For application of SAnMBR, too short an HRT or too long an SRT would not be recommended due to higher biomass concentrations, higher SMP and lower EPS concentrations that had a negative impact on membrane fouling. The optimized operation conditions HRT and SRT should be determined by excellent treatment performance and minimized membrane fouling potential. Adjusting HRT or SRT can be an effective approach to avoid unexpected performance deterioration and for membrane fouling control in SAnMBR systems.