advice on filter please

[terrypin]

Hi I purchased a second hand tank last summer after many years without one. Along with this came an allpond solutions 1000ef cannister. I struggled to prime this when I cleaned it out and may have run it with air in the head unit. I have noticed recently the water flow has slowed right down so rather than risk my fish I added a small 1.2litre sponge cannister to help clean the water and stop me having to clean my filter every few weeks. I have noticed the flow has reduced to a trickle and feel as this came from the same manufacturer as the main filter it should be able to do the job it is advertised for. I do 20% water changes every other day and the fish appear healthy with water parameters good. My concerns are I am working 48 hr shifts at this time and should they increase during the current times I may not be able to do water changes for several days. I have looked at a replacement head unit at about £25 against a new upgraded filter which it may need with the add on sponges. Has anyone any experience of this and can they advise me which way to go. My tank is 150L but the cannister I am looking at to replace mine with is for tanks up to 600L where as the old one is for tanks up to 400L.

 

[FishkeeperLinz]

Hi I purchased a second hand tank last summer after many years without one. Along with this came an allpond solutions 1000ef cannister. I struggled to prime this when I cleaned it out and may have run it with air in the head unit. I have noticed recently the water flow has slowed right down so rather than risk my fish I added a small 1.2litre sponge cannister to help clean the water and stop me having to clean my filter every few weeks. I have noticed the flow has reduced to a trickle and feel as this came from the same manufacturer as the main filter it should be able to do the job it is advertised for. I do 20% water changes every other day and the fish appear healthy with water parameters good. My concerns are I am working 48 hr shifts at this time and should they increase during the current times I may not be able to do water changes for several days. I have looked at a replacement head unit at about £25 against a new upgraded filter which it may need with the add on sponges. Has anyone any experience of this and can they advise me which way to go. My tank is 150L but the cannister I am looking at to replace mine with is for tanks up to 600L where as the old one is for tanks up to 400L.

20% water changes every other days plus overfiltering, there shouldn't be a problem with the filter, beyond a simple cleaning (in old tank water, during a water change). More likely a stocking issue. How many fish do you have in the tank, and what are they?

 

[terrypin]

3, guppy 3, molly 2, bristle-nose 6, platies 2, angel 9, cory 8, rummy nose 6, neon tetra 10 marbled hatchet fish. Water parameters are good just concerned about the water flow and how long the tank would remain clean with out water changes. Also tank is heavily planted.

 

[seangee]

Doing a 75% water change once per week is better than 20 every other day. Is the sponge canister driven off the same pump? If so I tried one of those and it really killed the flow. If you are having problems with solids in the filter you would be better off using a coarse sponge to cover the filter inlet. That means its almost zero effort to take it off and rinse it - every day if necessary.

 

[terrypin]

Thanks for the reply and yes it is driven by the same pump I bought it from the same supplier so thought it would be ok. To be honest I dont have a problem with solids and have a shrimp guard on the inlet to save any fry which also reduces the solids. I just like to keep the water clean and test it every month. Because I struggled a bit figuring out how to clean and prime the canister when I first go it I thought I could save myself cleaning the main filter as often and just clean the sponges. Of course I still have to prime it so not much gain for me there. I am unsure if I damaged the pump the first couple of times I c[eaned and then primed the filter because the flow was great when I first had it running. I must say the sponges work well if I clean them weekly the first sponge is clogged up and there is hardly any in my main filter. As I said just wanted to improve the flow should I not be able to return home as often I wont be hurting my fish.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Yes, sponges do clog up fast with gunk, but that means they are working well.

What kind of shrimp do you have? My Cherry Shrimp fry are surprisingly fast swimmers and can take a lot of suction.

 

[seangee]

Just stick one of these over the filter inlet (tank outlet) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01EN4H236/?tag=
If you rinse that every week your filter stays clean for 3-6 months. Do not attach an air pump. The filter really does flow better and is easier to prime if

1. You keep the hoses as short as possible (especially the one from tank to filter)
2. Keep the hoses as vertical as possible - especially the one from tank to filter as gravity takes over once you have water in the hose

 

[terrypin]

Thank you for the replies first of all I do keep cherry shrimp I love to watch them going about their business and agree they can move fast. I will continue to clean my sponges on a weekly basis good to know they are working well. I will clean my filter when I am off shift and see if I can improve the flow once the sponges are clean. Thanks again for all the replies. Still not sure if I will replace the header unit or upgrade the filter.

 

[terrypin]

Just stick one of these over the filter inlet (tank outlet) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01EN4H236/?tag=
If you rinse that every week your filter stays clean for 3-6 months. Do not attach an air pump. The filter really does flow better and is easier to prime if

1. You keep the hoses as short as possible (especially the one from tank to filter)
2. Keep the hoses as vertical as possible - especially the one from tank to filter as gravity takes over once you have water in the hose

Thank you for the link they say not deliver to Channel Islands but am used to this I will look around on Amazon and ebay when I am off shift now I know what to use.

 

[terrypin]

Hi again just an update I was getting frustrated with my filter so checked the impeller which was clean just I had heard a rattle when I tried to start the pump after priming. I took the impeller out and made sure it was seated correctly in the little grommets. Well tried again and filter primed really easy and the flow has increased a great deal. Took me 5 attempts to reseal filter housing though never rains but it pours. I had already ordered a new head unit which comes complete with new impeller and seal. I wont change it until I do a filter clean in a few weeks just cleaned it out. I will continue to clean out the booster unit weekly. Once again thanks for all the helpful replies and I hope the update is of use.