My fluval drives me nuts

[Lady Hobbs]

I have been priming this thing for half an hour and nothing. Took it back apart 4 times and everything is fine. All I wanted to do was change the darned floss and have to fight with it now for an hour!

I'm getting the floss out of there and getting some pre-filter. I use Soil Master Select in that tank because it's planted and that stuff coats the floss so much it slows the flow down too much in just a week or two.

Can I just fill the danged filter with water and be done with it?

[gm72]

Chevy vs. Ford.

If you had an Eheim you'd be running!

(don't bother flaming, folks, we all know both Fluval and Eheim are top-notch filters)

Seriously though, if you run prefilters you rarely if EVER have to open your canisters. I think most everyone here knows I use them on all of my filters. I went from cleaning the filters once monthly to once every 3 months to once every 6 months. I don't bother anymore with the canisters and the HOBs. Prefilters all around.

[cocoa_pleco]

ditto, i NEVER clean or open my canisters, they run 24/7/365

[Nick89]

Im actually having trouble with one of my penguin 350's. Its like one side is flowing good, bio wheel is spinning and the other side isnt barely flowing and the bio wheel isnt moving.

[xoolooxunny]

Chevy vs. Ford.

If you had an Eheim you'd be running!

(don't bother flaming, folks, we all know both Fluval and Eheim are top-notch filters)

Seriously though, if you run prefilters you rarely if EVER have to open your canisters. I think most everyone here knows I use them on all of my filters. I went from cleaning the filters once monthly to once every 3 months to once every 6 months. I don't bother anymore with the canisters and the HOBs. Prefilters all around.

tell me more of these "pre filters" you speak of. Is it foam that goes on the intake? Because my driftwood puts a lot of crap out so i need to rinse the bottom sponges in my xp3 once a week.

[Nautilus29]

Im actually having trouble with one of my penguin 350's. Its like one side is flowing good, bio wheel is spinning and the other side isnt barely flowing and the bio wheel isnt moving.

does your tank have a slight tilt? If so thats the problem, my 55g has a slight tilt and on the side that barly flows I take out one of the 2 filter pads and it evens them out.

[Lady Hobbs]

Got it! Crap I feel like I just run the Olympic race I'm so out of breath from priming!

This Soil Master in my tank is the problem. If I had this canister in my other tanks it would be best, I think, and get rid of the floss and use the stuff you're actually supposed to use in these filters.

[Nick89]

does your tank have a slight tilt? If so thats the problem, my 55g has a slight tilt and on the side that barly flows I take out one of the 2 filter pads and it evens them out.


No its always been normal flowing up until a few days or even weeks ago. Not sure why...Use to be flowing like my other ones.

[Lady Hobbs]

I never seen to have the same flow on both sides of my HOTB. Not sure why. That was certainly eliminated by getting the AC. You get a regular water fall with them.

[jbeining75]

Chevy vs. Ford.

If you had an Eheim you'd be running!

(don't bother flaming, folks, we all know both Fluval and Eheim are top-notch filters)

Seriously though, if you run prefilters you rarely if EVER have to open your canisters. I think most everyone here knows I use them on all of my filters. I went from cleaning the filters once monthly to once every 3 months to once every 6 months. I don't bother anymore with the canisters and the HOBs. Prefilters all around.

Yeah but if you drove a chevy to go get the eheim you'd never make it to the petstore lol.....

[toddnbecka]

Did you try starting a siphon, then closing the aqua-stop valve after the intake and canister were filled? Just remember to open the valve when you plug in the motor again... I have a 304, never have found much use for the so-called primer pump.

[Nautilus29]

Yeah but if you drove a chevy to go get the eheim you'd never make it to the petstore lol.....

because you would be driving it all over the place and loving it.

[toddnbecka]

tell me more of these "pre filters" you speak of. Is it foam that goes on the intake? Because my driftwood puts a lot of crap out so i need to rinse the bottom sponges in my xp3 once a week.

Ya, it's a sponge ove the intake to prevent too much debris from entering the filter case. You'd simply have to clean the prefilter once a week...

[jbeining75]

because you would be driving it all over the place and loving it.

No because the chevy wouldn't make it outta the driveway....duh...... lmao

[Nautilus29]

No because the chevy wouldn't make it outta the driveway....duh...... lmao

Better then the ford thats still sitting in the garage lol, well better get going to work in my nice GM car

[jbeining75]

I own a nissan and it will be running far longer than any american piece of crap that could be bought...........

Hobbs just kick the dang filter hard... that always works for me... Unless the hose falls off... Ask Cocoa about the consequences of that lmao......

[Nick89]

[QUOTE=jbeining75]I own a nissan and it will be running far longer than any american piece of crap that could be bought...........
QUOTE]

I doubt it. I can almost gurantee ive had an "American piece of crap" that lasted longer than your nissan. I will only buy American made vehicles lol, sorry.

[cocoa_pleco]

nissans last forever, i have a 1992 maxima, odometer reads 398,954 and the mechanic said i still have a good 150,000 left on it

anyways, glad you got the fluval going

[Nick89]

398,954. bet there was 2 different motors in it. But yea glad you got the fluval working LOL.

[john_auberry]

Ha you dont know the trick..........
1.fill fluval full of water
2. plug it in
3.slowly turn the fluval side ways til bubbles starts to shoot out, keep turning it slowly till it kicks on

[john_auberry]

you can also stick a powerhead to one of the tubes till water start shooting out of the other one

[Algenco]

get an XP3 :hmm3grin2orange:

[cocoa_pleco]

the dark side is trying to pull you to eheims! dont do it!

[Lady Hobbs]

The Dark side, huh? The filter is great at filtering. I have to give it that and most of the time primes very quickly. It just has it's moments on occassion but this moment lasted past the moments and well into the minutes.

[Nautilus29]

I own a nissan and it will be running far longer than any american piece of crap that could be bought...........

Hobbs just kick the dang filter hard... that always works for me... Unless the hose falls off... Ask Cocoa about the consequences of that lmao......

I try to stick with american made that way we get out of this economic trouble lol, and because of costs... but chevy does rule all.

[RainMan]

I haven't had to prime mine since the first day I set it up. I close stop valve, unplug it, disconnect the tubing connector. At this point the intake and outtake are full of water. Clean the filter... fill it back up with water (to the rim), put it all back together... connect it... open the stop valve. At this point the water will rush in... I usually tilt it slight to the side to fill it up a little more. Turn it on.. bubbles come out for 10sec and it's done.

Works everytime.

[gm72]

the dark side is trying to pull you to eheims! dont do it!

Big Eheim 2260 canister says to Fluval 105:
"Fluval, I am your father.

Fluval:
"Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (loses its prime)

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, thats awesome

[gm72]

...may the nitrifying bacteria be with you...

[Halelorf]

maybe the dingo ate your siphon prime...

[Tjones]

seriously though i have 2 305's on my 55 and when i open to clean one you just have to do the rinse but dont dump the cannister out so you don't have to prime forever to fill it again then just prime most of the air out before you plug it in....

similar to push starting the GM! just push then pop it into gear!

no but really you basically get it going by hand then plug it in and it will work the remaining air out