I'm received the version 2 of the Odyssea CFS 500 with the power cord coming out the lid - I also got the very light weight black ribbed hoses instead of the 1 inch I.D. green vinyl hoses. As you mod states the ends of the output/input tubes can be cut off and o-rings removed if using the vinyl hose(1" inner diameter??). Would/should I leave the o-rings on if I use the ribbed hoses (like the fx5 hoses) or would I be better off to buy 1" inner diameter hose (black vs. clear?).
Odyssea CFS 500 Can-filter review and circumference modification
- Thread starter CWO4GUNNER
- Start date
Hi, I just joined this forum today to add some input to this thread. I am an active member over at MFK the sister forum. I purchased this filter last week and just got it running today. I recieved the newer version with the plug through the lid.
The o ring problem HAS been fixed. They are now exactly the same as the fx5 o rings.
One of the fittings was defective. It leaked out of the dial like another member posted. If you recieve one like this dont freak out they ARE EASILY REBUILDable. I dont have a camera so I will try to explain this well. You will need a good small plat bladed screwdriver. I prefer to use my leathermans small flat head. Start by removing the valve. look at it closely. Id be willing to bet you see a pinched hunk of rubber if you look into one of the ends. They are poorly assembled and the way the gasket is fitted it tends to pinch.
On the side opposite of the handles, there is a single little pinch tab that holds the fitting together. Take the screwdriver and gently push this in. Now youll have to be firm wth the valve and push the center section out. The rubber gasket will be out of wack. Use some petroleum jelly and put it back in the grooves. Now gently rock the valve back into place keeping an eye on the gasket. You may have to do this multiple times. It took me 12 times to get this pressed into place without pinching. Once you get the center section back in move it throughout its full movement before you click the tab back in because once that tab clicks its a pain to pop back apart.
Voila fixed valve.
As for mods I may pop this harbor freight 900 gph pump in the case if itll fit. I have not modded the media as I got it strictly for mechanical filtration. I have a AC110 and a rena xp3 for other filtration duties. All of this is on my community 55.
The o ring problem HAS been fixed. They are now exactly the same as the fx5 o rings.
One of the fittings was defective. It leaked out of the dial like another member posted. If you recieve one like this dont freak out they ARE EASILY REBUILDable. I dont have a camera so I will try to explain this well. You will need a good small plat bladed screwdriver. I prefer to use my leathermans small flat head. Start by removing the valve. look at it closely. Id be willing to bet you see a pinched hunk of rubber if you look into one of the ends. They are poorly assembled and the way the gasket is fitted it tends to pinch.
On the side opposite of the handles, there is a single little pinch tab that holds the fitting together. Take the screwdriver and gently push this in. Now youll have to be firm wth the valve and push the center section out. The rubber gasket will be out of wack. Use some petroleum jelly and put it back in the grooves. Now gently rock the valve back into place keeping an eye on the gasket. You may have to do this multiple times. It took me 12 times to get this pressed into place without pinching. Once you get the center section back in move it throughout its full movement before you click the tab back in because once that tab clicks its a pain to pop back apart.
Voila fixed valve.
As for mods I may pop this harbor freight 900 gph pump in the case if itll fit. I have not modded the media as I got it strictly for mechanical filtration. I have a AC110 and a rena xp3 for other filtration duties. All of this is on my community 55.
Oh and for the hoses I received the corrugated hoses. They scared me so I replaced them with clear vinyl tubing from a marineland filter. Not sure which filter, but i got them from my lfs for 5 bucks. Total cost to get this filter running properly was 64.99
I managed to make time today to DIY the lid support flange I had been speaking about using 7/16" plywood, a drill, drill hole-saw, and a small jig-saw. Taking me all of about 20 minutes to make. The end result worked much better then I expected sine I only needed to barely tighten the nuts and it was leak free right from the start, no extra tightening here-and-there which is a good sign I think. Since the plywood was almost 1/2" thick I had to pop the nuts out of the orange plastic nobs to make more room for the threads, later I will pickup some more wing-nuts to make for easier lid removal.
This new lid was black in color and surprisingly the O-rings were the correct size this time. Let me add that my other CFS500 who's lid cracked 6 months ago was also replaced and that new replacement lid has not cracked yet even with regular mounting. So I suppose this new style wood flange I made today is a precaution in the hopes of eliminating lid stress cracks altogether as seen in one photo below. Hope this post helps. Now at least the entire lid shares in the load of pressing the O-rings not just the edges of the canister which caused the cracks.
This latest mod was actually done 10/01/2011, so after 8 months of flawless success I decided to post it here. I have been busy going back to school to get my applied science degree but I can say that my 7 tanks totaling 1200 gallons almost run themselves. I finally managed to attain almost complete de-nitrification using bacteria to remove nitrates from my tanks in the form of nitrogen gas. water changes only once every few months and filter changes once a year. Fish healthy, overpopulating and only 1 fish death in the last year due to age. Power consumption is way down with the use of timers and evaporation undr much better control using visqueen plastic to seal tank lids and space swamp coolers to maintain proper room temp and barometric pressure to further minimize evaporation. Feeding is about all I do now modified also to about twice a week rather then daily.
