Aquaclears Keep Overflowing

[Ripnhammer]

Hi, I have two 20 gallons both running Aquaclear HOB filters. One's an Aquaclear 200 and the other is a 150 I believe. They both keep overflowing and leaking down the back of the tank. One day I refilled my tank with an 18 litre jug (about 5 gallons) and the next morning it was back at the same point

A problem seems to be the grey plastic thing that holds the sponges and other media keeps popping up so then the water level is just a little bit higher and leaks. I solved the issue, somewhat, by putting little clips all around the edges to hold it down. But the water level is still very close to the edge and I'm worried a millimetre higher and it will leak again.

I never had the problem before, but recently on both filters have been doing it. Maybe they are just getting too old? Any one have this problem and know of any solutions?

(I'm already running them both at about half speed because at full speed the water level is right at the top edge)

 

[nealio]

Try replacing the media? Sounds like its getting clogged.

Also make sure the media is all the way seated down.

 

[Ripnhammer]

Good idea, maybe the sponges are just getting too worn down. I clean them out occasionally but they are defn getting worn. Before I only had two media in and I thought that was why the grey media holder was floating up, so I put a carbon bag in to fill it up better / weigh it down, but same thing.

Anyways, thanks for the quick reply and I'll try new sponges and post an update.

Anyone else notice the water line on their Aquaclears running very close to the edge? Doesn't seem like there's much room for if it ever gets clogged.

 

[FroggyFox]

I usually have some type of ceramic rings in my filters...I suppose that keeps it from floating? I'd suggest getting some of those instead of the carbon. Also, maybe new sponges (dont switch them both at the same time, you'd lose quite a bit of bacteria...) would help, but maybe just tossing them in a bucket of dechlorinated water and cleaning them out real good. I know what Nealio is talking about with the sponge getting too dirty and forcing the water...but in my other filters (I only have one AC and its pretty new) when the water is forced to go somewhere other than through the sponge it overflows over the top of the intake pipe and back into the tank...well and looking at my little AC it looks the same, if the water level were to get too high it would go back into the tank, not out the back. Are your filters sitting level against the tank?

 

[animal lover]

My parents had that overflow problem with my grandparents tank and it was because it was so dirty it couldn't flow. I was over visiting and noticed it so I cleaned it out and it worked fine after so I recommend cleaning it out there is probably and algae build up in your filter.

 

[TommyR]

I use either 2 sponges in mine or a sponge and bio-beads. My basket has little "spikes' on the side that go into the sponge to keep it from floating up.

Tom

 

[FishLuvr]

The poping up of the grey basket is BY DESIGN, or so the manufacture says, when i first noticed this i went to teh site and it read ....

The reason that a filter will have the media push up is because the foam or other media is often so dirty it creates more resistance than the tab on the impeller well can tolerate. In essence this is a warning that it is time to replace or rinse the filter materials. Often this will be a sign that the foam, which is oversized for the actual compartment slightly, has filled and causing too much resistance. It must be at least rinsed, but if it is older and you are rinsing it often, then this is a sign that the holding capacity has been filled, and that it should be replaced with a new foam.

The rising is just like a safety valve, when pressure in a system rises too high, something has to give, and the AquaClear uses the rising media basket as a sign that the filter is overdue for a cleaning. I must hasten to add that you should never replace all the filter media at once, if you do change the foam, rinse the carbon out well in used aquarium water to conserve the beneficial bacteria that are removing the ammonia and nitrite from your aquarium. Once it has been rinsed thoroughly in dechlorinated water (chlorine or chloramine will kill the bacteria it takes so long to grow) replace it into the filter. Wait at least a week or two before replacing it with a new insert to allow the chance for the new foam to be seeded.

The foam is much longer lived that the carbon and can be rinsed during every filter maintenance that the carbon is removed. Just be sure that the water you rinse is from a regular water change so it is safe to the bacterial populations - we term this multiple insert conservation of bacteria the CycleGuard system.

So theres your answer, clean the sponge, and maybe since its happing so frequently, you may be over feeding and its getting into the filter.

Also you say you have a 150 and a 200 on 20gallon tanks??? isnt that way over kill, i mean yeah theres never too much filtration, but you got have a huge current in there. I have the aquaclear 70's on my 30 and my 20

EDIT: i now see that hagen revised thier numbering system, so sorry about the size/filter remark.

 

[Ripnhammer]

SNAILS!

FIXED IT!

The problem turned out to be those annoying little snails I had. They would die then get stuck in the filter media. However, when dead their shells are clear and very hard to see, but fit perfectly in the holes in the media.

I took the media out and wrung it really good and heard a lot of crunching. Did it a few times and they running great now!

 

[tropicalfish]

lol.. snail shells!! you might want to put something on the intake...