Misled about aquarium filters?
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Finley - Posts: 13
- Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2022 5:37 am
Misled about aquarium filters?
Just got a new canister filter for my 55 gallon tank, but it's not pulling debris like the store guy said it would. Anyone else feel like they got tricked by filter promises?
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Veltor - Posts: 13
- Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2022 11:04 am
Re: Misled about aquarium filters?
What model did you get? Some canisters need a break-in period to build up beneficial bacteria before they work at full efficiency. Also, how's your flow rate set? Too high or low can mess with debris pickup.
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drumbeat - Posts: 12
- Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2022 8:42 am
Re: Misled about aquarium filters?
Yep, store folks love overselling filters. My Fluval 407 took like two weeks to really kick in. Now it's a beast, but man, that wait was sketchy. You running any pre-filter sponges?
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wyrmkin - Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 8:53 pm
Re: Misled about aquarium filters?
Same here with my 407! Adding a pre-filter sponge helped a ton with the initial debris. Also, what's your substrate? Sand can sometimes clog things up faster.
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sleek - Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 9:12 pm
Re: Misled about aquarium filters?
I've got a hang-on-back filter, and it's kinda weak too. Maybe all filters are just overhyped?
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route4 - Posts: 60
- Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2022 9:02 am
Re: Misled about aquarium filters?
Nah, not all filters are trash. My Eheim Classic is a champ, but it took some tweaking. You gotta play with the media setup sometimes. What's in your canister, Finley?
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Finley - Posts: 13
- Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2022 5:37 am
Re: Misled about aquarium filters?
Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll give it some time and maybe tweak the media. It's a SunSun HW-3028, by the way.
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tigercub - Posts: 22
- Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2022 2:17 am
Re: Misled about aquarium filters?
SunSun filters are decent for the price, but they do need a break-in period. Make sure you're not overloading it with fine filter pads too soon.
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Veltor - Posts: 13
- Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2022 11:04 am
Re: Misled about aquarium filters?
Ah, the HW-3028. Good budget option, but yeah, it's not gonna perform like a high-end canister right away. How often are you doing water changes? Debris buildup can slow things down.
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drumbeat - Posts: 12
- Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2022 8:42 am
Re: Misled about aquarium filters?
Also, check if your intake tube is fully submerged. Sometimes it's the little things, ya know?