Got my fluval going........finally!

[Lady Hobbs]

I had the darnest time getting one of the fittings to not leak and after 2 hours read that it says to turn nut counter-clockwise and not clockwise after doing it wrong forever and having leaks.

But I still have one question. On the out-flow tube, it seems like it should aerate the tank some but the directions say to keep that fitting about 3 inches under water. Doing this, there is no water movement. Is there supposed to be some bubbles?

I absolutely LOVE the AC 110 I also got today. I love the spray and all the little bubbles that aerate the tank.

I moved my Emperor 400 on my 20 gallon. Thought it might be too much for that small tank but it's fine. That AC has got the Emporer and Penquins beat by a long shot.

[cocoa_pleco]

i submerge my fluval 205's output so that there is some surface disruption, 3" is right.

[Fishguy2727]

How deep the output goes is your decision. Too high and it splashes and gets noisy as the water level drops. Too low and you don't get any aeration from it. In my 75 they are actually hooked up to intake stems (the long rigid tubes)so the outputs are actually a couple inches off the bottom. This way I have flow down low to keep debris from settling on the sand. The intakes are half-way up the back of the tank to prevent sand intake.

[Lady Hobbs]

Mine is about 3 inches down. My first canister so I think I was expecting the bubbles you get like you do from a HOTB. I have very little water movement and it worried me some as I run CO2 in that tank and sometimes forget the bubbler at night.

They sure were generous with their carbon. Got a whole box of it plus 3 more bags. LOL Too bad I don't use it. I have floss in the bottom, rings in the middle and top compartments. Very quiet like you said, Fishguy. It's just the lack of bubbles that concerns me.

[S13DWS]

nice filter they are great! i have the 305 on my tank:)

[Fishguy2727]

My 75 has two canister, but I have a BioWheel (just the Bio-Pro, not a Penguin or Emperor) so that seems to be all the aeration I need so far. I would use an air stone for aeration when using canisters, but with CO2 there is no use. I usually try and do some sort of reminder to make sure I remember things like that (note on the light switch in the bedroom, Post-it on the alarm clock or the cell phone re-charger, anywhere you are going to see it every night before you go to bed).

[CAF]

Hobbsy, what sort of hood do you use? In my 55g you saw in the TOTM I am only using a powerhead well under the water level for current, all gas exchange occurs naturally at the surface of the water so I do not lose too much CO2...

The reason I ask about the hood, is if you use a tight fitting glass hood with little or no vent, you can over-gas the CO2 and lose fish due to lack of O2. If there is plenty of room for air to exchange, then you are fine.