New To This "canister" Stuff

[AstonN24vantage]

hi all. i recently decided that i was going to say bye-bye to my aquaclear 70 for my 30g tank (it is so loud!) and i have decided to go with an atleast 12 year old fluval 203 that my dad used for his 30g. i hope this can save me tons of money. it has a few problems though. missing parts, broken stuff, stuff that just confuses the #105### out of me. please excuse me if i sound very stupid, but i have been using the hang on filters for 4 years and hated them all the way through. i was wondering: what is a spraybar? and i also noticed that on the box, the filter cartridges were in little white trays - and i dont think i have them... would i be able to get away w/o them? and i was wondering how many and what the cartridges even are (like the names of them) and if i can even find them in the store today! i have 2 sponges as refills, but no bio/chem. many more questions may appear.


thank you a ton. i am new to this.

if this is in the wrong section, could mods please move it (thats how new i am to this. i dont even know what section is right!)

 

[FishTankCrazy]

got no chance really of buying new media baskets for it. Your best bet would be to buy another 203 from Ebay which comes complete with media baskets they are quite cheap i picked up a 403 for £7.50 to run along side my 305 and works perfectly.

 

[KittyKat]

Yes, you need all the parts for it to work, including the baskets. You can fill the baskets with whatever media you fancy.

Product page and part numbers.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

can't i just stack the media or something? what is the point of the baskets in the first place?

 

[KittyKat]

If you do that, the water will go around the media and not through it. The point of the baskets is that they make the water go through the media.

 

[Bazza57]

I used to have a few fluval external canisters back when I ran my fish house. I will try to explain the concept of the internals to clarify your question.

The internal media canisters all fit snuggly on top of each other,at the top fitting to the filter head. Water is channeled into the filter - has to go down the outer chamber (between the canisters & the outer casing), then up through the bottom of a series of interlocking filter canisters (your choice of media) I used to use (in order from bottom canister upwards) Ceramic hoops, Zeolite or carbon media & finally sponge. All the fluval range worked pretty much the same, just differing in flow rate & diameter. I still have & use an ancient Atlantis 500 which works in a very similar manner.

If you can get the parts - do so, BAF (british aquarist festival)& Doncaster shows had trade stalls which sold spares or you could try Rolf. C. Hagen (Castleford) manufacture the fluvals, they might be worth a try or e-bay.

Yipee! my status has changed from newbie to fish fanatic

 

[AstonN24vantage]

or maybe they just sell them at petco. i am just worried that they're not even sold anymore (baskets & cartridges) and i wouldnt even know where to find them in usa, and there is no way in hell that im getting used cartridges, parts or baskets. i dont even care if their new on the internet, im 100% sure that im getting them at the lfs.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

what is a spraybar? do i need one?

 

[AstonN24vantage]

ok great news... i found the baskets. (thank goodness 'cause i couldnt find them anywhere) i also found a lifes supply of carbon, which doesnt really matter, because in the whole filters lifetime i may only be replacing the carbon once or twice. i also found some spare parts, repaired what neeeded to be repaired, like the "o"-ring and one of the locking clips at the top.

 

[KittyKat]

what is a spraybar? do i need one?

It is a solid (normally) plastic bar with holes in it, which are intended for letting water out in a number of places along the bar. I have only ever used it with Eheim filters, never with Fluvals. It is not compulsory.

i also found a lifes supply of carbon, which doesnt really matter, because in the whole filters lifetime i may only be replacing the carbon once or twice.

Are you planning on using carbon on an everyday basis? If so, why?

Congratulations on getting all the spare bits, where did you find them?

 

[Katch]

If the filter is as old as you say you would be best off replacing the o-ring that seals the pumphead to the canister. You should be able to pick up a compatible one off ebay easily enough.

Next get a bucket and some kind of deep tray. Put the filter together (without media) and fill it with water. Attach some hose and sink them in the bucket. Stand the filter in the tray and switch it on. Make sure the hoses are securely held underwater in the bucket and then just let it run for 48 hours and check for leaks. There's nothing worse than installing an old filter only to come home to a puddle under your tank.

 

[FishTankCrazy]

Next get a bucket and some kind of deep tray. Put the filter together (without media) and fill it with water. Attach some hose and sink them in the bucket. Stand the filter in the tray and switch it on. Make sure the hoses are securely held underwater in the bucket and then just let it run for 48 hours and check for leaks. There's nothing worse than installing an old filter only to come home to a puddle under your tank.

Lol my fluval 403 is permantly in a bucket because of the reason above and also when you come to do maintanance water will go everywhere from where the pipe shuts off from the filter so its best to aim it in the bucket its in.

 

[Bazza57]

Aston,
Sorry man, didn't realise that you lived in the states (I should of checked) my bad.

I guess you may still get hold of fluval or compatable parts over there, or new stuff as you indicated you would prefer.

Re: Spraybar, That is a long tube with holes along it, it creates several jets of water across the tank surface so you have gentler water movement at the surface. The unfortunate thing about spaybars is that they resemble the outlet bar in most public urinals, even sound like them too - which is a bit off-putting. I stopped using mine - the noise kept making me want to pass water
Fluval also came with a venturii device, which infuses air into a semi-submerged outlet. This created a stronger water current.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

If the filter is as old as you say you would be best off replacing the o-ring that seals the pumphead to the canister. You should be able to pick up a compatible one off ebay easily enough.

Next get a bucket and some kind of deep tray. Put the filter together (without media) and fill it with water. Attach some hose and sink them in the bucket. Stand the filter in the tray and switch it on. Make sure the hoses are securely held underwater in the bucket and then just let it run for 48 hours and check for leaks. There's nothing worse than installing an old filter only to come home to a puddle under your tank.

great tip. i guess one mans trash (my dad's fluval 203) can become another mans treasure. i managed to also find a spraybar, all the stuff i found was in my storage room. i tried to just see how to get it in the tank. the filter intake fit fine, but the spraybar didn't. i figure it would probably be poor form to have a filter that is just sucking in air, and a very strong and long air pump connected to the top of the tank . im just gonna ditch the spraybar and use the end of the tube. i also found some media, bought some media, and all should be well once i get back from a trip. i figure if (i dont know if it would or wouldnt happen, dont even waste your time telling me) there is a risk of ammonia by adding an uncycled filter, i atleast want the reassurance of being home and able to unplug. would there be any risk at all though? the "o"-ring is a pain in the neck (literally) because i found where to put it, and it is barely large enough to fit on the neck of the top part. i had to put all 90 pounds into it (that is weight, not your form of expensive money) just to be able to close it enough to close 2 clips! now my sternum is killing me! more updates monday, but maybe i can still peak around here now and then.

 

[KittyKat]

As long as you have a cycled filter running alongside the new one (or cycled media in the new filter), there should be no change in ammonia.