Hydor Prime 10

[Garydos]

had this filter for about 4 years now, and recently it started doing some wierd gurgling/splashing inside...

the filter was basicly half full of water and somehow pumping water still, but slowly. changed the outflow pipe (had an eheim 2215 outflow thing) back to the prime 10 stock outflow pipe. The filter was working fine up untill 2 months ago (fish, plants were relocated so the tank stood empty) so could it have been using a different part that caused the damage? either way, the filter just isnt inputting the water properly it seems, theres a bubble caught it a section of the tubing (hard to explain) but if you saw it you would think that it would suck through.

I replaced one of the rubber o-rings in the top of the seal/top-up cap. no leaks comming from that. ive tried tightening everything. its better but its still not like i remeber it.

i heard putting vaseline around the seals helps?

when do u know that your filter is dead haha. im sort of scared to hear a response to that cant afford another canister right now.

any help appreciated.

 

[Schmill]

If the filter has got air in it it sounds like it hasn't been primed correctly?
How is the state of the filter inside? Is it possible it is really mucky and therefore not letting the water flow properly?
I'd be tempted to disconnect it, give everything a clean in a bucket of aquarium water (being gentle with the bio-media), refit everything and then reprime it.
Most filters are different but usually a good way to prime the filter is to connect everything, then with the filter off open the outflow tap, and then the inflow tap. Water should then start syphoning down the inflow pipe into the filter and pushing the air out of the outflow pipe. Only once the water has filled the cannister and started to travel up the outflow pipe purely under the syphoning pressure should you then think about turning on the power.

 

[raptorrex]

had this filter for about 4 years now, and recently it started doing some wierd gurgling/splashing inside...

the filter was basicly half full of water and somehow pumping water still, but slowly. changed the outflow pipe (had an eheim 2215 outflow thing) back to the prime 10 stock outflow pipe. The filter was working fine up untill 2 months ago (fish, plants were relocated so the tank stood empty) so could it have been using a different part that caused the damage? either way, the filter just isnt inputting the water properly it seems, theres a bubble caught it a section of the tubing (hard to explain) but if you saw it you would think that it would suck through.

I replaced one of the rubber o-rings in the top of the seal/top-up cap. no leaks comming from that. ive tried tightening everything. its better but its still not like i remeber it.

i heard putting vaseline around the seals helps?

when do u know that your filter is dead haha. im sort of scared to hear a response to that cant afford another canister right now.

any help appreciated.

I've run a "30" for some years. they are supposed to, and do, self prime! i have found though, that if the inlet pipe has a "dip", in any area, that goes below the level of the inlet on the cannister, the filter starts to "blow bubbles", or that's what it sounds like. i cut a chumk out of the pipe to ensure a, constant, drop to the inlet. that did the trick.

 

[rabbut]

As said, it sounds like it hasn't primed correctly. I'd empty out the water and pipes, before re-connecting up. Suck on the outlet with all valves open and wait for it to fill before switching on. This should fix your problem

 

[raptorrex]

As said, it sounds like it hasn't primed correctly. I'd empty out the water and pipes, before re-connecting up. Suck on the outlet with all valves open and wait for it to fill before switching on. This should fix your problem

unfortunately they dont run at all, if they are not primed properly! but "catching air" is one of the things these filters are known for. if you have a dip in the piping, it can collect there, instead of being expelled. one of the features of the hydor prime series, apart from self priming, is a surface skimmer. if this is, too far above the water line, air gets in through the skimmer intake. usually this is expelled as i have stated, just occasionally, it collects and causes, just, the problems the OP has stated.

i did not reealise you ran a Hydor prime filter, which one do you have, and how do you find it?

 

[rabbut]

I don't run the Hydor Prime filters, I'm just speculating a caurse and solution based on similar faults I've had with Fluvals; Air-locks in pipes/impeller chamber.....

All the best
Rabbut

 

[raptorrex]

I don't run the Hydor Prime filters, I'm just speculating a caurse and solution based on similar faults I've had with Fluvals; Air-locks in pipes/impeller chamber.....

All the best
Rabbut

ahh sorry i miss understood.

whilst this has not vexed me too much, its a problem often reported for these externals.

 

[Garydos]

alright awsome... got it all primed up. like i said, ive owned it for 4 years, and only had problems with it recently.

boboboy: it had the lower elevated bubble you were talking about; its was 5cm or so under the water level, so that really must've been the problem. but the thing is why would that have happened in the first place? just general wear and tear? (most likley). Anyway I have not had to make any cuts in the inlet or anything yet, but if any problems persist ill use your method. Must've not been a real good filter, because no LFS around me stock them anymore (or parts that i were after) - Only eheim pretty much, and some cheap asian brands. and recently saw JBL for the first time, never heard of it untill now. Hopefully it will hold out another few years, im not in the mood to buy a new one just yet.

how long have you had your prime 30 boboboy?

 

[raptorrex]

alright awsome... got it all primed up. like i said, ive owned it for 4 years, and only had problems with it recently.

boboboy: it had the lower elevated bubble you were talking about; its was 5cm or so under the water level, so that really must've been the problem. but the thing is why would that have happened in the first place? just general wear and tear? (most likley). Anyway I have not had to make any cuts in the inlet or anything yet, but if any problems persist ill use your method. Must've not been a real good filter, because no LFS around me stock them anymore (or parts that i were after) - Only eheim pretty much, and some cheap asian brands. and recently saw JBL for the first time, never heard of it untill now. Hopefully it will hold out another few years, im not in the mood to buy a new one just yet.

how long have you had your prime 30 boboboy?

I think the "head sets" (intake and outlet) are quite cheap, and fragile. perhaps the uv is affecting them, but they seem to need replacing after a few years. i bought mine second hand, it was two years old then. after, about, 8 months i started having this problem. replacing the inlet set (£5.99 from Clearwaters in Leicester) and shortening the pipe it stopped. when i looked at the "old" set, you could feel how loose the, outer, tube on the inlet set was. lol it was then i found out about the skimmer function, so i also lowerd the set a touch. its been running fine since then. (three years). ~I have looked at the impeller, remember over five years old, and it is fine. indeed the only problem with the filter itself, is one of the handle pivots on the media basket has snapped. the fittings are another matter. two sets of taps, (£2.99 Clearwaters Leicester) and the two "inlet, one outlet set. these bits are fragile and fiddly, but cheap to replace. net bits.

it primes itself, is reasonably quiet (mind you the Eheim makes it sound loud lol). i can not fault its filtration. and has been as reliable as any Eheim. the media basket is a pain true (no sections, unless you put media in bags), and its touchy when you service it, often needs a good thump to get the impeller spinning after. but for £60, with a flow (real) close to 600lph, its hard to fault.
would i buy another? well, probably not new, second hand good quality Eheim pro 2 go for the same price, that would be my choice. but if there were no Eheims, in a heart beat