Trouble getting filter to function.

[ND120883]

Recently inherited a 30 gallon tank plus what appears to be the emperor 280 filter assembly from my father. I put all the parts that were in the bucket together (i'm praying that they were actually ALL the parts for it...), and the filter fails to take water out of the tank via the intake ducts. I tried dumping some of the tank water into the filter to possibly jumpstart the thing, but once it pushes all of that water out it just sits there and makes clickity clackity spinning noises. I cleaned all the parts as best I could before assembly. The intake duct appears to fit snugly into the pump mounting.

I'm out of ideas. Any suggestions on how to alleviate this issue would be most appreciated.




-Nathan

[Drumachine09]

Keep the back resovoir full and lift and jiggle the uplift tube. Welcome to the A.C.!

[ND120883]

Forgive me, uh, lift and jiggle? What purpose does that serve, if I may ask?


And thank you, I'll be on here more than once I assure you. I have much n00bness to eliminate.

[Drumachine09]

I dont know what it does, but when my filters wont burp after i start them, i lift the tube, give it a jiggle, push it down, and it starts.

[Lady Hobbs]

Welcome to the world of emperors. I found it to the the hardest priming filter I've ever had altho it does do a good filtering job. You will probably have to reseed that propeller about 100 times. It has to be in just perfect or is a holy bear to get going.

[ND120883]

There was a good deal of rock and grit in the bottom of the impeller housing. I cleaned out all that I could get, and it looked like I got most of it.


Just spent 10 min on the lift/jiggle action, no joy on that one. THX FOR NOTHING. LOL j/k.

So i gotta reseat the thing 18 billion times until its right. Gotcha.

Its just not taking ANY water from the tank though. I don't get it.

[Lady Hobbs]

I've had the same problem hundreds of times and it drives me nuts. If that propeller isn't seeded down just perfect, it won't pull the water up. Also, the water has to be in the tank over the area where both tubes fit together or will suck air in thru there and pull no water in.

Did you try putting the propeller in the uplift part and then dropping it down into the hole? Sometimes that works and sometimes putting the propeller into the hole and then trying to seed the uptake works. Just keep trying different ways.

Is it making a racket like it wants to run?

[ND120883]

oh yes, its doing its damndest seems like. there's just not enough water coming in, too much going out. it runs itself dry within a min of being full. i just filled the water some more to be sure, its def over where the two intake tubes join together. Damn thing's being a little SOB.


I'll keep trying.


BTW define "seed"

[Lady Hobbs]

Try to about flood that thing with water if it's trying to work. This is one ornery filter and it doesn't take a cup of water like most others. Pour a gallon in the back if you have to.

Sometimes it will just makes one hell of a noise for awhile then decides to start sucking water and try to lift up on the intake filter as you do this and reseeding.

[ND120883]

I took the propeller out of the lil housing its in and left it in the bottom of the filter, its spins very well, no problems there. I've kept it full while trying to get it started to the point where water gushes past the wheel for several minutes...very very frustrating.


Time for a trip to 7/11, i need a mountain dew if this is gonna be a marathon deal. I'm pissed now.

[Lady Hobbs]

If it wasn't for this filter working so well at keeping the water clear, it would have sailed across my backyard more times than I can count.

1. Sounds like a bloody train when it's trying to pump.
2. Is tempermental and a royal pain to pump.
3. Is just enough too large for the cut-out area in the hood that it almost had to be jammed in. And then there's not enough room for the cover much less a wee bit for an airline. (I have the Emporer 400 so it may be larger than yours. Mine was about jammed in the opening for the filter in my 55 gallon.
4. The uplift tube is great for a high tank but I have a "normal" tank so had to buy a hack saw so I could cut 6 inches off that tube. Longest uplift tube I ever saw. Good for high tanks, as mentioned, but they should just give you an extension rather than having to use a saw on the others.
5. Size wise, it's also just a tad too large for the back area of my glass top. I have to move the light each time I turn it off and on and the Emporer crowds that back area.

But like I said, it filters well but then so do Penquins that fit the opening, don't take an hour to prime, aren't too large for the cut-out and don't need a hack saw for the uptake tube to be the proper size. I won't buy another, obviously. LOL

Another tip if you ever get this thing going is just unplug it when you do your water changes and don't leave it plugged in until the water gets too low or you'll go thru this priming thing again and again. I don't have as much problem now that I unplug it before the water level has a chance to suck water in the tube.

Grab me a Dew, too. Now I'm mad at mine all over again and mine is running fine. LOL

[ND120883]

Two things:

A) air line?

B) my intake tube has 2 parts and it reaches all the way down to the gravel. too long?

[Lady Hobbs]

Yes. Should be up a few inches so it isn't picking up gravel and putting it in the motor. May be why you found some in there. I wonder if you could still have some in there. Did you shake the thing good over the sink?

