Cleaning External Filters And Water Clarity

[deftuch]

i find after every time i clean out my external filters and then re prime. the water is cloudier than before! i clean out my filter once a month and as a result my water is healty but i can never truely have xrystal clear water on a permanent basis! anyone else have the same problem?

 

[techen]

i find after every time i clean out my external filters and then re prime. the water is cloudier than before! i clean out my filter once a month and as a result my water is healty but i can never truely have xrystal clear water on a permanent basis! anyone else have the same problem?

I think its caused by a limescale build up or something. Once you clean it, it blows out like this white crud and it looks awful but yea normal.

 

[deftuch]

i find after every time i clean out my external filters and then re prime. the water is cloudier than before! i clean out my filter once a month and as a result my water is healty but i can never truely have xrystal clear water on a permanent basis! anyone else have the same problem?

I think its caused my a limescale build up or something. Once you clean it, it blows out like this white crud and it looks awful but yea normal.

yeah i always get that. im fed up of having to put a net over the outflow pipe. seems as im doing 2 water changes a week it goes to a high standard pretty quickly and i have a 1400 lph filter on my 180 tank. just annoying lol

 

[fluttermoth]

Have you cleaned out the actual pipes recently, OP? You can get a load of crud inside them.

 

[deftuch]

Have you cleaned out the actual pipes recently, OP? You can get a load of crud inside them.

ive only had the filter up and running less than a month or so. i clean out the pipes every 2 months or whenever i feel is necesary. the aps filter i have is a #28### to get all the air out and takes alot of priming and shaking which doesnt help

 

[deftuch]

Have you cleaned out the actual pipes recently, OP? You can get a load of crud inside them.

ive only had the filter up and running less than a month or so. i clean out the pipes every 2 months or whenever i feel is necesary. the aps filter i have is a #28### to get all the air out and takes alot of priming and shaking which doesnt help

i only said bug*er

 

[fluttermoth]

*puts on mod hat*
Please don't bypass the swear filters; they're there for a reason
*takes off mod hat*


Oh, ok, probably not the pipes then, although limescale can build up very quickly, if you live in a hard water area.

Do you tip all the water out and clean the actual canister bit? I know what you mean about the APS filters; a couple of mine can be really awkward to prime as well, I have no idea why; the others are fine!

 

[deftuch]

*puts on mod hat*
Please don't bypass the swear filters; they're there for a reason
*takes off mod hat*


Oh, ok, probably not the pipes then, although limescale can build up very quickly, if you live in a hard water area.

Do you tip all the water out and clean the actual canister bit? I know what you mean about the APS filters; a couple of mine can be really awkward to prime as well, I have no idea why; the others are fine!

yeah i have hard water, so thats what it is. i try to clean out the filter best possible to avoid the clouding. it never happens with my cristalprofi e700 im running on my comm tank. even though those filter are useless at picking up fine particles without the aid of floss. i just wish there was some way round it. some people avoid cleaning their filters out because of it. i however will not be doing that.. i like you better with the mod hat off

 

[Livewire88]

Are you cleaning the filter floss thoroughly? or are you replacing it?

And how do you clean the filter out? (what process do you follow) when ever I clean my externals I replace the floss and make sure I empty out all the water and crud that is trapped at the bottom, then after I put the baskets back in I re fill the filter almost to the top with clean tank water before replacing the filter head/motor, if you do it this way the filter wont have any crud to pump back into the tank.

Also all it takes to remove any air left is to tilt the filter backwards and a little shake dispels any air, this method work fine on all my externals even my APS, I never have to use the prime push buttons.

 

[star4]

You can clean out an aps filter without having to re-prime.

Lift the black shut off valve and remove the whole thing from the canister head, clean out the filter. Before re-connecting the shut off valve, get another hose and fit it over the end of the outlet pipe in the tank and into a bucket. Get another bucket and hold it under the shut off valve and open it up emptying the outlet pipe (you will see two streams of water then just 1, shut it off again) this back flushes the outlet pipe and all the gubbins goes into the bucket. Dont fill the filter leave it empty and connect the shut of valve back to the canister then open the valve, the filter will re-fill without priming it. Once full turn it on and the first wave of gunk will go into the bucket, switch filter off again and disconnect hose from the outlet, turn filter back on. Working filter, no need to prime and no gunk in the tank

 

[deftuch]

Are you cleaning the filter floss thoroughly? or are you replacing it?

And how do you clean the filter out? (what process do you follow) when ever I clean my externals I replace the floss and make sure I empty out all the water and crud that is trapped at the bottom, then after I put the baskets back in I re fill the filter almost to the top with clean tank water before replacing the filter head/motor, if you do it this way the filter wont have any crud to pump back into the tank.

Also all it takes to remove any air left is to tilt the filter backwards and a little shake dispels any air, this method work fine on all my externals even my APS, I never have to use the prime push buttons.

lol i know how to displace air, this aps however is an exception. ive even been resorted to holding it upside down and shaking it. however it leaks water this way. a few days after the water is clouded it clears up and from the front it looks crystal. but we all judge out clarity looking striaght through, one side to another, it has a slight haze i cant get rid off yes i clean and replace the floss in both filters.

 

[Livewire88]

Well I just don't understand why gunk would be pumped out of a properly cleaned filter.

O well, you got me stumped.

Good luck

 

[deftuch]

Well I just don't understand why gunk would be pumped out of a properly cleaned filter.

O well, you got me stumped.

Good luck

i think its more limescale than actaull gunk. its is white. not browny waste. aps filters ( one without uv ) have pockets of airspace above, behind and all around the impeller making it hard to get the air out in some cases

 

[snazy]

Can you get more filter floss in it?

Edit: Or some fine media like a sponge to put inside to catch this white stuff?

 

[deftuch]

Can you get more filter floss in it?

Edit: Or some fine media like a sponge to put inside to catch this white stuff?

i was thinking maybe a coarse sponge as all i have in terms of mechanical media is floss.