How long will my bacteria live if I switch off the filter ?

[Alan Silver]

Hello,

I have a new filter maturing on my old tank. When I come to move it to
my new tank, I will (obviously) need to switch it off and move it.
Ideally I would like a bit of time before switching it back on as I need
to work some plumbing and other bits around it before I fill the tank
with water.

So, how long will the bacteria survive ? It is an external filter, so
when switched off it stays full of water.

TIA

--
Alan Silver

[SteveG]

Time-wise it's hard to tell how long the bacteria can survive. Maybe you can
fill up a bucket with old water and run the intake and the filter output in
it and leave it on. Just a suggestion. Hope it helps.

"Alan Silver"
> wrote in
message ...
> Hello,
>
> I have a new filter maturing on my old tank. When I come to move it to
> my new tank, I will (obviously) need to switch it off and move it.
> Ideally I would like a bit of time before switching it back on as I need
> to work some plumbing and other bits around it before I fill the tank
> with water.
>
> So, how long will the bacteria survive ? It is an external filter, so
> when switched off it stays full of water.
>
> TIA
>
> --
> Alan Silver
>

[Alan Silver]

In article >, SteveG
> writes
>Time-wise it's hard to tell how long the bacteria can survive. Maybe
>you can fill up a bucket with old water and run the intake and the
>filter output in it and leave it on. Just a suggestion. Hope it helps.

That's an idea. Thanx.

--
Alan Silver

[Bob Alston]

That might work for a day or two but eventually the bacteria will run out of
"food" and die.

--
Bob Alston

bobalston9 AT aol DOT com
"Alan Silver"
> wrote in
message ...
> In article >, SteveG
> > writes
> >Time-wise it's hard to tell how long the bacteria can survive. Maybe
> >you can fill up a bucket with old water and run the intake and the
> >filter output in it and leave it on. Just a suggestion. Hope it helps.
>
> That's an idea. Thanx.
>
> --
> Alan Silver
>

[RedForeman ©®]

if circulation is provided, couldn't bacteria last longer? with or without
air, not sure....

--

RedForeman ©®
"Bob Alston" > wrote in message
news:25aqb.8740$L77.264@fed1read03...
> That might work for a day or two but eventually the bacteria will run out
of
> "food" and die.
>
> --
> Bob Alston
>
> bobalston9 AT aol DOT com
> "Alan Silver"
> > wrote in
> message ...
> > In article >, SteveG
> > > writes
> > >Time-wise it's hard to tell how long the bacteria can survive. Maybe
> > >you can fill up a bucket with old water and run the intake and the
> > >filter output in it and leave it on. Just a suggestion. Hope it helps.
> >
> > That's an idea. Thanx.
> >
> > --
> > Alan Silver
> >
>
>

[Bob Alston]

People can last a long time without food. Not sure for bacteria. I
wouldn't take a chance personally cause its pretty easy to clean out the
filter.

--
Bob Alston

bobalston9 AT aol DOT com
"RedForeman ©®" > wrote in message
...
> if circulation is provided, couldn't bacteria last longer? with or without
> air, not sure....
>
> --
>
> RedForeman ©®
> "Bob Alston" > wrote in message
> news:25aqb.8740$L77.264@fed1read03...
> > That might work for a day or two but eventually the bacteria will run
out
> of
> > "food" and die.
> >
> > --
> > Bob Alston
> >
> > bobalston9 AT aol DOT com
> > "Alan Silver"
> > > wrote
in
> > message ...
> > > In article >, SteveG
> > > > writes
> > > >Time-wise it's hard to tell how long the bacteria can survive. Maybe
> > > >you can fill up a bucket with old water and run the intake and the
> > > >filter output in it and leave it on. Just a suggestion. Hope it
helps.
> > >
> > > That's an idea. Thanx.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Alan Silver
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[Toni]

"Bob Alston" > wrote in message
news:25aqb.8740$L77.264@fed1read03...
> That might work for a day or two but eventually the bacteria will run out
of
> "food" and die.


So throw in a pinch of flake food everyday?


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/aquarium.htm

[NetMax]

I think that when bacteria run out of food, they go dormant, but when
they run out of oxygen, they die.

If they remain dormant too long, then they die, but how long is too long
will certainly vary by species, and I don't know how long it is for
nitrifying bacteria.

Keeping water circulation is certainly a good idea. I doubt the bacteria
need a very uniform supply of food, at least not any more uniform than
the fish get. A day without food might make no appreciable difference.

NetMax

"Bob Alston" > wrote in message
news:25aqb.8740$L77.264@fed1read03...
> That might work for a day or two but eventually the bacteria will run
out of
> "food" and die.
>
> --
> Bob Alston
>
> bobalston9 AT aol DOT com
> "Alan Silver"
> > wrote
in
> message ...
> > In article >, SteveG
> > > writes
> > >Time-wise it's hard to tell how long the bacteria can survive. Maybe
> > >you can fill up a bucket with old water and run the intake and the
> > >filter output in it and leave it on. Just a suggestion. Hope it
helps.
> >
> > That's an idea. Thanx.
> >
> > --
> > Alan Silver
> >
>
>

[Alan Silver]

In article >, NetMax
> writes
>I think that when bacteria run out of food, they go dormant, but when
>they run out of oxygen, they die.
>
>If they remain dormant too long, then they die, but how long is too
>long will certainly vary by species, and I don't know how long it is
>for nitrifying bacteria.
>
>Keeping water circulation is certainly a good idea. I doubt the
>bacteria need a very uniform supply of food, at least not any more
>uniform than the fish get. A day without food might make no
>appreciable difference.

Thanx for the advice (and to everyone else too). I have decided that the
extra few bob[1] it's worth buying a few extra bits of fittings and
plumbing the new tank in completely before moving the filter. I was
hoping to use the old ones, but due to the delays that this would cause,
the filter would need to be unplugged for a few days at the least,
possibly longer. I'll just end up with some spare bits. On the cost of
the tank, etc it's not much.

Thanx

[1] English colloquial term for money, from the common name for the
pre-decimal base unit of currency, the Shilling. No, I have no idea why
Shillings were called bob !!

--
Alan Silver