should electrical motorized fish tank filters stay on all the time?
Yes, your filter needs to be on all the time. The beneficial aerobic bacteria that help with the biological filtering will die if they don’t get enough O2 flowing over them in the water. When they die, they become septic and can kill or maim your fish. Your ammonia will also build up much faster as the good bacteria die off and stop converting the ammonia to less toxic materials like nitrites and nitrates. A noisy power filter is typically caused by a worn impellor. The impellor (it is removeable and replaceable) is a magnet with a small propeller fixed to it. It fits down into a hole in the bottom part of the filter resevoir and when the electric motor is turned on by plugging it in, the motor turns the propellor and it pumps the water. A new impellor costs about 1/3 to 1/2 of the cost of a brand new power filter. So if you are on a tight budget, ask your pet shop for a new impellor for your brand and size of filter. They usually always have some on hand, but do not display them. They
