Filter Problems

[Westwood]

Hi all, I'm looking for a bit of advice. Today as I have done my normal, water change, I emptied the filter (fluval 205) and when I turned it back on, it wasn't working correctly, I have managed to get it working again, but it is making a lot of noise. And I have had enough now and I have found out the receipt, and hopefully will be able to exchange it for a ehime filter.
So what should i do about the media in the filter? Should I keep it? or should it go back with the filter?
Fluval have really started annoying me, that is 2 of there products that have gone wrong with 2 months.

Thanks for ANY advice you can give!

Thanks Westwood

 

[StandbySetting]

All fluval '05 externals are terrible, I'd recommend: Rena, Tetratec, APS and Eheim, all good brands.

 

[Westwood]

All fluval '05 externals are terrible, I'd recommend: Rena, Tetratec, APS and Eheim, all good brands.

I have learnt that now! I was looking at Eheim, what is the Eheim filter that matches the 205's specs? I'm having issues on their web site at the moment.

Thanks!

 

[shadow1200]

i have a rena xp2 ( best filter rena are the best )
If your gonna buy a new filter buy a rena i bought mine second hand and 1 part of it was broke i emailed them and they sent me a new part for free didn't even need to send them prove i owned one. You can pick 1 up for around 50 pound on ebay


But i guess there is air in your pump ? didn't prime it probably ?
You do know you need to prime it ? every time you open it ?
can;t just plug in and go

 

[Westwood]

i have a rena xp2 ( best filter rena are the best )


But i guess there is air in your pump ? didn't prime it probably ?
You do know you need to prime it ? every time you open it ?
can;t just plug in and go

I know I have performed maintenance on the filter weekly for about 10 months. Usually there is no reason to have to prime the filter, usually a syphon is made and it fills itself. But after that failed I did try the primer, which did nothing(this is what I think the problem is). After all that I ended up trying to tip water down the pipe, and I have eventually got it working, but I am not prepared to do that every time from now on!

 

[shadow1200]

i have a rena xp2 ( best filter rena are the best )


But i guess there is air in your pump ? didn't prime it probably ?
You do know you need to prime it ? every time you open it ?
can;t just plug in and go

I know I have performed maintenance on the filter weekly for about 10 months. Usually there is no reason to have to prime the filter, usually a syphon is made and it fills itself. But after that failed I did try the primer, which did nothing(this is what I think the problem is). After all that I ended up trying to tip water down the pipe, and I have eventually got it working, but I am not prepared to do that every time from now on!

On my external pump the was a quick disconnect ( the thing the 2 pipes go into ) I forces the primer leaver down and snapped in side. I then tried to prime it but wouldn't prime. I then tipped water down the inlet pipe and worked. The filter ran for 15 mins then leaked every were. Maybe check were the pipes go into ? see if you broke anything ?


By the way the syphon stage is priming it. Were you put quick disconnect up so the water can't go into the canister then put the inlet in the water push the quick disconnect down ( the thing the 2 pipes goes into then the canister fills that is priming it.

But if i was you id check if anything is broke ( The thing were the 2 pipes goes into the quick disconnect )

 

[doresy]

All fluval '05 externals are terrible, I'd recommend: Rena, Tetratec, APS and Eheim, all good brands.

Sorry but what a stupid statement

Such a sweeping statement is meaningless and misguiding.

* Added later
I, and another member of my family have run Fluval 305's for a few years now without a single problem and I am sure there are many other members here with similar stories.

I keep Tanganyikans so water quality is paramount to which my Fluval 305 certainly comes up to the mark.

Of my experience with a Fluval filter I don't feel like I am qualified to state that they are the best in the world (only that I have found them to be good) so I am wondering why the poster feels that whatever his/her experience of them allows them to make such a blanket statement?

 

[StandbySetting]

I work at an LFS, out of all of the external filters we sell, the Fluval 04/05's are the ones being constantly returned, funnily enough they seem to fail just outside their warranty, and the majority of filter spares we stock are Fluval spares, I don't ever recall an Eheim being returned, Tetratec's have been returned due to broken taps only, and that appears to be a poor tap design, other than that no complaints, and I've never seen a Rena returned.
After using 2 of them I've come to the conclusion that they're poorly manufactured, I maintain filters well, I regularly lubricate the O-ring, grease any other rubber parts and replace parts that have worn, the first '05 I had the seal broke after 3 years of use despite good maintenance, filters should last for 10 years+ not 3, the second one I had the plastic case cracked, for no apparent reason, I woke up one day with a sodden floor and a ruined carpet. The most common complaints I receive are cracked housings and leaking O-rings, we also used 3 05's on some display tanks, the O-ring failed on one of them too, 3/5 suffering failures despite good maintenance is terrible.

