Nearly had disaster this morning!

[FINWIN]

Those of you with HOBs, listen up. For quite some time I would put loose filter floss over the bio media in my ACL 110s with no problem. Until today.

This morning I heard very loud water sounds coming from the fishroom. So I go in and about 3 inches of water is missing from the 225! Water on the floor everywhere, so I'm like wtf...water behind the tank too, on the floor. Turns out the ACLs are pumping water on the floor! The overflow was caused by the filter floss which got somewhat cloggy overnight. Water couldn't get through as much, so the housings were full to the top and overflowing to the floor! Its lucky I checked it when I did...the filters don't lose siphon until the tank is about 40 percent down!

I've got some more filtration pad on order, its a better deal than the loose stuff because you can clean it. When the floss gets really clogged there's nothing you can do. It happened quickly, too...the floss was in good shape yesterday. But with the fish I have it doesn't last a long time. I've been using it on all the tanks and have gone through 2 large bags in the last month (I'm a nut about keeping clean floss in the filters).

So HOB users beware if you use the loose stuff up top!! I'm back to the cut padding when it arrives!

 

[tlindsey]

Those of you with HOBs, listen up. For quite some time I would put loose filter floss over the bio media in my ACL 110s with no problem. Until today.

This morning I heard very loud water sounds coming from the fishroom. So I go in and about 3 inches of water is missing from the 225! Water on the floor everywhere, so I'm like wtf...water behind the tank too, on the floor. Turns out the ACLs are pumping water on the floor! The overflow was caused by the filter floss which got somewhat cloggy overnight. Water couldn't get through as much, so the housings were full to the top and overflowing to the floor! Its lucky I checked it when I did...the filters don't lose siphon until the tank is about 40 percent down!

I've got some more filtration pad on order, its a better deal than the loose stuff because you can clean it. When the floss gets really clogged there's nothing you can do. It happened quickly, too...the floss was in good shape yesterday. But with the fish I have it doesn't last a long time. I've been using it on all the tanks and have gone through 2 large bags in the last month (I'm a nut about keeping clean floss in the filters).

So HOB users beware if you use the loose stuff up top!! I'm back to the cut padding when it arrives!

Happy to hear you found out what was happening because could have been a disaster. I personally sandwich floss between bio media and the sponge.
Thanks for the warning

 

[Jexnell]

That's the problem with using filter floss with AC's. The basket that cradles the sponge is designed to pop up on one side when the sponge gets to full allowing the water to bypass the sponge and flow into the tank. Same thing happened to me when I tried floss. It gets too heavy when dirty, so the built in bypass don't function anymore causing it to simply overflow.

 

[Aquatic Aggression]

You can cut the factory filter sponges into half or third thickness. I run a few aquaclears like that.

 

[fishguy1978]

I have experienced this as well. My fix was to use the adjustable tank support on the bottom of each AC filter to till the filter towards the tank. This ensures that if the filter starts to overfill the excess water will be able to flow past the intake pipe as well as the overflow.

 

[altums85]

This is why I put something in between the tank and filter so the filter is tilted towards the tank. So there's and lil angle incase the filter over flows. And if it does the water flows into the tank and not from the back of the filter.

 

[Aquatic Aggression]

This is why I put something in between the tank and filter so the filter is tilted towards the tank. So there's and lil angle incase the filter over flows. And if it does the water flows into the tank and not from the back of the filter.

You can do this with the adjustable foot included with ac filters. You sacrifice flow going through all the media if the filter does not sit level though. Water will always take the patch of least resistance.

 

[altums85]

You can do this with the adjustable foot included with ac filters. You sacrifice flow going through all the media if the filter does not sit level though. Water will always take the patch of least resistance.

Yeah I bought my ac110 use so I don't have it so I use some styrofoam pads and put it in between. The flow is actually better now when it's angled forward. Without it, it's slightly angled back my stand isn't level. Even if it restricts the flow. It's way better than waking up with water all over the floor.

 

[FINWIN]

I may go back to the pad approach...the little support brackets have a hard time holding my Aqua clears level because the tank's metal frame is so thick. Before I used square sponges which worked really good. Just moistened them a bit to make them flexible.