External Filter

[cane76]

i got my first external filter last week it is all set up and working fine.i need to to do a water change today so what do i do?turn off the power and shut the valves?and when i turn it back on afterwards will it start on its own?

 

[Bloo]

Just turn the power off (filter and heater) and switch it back on afterwards. No need to do anything with the taps.

 

[cane76]

thx m8 just making sure

 

[andywg]

I leave all my cannisters running and, so long as the water change will not take the water lower than the heater level, I leave the heaters on too.

So long as your external filter is a cannister and the intake is fairly low (as most are) then you will have no problems with leaving the filter running.

 

[Bloo]

This is what happend when I left my heater on (by accident).

Personally I don't think it's good health and safety practice to leave any electrical item on (connected to the tank) while doing water changes. Accidents happen - it's not worth taking the risk when it only takes a flick of a switch.

(It might be different if you're not touching the water or planning to stick your hands in the water and doing a 10% change with a python or similar - but under the normal circumstances not).

 

[andywg]

The chance of receiving an electrical shock is minimal. I am yet to hear of anyone receiving one outside of playing silly buggers (as in trying to mod items while they are running, or when the item is clearly at fault; bare wires etc.).

Also, as I said, so long as the heater will not go above the water line there is no problem in leaving it plugged in IMO. The first paragraph in your link you state that the heater was exposed.

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

I always unplug everything in the tank except the lights. I once forgot to unplug a heater and it melted it's holder and fell into the lowered water level, because of the temperature difference it shattered all over in my tank. Luckily it didn't harm the fish in any way, nor did it shock me when I stupidly reached in to pull it out befor unplugging it. it's good practice to unplug your stuff though just so you don't have any mishaps.

 

[andywg]

So SLC, you leave on what is probably the appliance most succeptible to water damage (the lights as a result of most endcaps being far from water proof, splash resistant at best) yet turn off those elements designed to work fully submerged?

I can understand people wanting to turn off heaters if they do not have a safety shut off, and the person doing the maintenance does not trust themselves to be able to spot when the water has got too low - but in the case of cannister filters (such as eheim or fluval) where the intake is almost on the substrate and no electricity goes anywhere near the tank; I can see no reason for taking out their power supply when water changing.

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

Andywg

I see your point, but this thread started with a question about an external filter, not a cannister. If I had a cannister, I'd leave it on as well because if it's not going to shock the fish, it's not going to shock you. As far as the lights are concerned, they don't ever get submerged in water. The heater if left out of the water while turned on can become very hot, then when it is submerged it can shatter. the external filter can be damaged by being allowed to pump sans water, and if for no other reason, I turn it off to avoid the annoying sound it makes when it runs empty.

I do appreciate your concern for my safety though, and will take your reccomendations into practice in the future.

Best wishes,

SLC Flyfishing

 

[CFC]

Canisters are external filters, here in the UK there are only two kinds of power filter commonly available, internal filters (think fluval 1-4+ models for example) and external filters (think eheims or fluval 401-404 models for example)

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

Ahh... I see. When I think canister filter, I think internal, most fluval's I've seen here are internal filters.

thanks for the clear up.

SLC