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This new lid was black in color and surprisingly the O-rings were the correct size this time. Let me add that my other CFS500 who's lid cracked 6 months ago was also replaced and that new replacement lid has not cracked yet even with regular mounting. So I suppose this new style wood flange I made today is a precaution in the hopes of eliminating lid stress cracks altogether as seen in one photo below. Hope this post helps. Now at least the entire lid shares in the load of pressing the O-rings not just the edges of the canister which caused the cracks.
This latest mod was actually done 10/01/2011, so after 8 months of flawless success I decided to post it here. I have been busy going back to school to get my applied science degree but I can say that my 7 tanks totaling 1200 gallons almost run themselves. I finally managed to attain almost complete de-nitrification using bacteria to remove nitrates from my tanks in the form of nitrogen gas. water changes only once every few months and filter changes once a year. Fish healthy, overpopulating and only 1 fish death in the last year due to age. Power consumption is way down with the use of timers and evaporation undr much better control using visqueen plastic to seal tank lids and space swamp coolers to maintain proper room temp and barometric pressure to further minimize evaporation. Feeding is about all I do now modified also to about twice a week rather then daily.
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Hello all, From looking on alibaba I found that there are 2 cfs500 filters the normal one and one called the little star. The little star has the bio-balls. It's wholesale price is also lower by about $9.00 (US). I didn't see any listing for the little star on Aquatraders. maybe they are selling the cheaper one as the original. Before I order one I will have ask which it is.
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Keep this stuff coming. I saw an earlier post where you mentioned that DIY is basically a lost art because people don't want to put the time in. I tend to agree but I also don't have the skills to look at something like this and know how to make it better (if I build anything it is a circuit board) so I love finding a thread like this because I'm more than happy to delve into DIY for just about anything. I just need to be shown first. Thank you for putting this stuff up here and showing us your progress.
If I could recommend anything (if you haven't already done this) is once you make a mod like this and it is finished make a new thread or finish the thread with a post detailing what you did, how to do it, and what it accomplishes (especially with smaller, easier mods like something as simple as making some cuts in the filter media). I would love to have the opportunity to do something like this for my tanks but I can't go buying filters and media and just trying stuff (for monetary reasons) so when someone like you gets the opportunity to do this and also shows us the project it's just great.
If I could recommend anything (if you haven't already done this) is once you make a mod like this and it is finished make a new thread or finish the thread with a post detailing what you did, how to do it, and what it accomplishes (especially with smaller, easier mods like something as simple as making some cuts in the filter media). I would love to have the opportunity to do something like this for my tanks but I can't go buying filters and media and just trying stuff (for monetary reasons) so when someone like you gets the opportunity to do this and also shows us the project it's just great.
Had my first problem with this filter, came in today from work and it was not working, great!
So I took it apart, it was alot easier this time even though I couldn't pump the water out, and looked at the pump, I couldn't see anything and the impeller looked ok, no debris in the pump housing.
Took the pump to the tank and put it in, turned it on and it worked, kinda strange. Put it all back together and set it up, primed it and turned it on, nothing, crap! So I flipped the switch a couple of time and it started working.
I have no idea what that was all about, but from what I have read the fx5 has the same kind of problem, will be keeping a eye on it. It has been running with no problems for about 6 months, any ideas?
So I took it apart, it was alot easier this time even though I couldn't pump the water out, and looked at the pump, I couldn't see anything and the impeller looked ok, no debris in the pump housing.
Took the pump to the tank and put it in, turned it on and it worked, kinda strange. Put it all back together and set it up, primed it and turned it on, nothing, crap! So I flipped the switch a couple of time and it started working.
I have no idea what that was all about, but from what I have read the fx5 has the same kind of problem, will be keeping a eye on it. It has been running with no problems for about 6 months, any ideas?
Anytime the FX5 is initially turned on (after 1 minute) and at after running continuously for 24hrs, the FX5's control chip shuts down the FX5 for approx 1.5 minutes so that excess air can be purged from the canister. The FX5 does this after initially being starting to remove the air left inside after assumed servicing, it does it again at 24hrs of continuous running because the FX5 pump creates such a powerful vacuum inside the canister that it actually pulls air molecules right out of the water over time which accumulates to the point that if the FX5 did not shut down to purge, it would actually suck air out of the water until almost dry. Sometimes some owners that Don't-know about this feature and witness it get confused and associate all sorts of strange occurrences like a failed pump when actually its normal.
No-no. Guess because both (mine) are circumference filters and perform similarly well as expected (FX5 & CFS500), I see them both as the same sometimes. The CFS500 has no chip to initiate purging. However the CFS500 also because of it powerful pump and near zero bypass also pulls air out of H2O, so I use a timer to shut it down every 30 minutes on/off to take care of air buildup and cut power consumption by 50% without performance loss.
