How exactly do I use a canister filter?

i dont know about connecting to a powerhead, people usually put powerheads to create current when using canisters.
i dont have rena but this is what i do with my eheim.

suck the outtake to fill the filter with water ( suck little bit and rest is syphon)
close the quick disconnect thing on the intake side.
connect the outtake tube to a spray bar.
plug the power cord in
open the quick disconncet thing on the intake

shake little bit to get air out of the filter

chinnp said:

I know I'm double posting, but I just realized the topic really belongs here:

I bought a 75 gallon tank and it comes with a canister filter. I've used power filters forever since theyr'e ridiculously easy, but I must admit a canister looks better aesthetically for sure. This one has the canister with two hoses on top. One is obviously the intake and the other is the return (which is hooked onto a spraybar). Inside the canister are three baskets. The first contains a bunch of cylinders that have the texture of a an air stone, but are about an inch long and hollow. There's also a bag that is black and I presume contains activated carbon. The second basked has two compartments. The top compartment has what looks like filter floss and the bottom one has another mesh back with black stuff in it. The bottom basket has four squares of what can best be described as sponge. These baskets stack on top of each other. The model is a Rena Filstar XP3, but I can't seem to find any info on how to operate it.

Basically, how exactly do I prime the thing? What exactly are the ceramic cylinders? Is this a sufficient filter for a 75 gallon tank (mostly stocked with smaller community fish)? and Do I have to use a spray bar as a return or can I hook it up to powerhead I've got.

Click to expand...

I have an XP2, the XP3's smaller cousin.

To prime it, lift up the Quick Disconnect valve thats on the filter. Then open up the cap thats on the inlet tube and fill it with water (it should've come with a funnel to help faciltate this). Once filled, close the Quick Disconnect valve and the canister should start filling with water.

The ceramic cylinders are for biological filtering. The nitrosamonas and nitrobacter bacteria will set up shop on those things once the tank is cycled. The bacteria also lives on the gravel and tank ornaments as you probably already know. But the bulk lives on the cylinders. You can also use those bio-star thingies too. I use the cylinders.

The way you're supposed to stack the filter media is as follows. The black foam pads go on the bottom. The foam pads that's 20 pores per inch goes on the very bottom, and the foam pads that's 30 pores per inch goes on top of that. The foam pads do the bulk of the mechanical filtering.

On top of the foam pads should go the cylinders. That'll be doing the bulk of the biological filtering.

On top of the cylinders should go the carbon. The carbon is for chemical filtering. I personally don't use carbon, as it's only good for a couple weeks anyway. I use Purigen from Seachem instead.

The last thing that should go on top of the whole stack is the micron filtering pad, which does last minute water "polishing". I personally don't use the pads, mainly because I think they don't last very long. I just read a thread where somebody uses generic filter floss instead of the pads in their XP2. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Monthly maintenence for the filter means just rinsing out the foam pads in aquarium water (or you could replace half of the pads with fresh pads ... depends on if you feel like spending money or not ... I wouldn't replace all of the pads though since some of the Good Bacteria lives in the pads too). Also, rinse out the cylinders in aquarium water as well. Chuck the carbon and replace with fresh carbon, if you're using carbon. Purigen can be regenerated, which is another plus for using that stuff instead of carbon. And replace the micron pad or filter floss if you use that stuff too.

If you don't use the micron pads and don't replace the foam pads, and use Purigen instead of carbon, you can probably get away with not buying additional filter media ever again! Actually, thats not entirely true. Purigen apparently has a maximum number of times it can be regenerated before you have to toss it. I can't remember off hand what that number is though. Some folks argue that you don't even need chemical filtering; just do your weekly water changes and you'll be fine. I do both: chemical filtering and weekly water changes.

Oh ya ... the XP3 is rated for a 175g tank, so it should do your 75g just fine.

I've had my xp1 set up for a year and a half and haven't had to change the black foam 20 & 30 PPI pads yet, the polishing pad has been changed twice and I do use the Rena pads cause I got a great deal on 2 boxes. Otherwise 50 micron filter pads like on the other filters I have would be in there. The best way I have found to clean all three of those pads is to use your spray thing from the kitchen sink. I don't worry about the bacteria cause there is also 2 powerheads on a RUGF w/ sponges, it may be different in your case depending on your set up. All of my tanks are planted so chemical filtration is a no no, but I never have had a problem with ammonia or nitrite spikes, and I still don't see the point of continual chemical filtration, after certain events yes, but not a everyday thing. Just my twopence.

Dragon Queen said:

All of my tanks are planted so chemical filtration is a no no, but I never have had a problem with ammonia or nitrite spikes, and I still don't see the point of continual chemical filtration, after certain events yes, but not a everyday thing. Just my twopence.

Click to expand...

My tank is planted too which is another reason why I switched to Purigen. It's supposed to be safe for plants (i.e. doesn't suck the nutrients the plants need from the water).

I have a question related to the XP series, I just got the XP3 yesterday and set it up just fine. I want to open it back up to add a sponge to it, whats the easiest way to do this? Just unplug and open it up? Do I have to open the disconnect valve?

For the OP I know this is a couple months old but Rena has all the documentaiion on there website www.rena.net you can get a pdf of the user manual for the XP series... http://www.rena.net/en_us/pdf/RenaFilStarXP.pdf

debaric, you should also check over the instruction manual before asking 'how to open it up' I am sure they must have mentioned it (same procedure for cleaning it). But there is really nothing to it... unplug, rotate your shut-off/latch lever upright, carefully remove.