New Fixed Canister Poll! Whats The Best Canister Filter?

[aaronnorth]

We realy need to get rid of that "similar posts" section at the bottom. It keeps digging up these old threads...

going a bit off topic but... while i agree some posts for example 'look at my new fish' etc shouldnt be ressurected, but threads like this are informative and helpful to newbies so i dont see no reason why it shouldnt be.

Also surprised that tetratec has so many votes, i have heard loads of people saying they leak.

 

[rabbut]

Also surprised that tetratec has so many votes, i have heard loads of people saying they leak.

Usualy after miss-handeling in postage, or by the user when doing maintanance. Another common user error is not reading the instructions.... The instructions tell you to apply Vasaline to the seals to keep them hydrated and plyable without chapping. Once the three year old Tetratec leaks, and I ask about where it's leaking from and tell them to clean the seal throughly and apply liberal amounts of Vasaline to make it sealed again while waiting on a new one, the usual anwer is "I diden't realise it was even safe to apply that stuff" DOHH Those that read and follow the instructions after the filter arriving in one piece rarely have problems, other than one person I remember whom forgot to plug it in. I won't name and shame, but you get the idea. Follow their directions and you won't get a problem. Fail to read them and well.....

There were issues with the taps on introduction, but they have been re-designed and fixed now.

Being three and a bit years on the market though, we are still finding the faults with them ATM. The need for Vasaline on the seals not being imediately obvious is an obvious one fault to me now, but to a first time Tetratec user...

 

[aaronnorth]

would you say vaseline is needed on any filter?

 

[rabbut]

I'll put it this way. I would not dream of not using it Even if the manufacturer does not recomend using it, it will prevent the seal from drying out, giving extended seal life.

 

[waterdrop]

I'm a swimmer and for years I had to frequently replace my silicone swimcaps because the would crack and tear. Then someone told me that silicone needs care, that I should thoroughly dry the cap. I started drying it inside and out and the same cap has lasted now for years.

What I learned from that was that these nice rubbery silicone O-Rings need care. In a filter, the proper care, as the manufacturers say, is to keep them coated in vasoline (presumably to waterproof them from the same degradation process that ruined my swimcaps.)

Every time I clean my eheim I coat the seals with vasoline, its easy.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mike os]

Every eheim I ever bought came with a small tube of Vaseline, iirc the instructions recommended using it every service.