Opening A Filter...

[LellowFish]

Stupid question I know...But when I was revamping my tank today I was going to clean the filter media and replace one of the sponges as the flow has been reduced quite a bit just because it's dirty, I think.

So I was wondering how on earth you open a Fluvial 2+ filter? Just so I know and can change it when I do a water change next week.

 

[OldMan47]

A 2+ is easy but not so easy. You unplug it and remove it to your water change bucket. At the bottom there is a small tab on each side that you can press in on to release the filter part from the pumping part and outer case. That is the easy part. On my 4+, which is the model that I actually have, the hard part is getting it to slide out after it has been in place in the tank long enough to start slowing the filter flow. That inner filter holder and the outer case are so snug with each other that it does not take much dirt to make the filter parts really hard to pull apart from each other. I keep thinking that I have missed something and then suddenly the parts separate spilling the water in my change bucket all over me.
There is also a release point high up on the filter but that just allows you to separate the pumping part from the rest of the filter, it does not give access to the filter itself.

 

[LellowFish]

Thanks for that! I'll remember for when I do the water change =]

 

[arobinson1984]

I think you would be better trying to clean the filter media first and see if the flow improves before replacing the sponge.

The only time you should really need to replace your media sponges are when they are physically falling apart so a good swill and squeeze in old tank water should do the job

Andy