Fluval 205 Help!

[sasmcpot]

I have just installed a Fluval 205 Filter (I had an undergravel filter before but hated it).

Ive installed the filter as per the instructions and it seems to be working. I just have 2 main questions for anyone who has a Fluval cannister.

1) It keeps filtering in short sharp bursts. Suck water in, wait 5 minutes. Push water out (With minimal bubbles) Is this normal, or should it be a continuous flow?

2) Is the filter alone enough to provide the oxygen for a 125L Tank? Or am I going to need some airstones and the like?

Many thanks for any help!

Edit: Its now started pumping permanently, but only a very small amount with no bubbles.

 

[sasmcpot]

Anyone about? Sadly its coming late, and I wouldn't like to risk leaving the fish overnight in this condition!

 

[waterdrop]

When you first fill a cannister (before you turn it on) it takes a very long time to fill with water and air gets trapped at the top near the impeller. It works best if you wait a time that's seemingly too long, as various air pockets sometimes get worked out prior to your turning it on. After its on, if it still has air (as indicated by unsteady flow or bubble bursts) it can help to gently and carefully lift the cannister body and tilt it slightly in different directions and give it a little vibrational shake. Usually this looses some air bubbles and you don't want it to loose too many at once or you can unprime the pump (and you'll want to re-prime it reasonably quickly and not burn out the motor.)

Another thing to check is whether the filter has flow rate limiting levers and if so to check how they're set. This could be limiting flow. Another very rare thing on new filters can be when some shipping cap or plug was not removed and is blocking some aspect of the piping or system.

This is all I can think of at the moment. Good luck,
~~waterdrop~~

 

[sasmcpot]

Aha thankyou. I played around with it a little and still no difference, although the water (Cloudy due to ripping the undergravel out) is clearing up at a rapid rate, telling me that the filter must be doing its part.

Is it meant to release bubbles of any kind? Or does it expect you to have an airstone / seperate air pump? (I have one that I have plugged in anyway, just checking)

 

[grumpysteve]

there shouldn't be any bubbles coming out of the outlet/spray bar at all. if you want to use just the filter to aerate the tank you can adjust the outflow/spray bar so it disrupts the surface of the water, this is how the water absorbs oxygen

 

[sasmcpot]

Aha thankyou! If its not meant to, ill leave it happily as it is and use an airstone!

Thanks for the help guys. Was fretting when I plugged it in and it didn't do anything I expected!

 

[erk628]

I had a 304 and when ever I cleaned it out it was always a pain to get it going again mine would do the spurts like yours is doing. To prime mine I had to pump it I found if you lay it down and pump it then stand it up it usually worked make sure you have a towel though some water will come out. But it should be a countious flow not spurts. About a year ago after cleaning it it wouldn't work anymore so I replaced it with a hob filter. After reading waterdrops comments I'm going to get it back out and try again.

 

[Norvu]

Fluval canisters will do that when you first start them up, all the air pockets that get stuck in there. It'll eventually go away and it'll be continuous flow (and silent). Like other people have said, just shuffle it around a little and it'll loosen up the air pockets, canister might make a weird noise when you do this, but I don't think it hurts it.

 

[waterdrop]

There's really no way to get away from some air pockets created by internal bubbles. They happen because the media is doing its job. You of course want there to be these good layers of media that can trap debris in the water and at first they do the same thing to the air bubbles that form as the cannister is filled. Then the bubbles slowly change size, bubble up through the media and you get air pockets forming near the impeller, which of course is at the top of the cannister. So its an understandable thing, even if a bit bothersome. The part I worry about is that its good to check it off and on for a while because you wouldn't want to leave the house for a long time right after a refill and have the bubbles stop the water movement and burn the motor out.

You fooled me with that edit in your first post where you said the flow was very small. It should be strong. It must have become strong at some point (you can feel it at the spraybar or other output) because you later said the water was clearing up at a rapid rate.

~~waterdrop~~