Fluval 405

**Lady10Godiva** · 07-16-2012, 01:31 AM

So I got a fluval 405 used and I went to set it up and the darn primer thing wont work. I couldnt get it to bring water into the canister. I took it back up and manually filled the canister to get it to work, but let me say it was no fun. Is their a better way or am I stuck?

**Fishguy2727** · 07-16-2012, 01:42 AM

Now that there is water in the tunes you should not need to fill the canister itself each time. Since there was no water anywhere this first time the primer had nothing to create a suction with. Next time you clean it (every month, just like any filter) you will close off the tubes and just take the canister. When you hook it back up the canister will be empty but when you open up that valve to the tubes the water already in them will fall and start a siphon that will fill the canister. Once the bubbles stop coming out you can plug it in.

**Lady10Godiva** · 07-16-2012, 01:46 AM

Good because that was no fun at all.

**Trillianne** · 07-16-2012, 06:03 AM

I am not sure if you got the directions with your Fluval 405, since it was used, but it is not a fully auto-priming filter.

You should be able to prime it with the little grey prime handle (circular says start) to fill the canister.

But let's be frank... if you have opened the filter for maintenance, there is really no great reason to kill yourself going from dry to full with that little handle... just fill the thing with water to above the media and then you only have to prime it that last little bit.... SOOOO much easier.

**Fishguy2727** · 07-16-2012, 12:22 PM

Priming just starts a siphon, you don't have to manually pump water in the whole time to fill the canister.

You also may need to pump it a little after you plug it in to help get the last few bubbles out.

**Trillianne** · 07-16-2012, 03:56 PM

In theory it sounds like it shouldn't be much work to start it empty and use the prime lever to start the siphon and get all the water in.

But in practice.... my experience has been near wearing out of my arm if I don't pre-fill, because that's just that much air I need to get out of the system. And considering that pre-filling the filter is fairly simple when the top is off... I don't see any disadvantage to doing it that way.

The only caution is to be certain its only filled with tank water or treated water, since adding untreated water with chlorine or chloramines would lead to a bad time.