Canister filter HELP!!!

[danny2013]

I have a fluval 205 canister filter. When took it out to clean it a week ago i noticed when i turn it back on that it shoot's a bounch of gunk out the head. So today after i clean it i noticed that it shot a WHOLE BUNCH of gunk out, Now the water has a bunch of gunk in it and it is going to take a while to clear.:mad: Is this just slime from the tubing and is it harmful to my discus? What would be a good solution to this problem besides a sponge filter because they are to loud for a bedroom. Thanks, Dan

[m.ingram]

Hi Dan
Its nothing to worry about. I and i think most people have the same thing happen to them when they clean there canister filters.I clean my canister filters Half hour before i do a water change as this gives the gunk time to settle on the bottom of the tank so i can vacum it up.

[diveshooter]

Clean the tubing.

[Keith Perkins]

Clean the tubing.

+1, it's time to clean the tubing.

[m.ingram]

If the tubing of his fluval is ribbed like on my mine, even cleaning the tubing you still get gunk comming out of the outlet .

[Keith Perkins]

If the tubing of his fluval is ribbed like on my mine, even cleaning the tubing you still get gunk comming out of the outlet .

That's a bummer. My one canister is a Marineland Magnum 350, they fortunately come with smooth hoses and about a 2 inch long brush on a long plastic cord that you can pull through the hoses to clean them.

[DerekFF]

Yeah not many options here bro, clean the tubes or leave it be.

[tcyiu]

+1 for cleaning the hose

... AND .. don't forget to take off the impeller housing and clean that cavity and the impeller. Look online if you cannot find your manual.

After a good (not necessarily perfect) cleaning, run the cannister in a bucket. That should shake loose most of the gunk. When it runs clear, return the cannister to the tank.

Also, depending on your setup you can position a food safe 1 gallon container under the return hose and turn on the pump. After the water runs clear, you can remove the container.

Tim

[scottishbloke]

+1 for cleaning the hose

... AND .. don't forget to take off the impeller housing and clean that cavity and the impeller. Look online if you cannot find your manual.

After a good (not necessarily perfect) cleaning, run the cannister in a bucket. That should shake loose most of the gunk. When it runs clear, return the cannister to the tank.

Also, depending on your setup you can position a food safe 1 gallon container under the return hose and turn on the pump. After the water runs clear, you can remove the container.

Tim

+2, this is exactly what I do with my Eheim canisters. I find it much more of a hassle to clean the hoses than to clean the actual canisters themselves. But you've got to do it every once in a while, or eventually the hoses can get so gummed up with gunk (especially at shut-off valves, connectors etc), your filter may end up with reduced flow and it blows out loads of nasty crud after every cleaning right into the nice crystal-clear water you've just changed.

Colin

[Discus master]

+2, this is exactly what I do with my Eheim canisters. I find it much more of a hassle to clean the hoses than to clean the actual canisters themselves. But you've got to do it every once in a while, or eventually the hoses can get so gummed up with gunk (especially at shut-off valves, connectors etc), your filter may end up with reduced flow and it blows out loads of nasty crud after every cleaning right into the nice crystal-clear water you've just changed.

Colin

How do you guys clean your tubbing? with what? I shot really hot water into mine with high pressure from a garden hose, then I held a water pitcher under the return when I first turned it back on hooked up the spray ar and was good to go. But I do not really know how clean I got he tubbing just by doing this? I was thinking abut just buying it by the foot and replacing it every few months the tubing is not to expensive that fish place sells it and places like home depot sells tubbing I am not sure in the diameter I need but I imagine they do. I would only need wha like 5 or 6 feet I m guessing?

[Keith Perkins]

That's a bummer. My one canister is a Marineland Magnum 350, they fortunately come with smooth hoses and about a 2 inch long brush on a long plastic cord that you can pull through the hoses to clean them.

Marineland has a short little brush with like a 5' plastic cord on it that you can pull the brush through the hose. A couple times through and your good for a few months.

[Discus master]

Marineland has a short little brush with like a 5' plastic cord on it that you can pull the brush through the hose. A couple times through and your good for a few months.

Can I buy this at petco, or petsmart, or that fish place who has it? i am sure that fish place will definately have it how much does it cost do you think? you said your came with it so you may not know exactly? I would think no more than 5 bucks or so rite???

[Discus master]

Marineland has a short little brush with like a 5' plastic cord on it that you can pull the brush through the hose. A couple times through and your good for a few months.

I had to make one more post to bring my posts up to 500, lol umm discus Fish are awsome!!! Yeah!!!:D

[Keith Perkins]

I had to make one more post to bring my posts up to 500, lol umm discus Fish are awsome!!! Yeah!!!:D

:laugh: Discus fish are awesome, and some of the keepers are such dorks. :laugh:

I called Marineland, and they pointed me to this. http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/214014/product.web They think it's the same brush as I got with my 350. Hope that helps.

[Ibenu]

Or you could be brave and skip it going with sponges. I made the transition unwillingly( fx5 packed it in days ago and I didn't notice) butbas all parameters are good and I don't have to deal with that hunky badness I'm converted!!!

[tcyiu]

How do you guys clean your tubbing? with what?

I have some of this drip irrigation tubing left over from a gardening project: EXAMPLE (http://www.dripirrigation.com/index.php?cPath=36&osCsid=dvi88msrjuelf46gji195b1562)

I use a length of this to push a wad of polyester fiber (filter floss) through my hoses - siphon hose, filter hose, fittings etc. What makes this work is this black tubing does not compress, is somewhat flexible and is thin so it does not stick to the hose you're cleaning. It does a really nice job of pushing the fiber wad and the green gunk through the hose, and out the other end.

Then I run tap water through to rinse and it's good to go.


I was thinking abut just buying it by the foot and replacing it every few months the tubing is not to expensive

You may think I am a tightwad but I never throw hoses away. No need as far as I'm concerned. I am still using the original hoses that came with my Eheim canister 23 years ago!! The ends which go onto the connectors do lose their flexibility and leaks occur. So I just snip off an inch or so at those bad ends, and we're good as new.

THE ONLY problem I see with this approach is that you would be hard pressed to be able buy small quantity of this irrigation tubing. At the big chains, I don't see quantities less than 50'.

Tim