How long will the BB survive in canister filter when it is turned off?

[Discus Maniac]

I have read on another post few opinions, but it seemed they are varying from 15 mins all the way to 8 hrs.

Thanks.

So, how long?

[pitdogg2]

Unless off for many days some bacteria will just go dormant imo. 4-5 days later a whole different bacteria will show up. I kept a canister filter in a closet yes 6-8days later it had the rotting egg smell 30 days later no smell at all.

[Kyla]

I have left mine off overnight by accident with no ill effects. It doesn't happen often, but once every couple years I will forget to plug a canister in after unplugging it. If I leave it off for an extended period I will always open it and rinse the media well in tank water before starting it back up. Once, when I was running 2 canisters, I accidentally left one unplugged for days. It did have a foul smell by the time I opened it up. I cleaned it well and plugged it back in and upped the water changes for a while to make up for any lost BB, but the second canister was working well and there were no ill effects.

I wouldn't just plug in a canister that has been sitting for an extended time - I recommend to open and clean them out first.

[Jack L]

I cannot speak directly to a canister filter but I can share that I had filter floss from a sump in the trash for a few days and took it out and put it in a start-up tank and there was enough BB left to have zero Cycles spikes, so I think it can last pretty long. and keep in mind that what I pulled out of the trash was still damp.

[White Worm]

Don't know that you are going to get a definite answer here. it depends on many factors. Amount of media, type of media. oxygen in the water, quality of the water to begin with, prefilter, type of food/waste entering the filter, etc. If it is off for more than a day, simply clean/rinse it out to be safe. Keep up the water changes afterwards and monitor the cycle.