oops, did a dumb canister filter thing

[fishorama]

I have a 75g with a chronic black beard algae problem for over a year now. I have prefilter sponges I need to clean every 3 weeks or so. It's getting lots better! But I'm often up in the night for a couple hours...After my canister filter sponge prefilter got clogged & disintergrated, I left it off. Then my canister filter started making intermitant noises that said the motor was straining. I heard it in the middle of the night & just unplugged it. I forgot I had done that, all was quiet. Then I realized it several days later...

So today I broke it open, not nearly as stinky as I expected, but not good either. I rinsed the media & squeezed all the sponges in running tap water. But now I have to shake/tilt out the air trapped in the canister, it sounds awful! My husband did a filter tilt & shake a few times now...it's better...fingers crossed, maybe all better now?...ahh, quiet!

I'm not too worried about my beneficial bacteria. I have lots of plants & an AC-70 HOB also on this tank...but I am sorry I didn't remember to clean my canister sooner...The tank is lightly stocked with 5 corydoras aeneus & ~10 rummynose tetras for now...but I do feel like an idiot for forgetting I turned the filter off!

This goes to show we're never too experienced to do dumb crap, it can happen...luckily no fish were adversely effected

 

[the loach]

Do you still use canister filters with an actual motor? I have used them until the early to mid 80's but they were outdated even then, being from the late 60's to early 70's. They were loud and very uneconomical.
I have forgotten to plug filters back in as well, but having planted tanks you barely notice it.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Out of curiosity, what make / model canister?

That's a good sign it didn't stink really bad, but as you say, I'd think you pretty much have to start over with that filter.

I do the same tilt and twirl thing with my sunsun and marineland canisters to work the air out of them. To me it works more effectively than trying to use the primer button. The marineland C-360 pretty much just takes off on it's own w/ no intervention, but I do fill them it before snapping the lids back on.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Canisters have greatly improved since then. My oldest has been running silently for almost 19 years now. For the first 10 I pushed pressurized CO2 directly through it for plants. There are folks out there with older Eheims still running fine.

A canister is basically a tiny sump. The one difference is that a canister is limited in how much oxygen is inside by whatever DO is in the water coming into it.

Nothing much from the 60s or 70s was made better in terms of technology then than it is today. But back then they tended to last longer since metal was used where today it is plastic.

I refill my canisters before reconnecting them. Since they have a disconnect that retains the water in both hoses, I never have to prime

 

[the loach]

There are folks out there with older Eheims still running fine.

For sure, I am one of them, I have 2 from 1985-1986 that are still running fine to this day. I got more in storage from the late 80's that still work, it's just that they are not in operation cause I replaced them with larger versions.

 

[fishorama]

My filter is a Rena XP-3, no primer button but it has a quick disconnect. I have 3 but only use 1 right now. I find them easy to use except for the trapped air...my hoses are a bit too long so it's harder to tilt & shake that little bit of air. 1 of these days I'll shorten them...I don't remember them being so difficult, maybe I've gotten wimpy...

tl, what kind of canister doesn't have a motor to pump the water back up to the tank? I'm having trouble with that idea...

 

[the loach]

I was thinking of the actual electric motors (like in a fan or hairdryer) that used to be in there in the 70's and before whereas since the early to mid 80's all canister filters have been using a completely sealed electro magnet, but you could call that a motor as well.
Since you are in the hobby as long as I, I thought you were still using those old ones... I would not have thought it if another member had written this. Is the noise gone now?

 

[fishorama]

OK, I call anything that plugs in to work moving water as having a motor (of some kind... ).We were too poor in the late '70s & much of '80s to afford "fancy" equipment. ACs & Whisper HOBs were our go to filters plus air pump driven UGFs...& yes, I do still have some of all those...but not in use right now...

Oh, yes, my husband did tilt & shake the air out yesterday while I made dinner, team work! Well, my Renas are ~15 years old...some of my newer filters, lol, but not in constant use. Eheim canisters were way out of our price range way back then, but we did spring for an Eheim green top heater...once, or maybe it came with a tank. It lasted for quite a long time ~20 years! Like many things, they don't make them like they used to

 

[Sprinkle]

A canister is basically a tiny sump.

Oh! So that’s what the sump is? Just a giant canister? :0

 

[fishorama]

Sort of like a sump, lol. But with less water volume & oxygenation...I don't really "get" sumps...there's the CO2 offgassing thing & something more I don't understand...just 1 more aspect of our hobby I'm not ready for even after 40 years...lol.