Question About Externals

[Timmy_Bee]

My 305 would be fine, but the lid can be a bit sticky. So your yanking on this thing for it to come off, then it does... you fly backwards... water goes everywhere...

On the note of walking it to the sink:
a) how much water does your filter hold?
b) how many small buckets does it take you to do a water change?!

 

[coldcazzie]

My 305 would be fine, but the lid can be a bit sticky. So your yanking on this thing for it to come off, then it does... you fly backwards... water goes everywhere...

On the note of walking it to the sink:
a) how much water does your filter hold?
b) how many small buckets does it take you to do a water change?!

I stopped using buckets about 18 months ago. I do a 50% water change most weeks, so, with maybe 200L of circulating water, it would take me about 10 buckets if I did it with buckets. I use the hose though - much easier!

And the filter holds about 12L of water. 1L = 1kg, so thats 12kg just of water. Maybe 10.5-11 once you've drained the bit out that sits in the actual lid/impeller bit, plus mopped up spills.

 

[OldMan47]

That thing looks a lot like my Marineland C series filter Cazzie. Given that it may be very be similar, please try a simple clean while it is out of service.
What have you go to lose? If it responds well to a cleaning it will be fine right after your cleaning. If it does not respond to a good cleaning it will do no worse than it is already doing on your tank. Either way you have a nice starting point.

 

[JoshuaA]

I have the 1400L/H filter from APS and found it quite good for water changes.

I wouldn't worry about the "air locks" when priming, I think them claiming it should prime in one push of the button is quite optimisitic at best. One push didn't even pull any water through for me. I think I had to press it around 5/6 times for it to prime the first go. Then it obviously made a few bubbly noises and then within about 10 seconds it went quiet, thought that was the norm for externals?

I understand your frustration though for cleaning it when you take the lid off water goes everywhere so carrying it somewhere.

I prefer the hose lock system more on this for some reason than my fluval, I love it for the fact the width of the hoses allows me to do a massive water change in seconds, then prime the filter up with a few pushes. I also like the change from the ribbed hoses on my Fluval 205, funky green hoses.