BTW.......gravel will stop a trash disposal up tight. Don't let it get in there.

I don't know what you mean about air line? Can you use one? Yes. Get yourself a bubble stone but you'll need an airpump to run it. The little Tetra pumps are ok and you can run two lines or have the option of turning one side off. You don't have to have one, tho.

So........do you think I would make a good distributor for Emporers? LOL

[ND120883]

thumbs2: I'm sold!





.........damn thing still won't work. Gonna try again tomorrow. Thx for the help! (no sarcasm there, i appreciate the advice.)

[Lady Hobbs]

Try one more thing. Remove the propellor and make sure no tiny hairs or debris is around the shaft by the rubber tip. I've used tweezers before to pull stuff from around it. It may help and it may not but there may just be enough gunk there to keep it from seeding all the way down.

Fill the back up and turn it on. Lift up and down several times on the uplift tube to see if the darned thing will take off. I've gotten rather frisky with mine a time or two and gently lifting up and down turned into slamming it up and down. LOL Pure flustration usually works better.

When you're at the store, pick up some brushes to clean the uplift tubes out, as well. Sometimes gunk will get in the bend in the tube and enough water can't get thru. (I clean all my tubes out about once a month.)

If and when this thing decides it wants to work properly, prepare yourself for a fishless cyle! So much easier on you and your fish. You can read about that here in Tank Setup.

Good luck.

[ND120883]

Well, after F-ing around with this thing for 2 weeks I've had it. Does anyone have any suggestions for a filter other than emperor that will suffice nicely for a 30 gallon tank?



Your suggestions are most appreciated.

[Rue]

...LOL...I just got my 2 'new' 280s up and running...one started up just fine...the other had issues...

...took it apart...cleaned it out...put it back together...still unbearably noisy...

...took it to a friend...he found out that the little plastic thingy just above where the impellor sits was in backwards...so he reorganized everything...and voila! It works just fine...nice and quiet too...so now I have both running in the 55g tank...

I still prefer the AquaClear though...take at look at them...I'd suggest the 50 for your tank...if you're only going with a few tropicals...any heavy duty fish you might want more filtration for...

[ND120883]

What do we classify as heavy-duty?

Also I think the reason this filter is sucking at life is because its missing that plastic thingamajigger you were referring to. It seats in the very bottom of the filter where the propeller housing is right? seemed to me that that little notch in the bottom was to mount some piece that I obviously don't have. The filter along with the tank and such was inherited from my father after spending a few months in a storage shed.

I might see if I can pull another emperor 280 out of a box at the store to see if I am indeed missing that part. I have to assume that odds are that specific piece is not available for sale. That would be too convenient.

[Rue]

Good luck finding parts! I wish they'd stock a bit more than they do.

By heavy-duty...I mean goldfish...or an overstocked Malawi cichlid tank (cichlids are deliberately overstocked to reduce aggression)...or one of the larger cichlids...like the goldfish...another big waste-producer...

...you can easily double your filtration for those situations...

[Lady Hobbs]

What do we classify as heavy-duty?

Also I think the reason this filter is sucking at life is because its missing that plastic thingamajigger you were referring to. It seats in the very bottom of the filter where the propeller housing is right? seemed to me that that little notch in the bottom was to mount some piece that I obviously don't have. The filter along with the tank and such was inherited from my father after spending a few months in a storage shed.

I might see if I can pull another emperor 280 out of a box at the store to see if I am indeed missing that part. I have to assume that odds are that specific piece is not available for sale. That would be too convenient.

LOL There you are. I wondered about you a few times and if you ever got that blasted thing going. Penquins make a good filter. Aqua Techs are also good filter. Don't get a Whisper. It could be that your propellor is worn out on that Emporer but not worth paying for a new one if you don't know what the problem is for sure.

[ND120883]

Ya, I'm gonna pull a Stalin on this one, purge everything and start over fresh.

So I might grab an Aqua-tech one that's at walmart, goes for like 35 bucks seems like a good price. rated for 30-50 gallon tanks. Didn't say anything about what type of tank its good for, so I assume it can be used in either fresh or salt water tanks. Someone tell me if I'm wrong.

I'm gonna see what else my aquarium shop i'm gonna get my fish from has as well. Thx for the help guys.

[Lady Hobbs]

Always get a filter rated for much more than your tank volume because they never filter enough with a full stocked tank.

[ND120883]

Penguin 350 works like a charm. Its been in a few hours and my water has cleared up drastically. Rated for up to 75 gallon tank so it should do nicely on my 30-ish tank.

[Lady Hobbs]

Finally, huh? Good thing you were in no hurry. Glad you got it going. Now, before you run out and get a bunch of fish, read up on fishless cycling and save yourself (and the fish) from even more stress.