I have a diatom and do not run it constantly. I normally run it once a month to go along with my other filters. The diatom is just stupid good water filter. I had a tank with Oscars in it, that I fed the wrong food and within 4 days the water was so green, you could not see from the front to the back of the tank. I bought a diatom, and within 3 hours the water was CRYSTAL CLEAR.
I would highly recommend a diatom for use as a once a month filter/polisher
I would highly recommend a diatom for use as a once a month filter/polisher