Just to add: There's nothing wrong with their ability to filter, if anything it's pretty good, it's just that their build quality is poor, the FX5 and the new G series however are excellent. I do agree though, my comment was a bit of a sweeping statement, maybe 'I've found them to be unreliable' would have been better.

 

[Westwood]

I work at an LFS, out of all of the external filters we sell, the Fluval 04/05's are the ones being constantly returned, funnily enough they seem to fail just outside their warranty, and the majority of filter spares we stock are Fluval spares, I don't ever recall an Eheim being returned, Tetratec's have been returned due to broken taps only, and that appears to be a poor tap design, other than that no complaints, and I've never seen a Rena returned.
After using 2 of them I've come to the conclusion that they're poorly manufactured, I maintain filters well, I regularly lubricate the O-ring, grease any other rubber parts and replace parts that have worn, the first '05 I had the seal broke after 3 years of use despite good maintenance, filters should last for 10 years+ not 3, the second one I had the plastic case cracked, for no apparent reason, I woke up one day with a sodden floor and a ruined carpet. The most common complaints I receive are cracked housings and leaking O-rings, we also used 3 05's on some display tanks, the O-ring failed on one of them too, 3/5 suffering failures despite good maintenance is terrible.

Just to add: There's nothing wrong with their ability to filter, if anything it's pretty good, it's just that their build quality is poor, the FX5 and the new G series however are excellent. I do agree though, my comment was a bit of a sweeping statement, maybe 'I've found them to be unreliable' would have been better.

Great this is just the information i am looking for!
What do you say to your customers, when it comes to the filter media? As I don't want to loose my cycled media?

 

[StandbySetting]

Just put the current media into the new filter, if it doesn't fit, cut it up, it's as simple as that.

 

[Westwood]

Just put the current media into the new filter, if it doesn't fit, cut it up, it's as simple as that.

Thanks, But should they still accept the filter with the media missing?

 

[StandbySetting]

We do, they have to be reasonable, you can't run a tank with no bacterial colony, Fluval are generally pretty good when we return faulty units to them.

 

[Caprichoso]

I work at an LFS, out of all of the external filters we sell, the Fluval 04/05's are the ones being constantly returned, funnily enough they seem to fail just outside their warranty, and the majority of filter spares we stock are Fluval spares, I don't ever recall an Eheim being returned, Tetratec's have been returned due to broken taps only, and that appears to be a poor tap design, other than that no complaints, and I've never seen a Rena returned.
After using 2 of them I've come to the conclusion that they're poorly manufactured, I maintain filters well, I regularly lubricate the O-ring, grease any other rubber parts and replace parts that have worn, the first '05 I had the seal broke after 3 years of use despite good maintenance, filters should last for 10 years+ not 3, the second one I had the plastic case cracked, for no apparent reason, I woke up one day with a sodden floor and a ruined carpet. The most common complaints I receive are cracked housings and leaking O-rings, we also used 3 05's on some display tanks, the O-ring failed on one of them too, 3/5 suffering failures despite good maintenance is terrible.

Just to add: There's nothing wrong with their ability to filter, if anything it's pretty good, it's just that their build quality is poor, the FX5 and the new G series however are excellent. I do agree though, my comment was a bit of a sweeping statement, maybe 'I've found them to be unreliable' would have been better.

Since you work there, you would see firsthand what's rubbish and what isn't so I think it's good info Glad to know the FX5's are still going strong!!

 

[doresy]

Light hearted comment........

Just cleaned out my old Fluval 305 for the umpteenth time and oh my god you'll never guess what?! .........

It's still working fine with no leaks or faults whatsoever!!!!!

Guess I'll just have to put my money away on an expensive replacement and carry on using it for a few more years


What's that? Pride comes before a fall

 

[nurglespuss]

I live by Fluval 05's run my tanks back at the ranch beautifully, even when administered to by my non-fish non-enthusiast other half.

I think its a case of luck. I have 0 luck with Rena, or Fluval internals, and less than 0 with eheim externals, (and currently 50/50 with eheim HOBs)

It sounds like your getting air caught in the impeller/hood, is the unit underneath the tank?