That depends on what kind of filter you are referring to and what kind of media you are using in that filter!
All the following recommendations apply to in-water treatments only. Medicated food blends can be used alongside any kind of filter and filter media.
Standard aquarium filter
No, you do not need to turn off a standard aquarium filter. You do, however, need to remove any chemical filtration media if you are dosing a medication in the water. This is media like carbon, Zeolite™, phosphate removers, and scavenger resins like Purigen®. You can typically store these medias and use them again after the treatment is done. In the mean time, feel free to fill the open space in your media with some extra sponges, filter floss, or other inert biomedia to help handle chemical waste and pull particulates out of your water.
Protein Skimmer
We recommend to turn off your protein skimmer if you are using ParaGuard™, but any of the other medications are perfectly fine to use alongside a protein skimmer.
UV filter / UV sterilizer
This is a specialty type of filter that is often used in fish stores and by reef keepers to kill off free-floating algae and parasites in the water. Don't worry - it is very unlikely that you would "accidentally" have a UV sterilizer in your aquarium, and UV lights for plants or corals are not strong enough to count as a sterilizer. You will need to turn this type of filter off if you are dosing a medication in the water, but it is fine to keep it running if you are using a medicated food instead.
Ozone Filter
This is another specialty type of filter. Turn off ozone filters before dosing medications in the water.
Reactors
Reactors are typically used to run chemical filtration medias like phosphate absorbers, and in this case should be turned off if you are dosing a medication in the water. It is fine to keep them running if the medication is in the food instead. If instead the reactor is being used to run a biomedia like de*nitrate™, it is perfectly fine to keep the filter running during the treatment. In the extremely rare case that a media reactor is being used to run biopellets like biogen on an aquarium that does not contain invertebrates, corals, or plants, it is recommended to turn off the biopellet reactor until the treatment is done.
Medication / Filter table
This table applies to in-water treatments only. Medicated food blends can be used alongside any kind of filter and filter media.
| Standard Filter | Protein Skimmer | UV Sterilizer / Ozone Filter | Media Reactor | |
|
ParaGuard™ |
Remove all chemical filter media |
Turn off |
Turn off | Okay for biomedia |
| Cupramine™ | Remove all chemical filter media | Fine to use | Turn off | Okay for biomedia |
| KanaPlex™ | Remove all chemical filter media | Fine to use | Turn off | Okay for biomedia |
| MetroPlex™ | Remove all chemical filter media | Fine to use | Turn off | Okay for biomedia |
| SulfaPlex™ | Remove all chemical filter media | Fine to use | Turn off | Okay for biomedia |
| NeoPlex™ | Remove all chemical filter media | Fine to use | Turn off | Okay for biomedia |
| PolyGuard™ | Remove all chemical filter media | Fine to use | Turn off | Okay for biomedia |
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