Cascade canister issue

[Thacthac]

Cascade 1200
I bought an aquarium, stand and filter used recently and im havin an issue with the filter not getting particles out of water...the spray bar is pushing out plenty of water but it seems as though the particles just float right by the intake without being sucked in. Was windering if im doing something wrong..
My medie is as follows
Bottom basket -2 course black sponges
2nd basket -finer black sponge with later of polyester on top
3rd basket- pea gravel ( this was in it when i got it used so i kept it..not sure about this)

4th- ceramic rings
Is there supposed to be rubber joints between each basket or just between the top basket amd the motor? This is frustrating me as my filter seems to just be a pump and not so much a filter....any help is greatly appriciated.

Its currently on a 75g tank
2 juvenile flowerhorn
1 juvy green terror
1 juvy
1 juvy texas
1juvy convict
1 red jewel
1 salvini
1 juvy electric blue jack dempsy
1 juvy aro
1 pleco

 

[Yoimbrian]

How small of particles? Algae or bacterial blooms won't be filtered out easily, and sometimes tannins or such can make it cloudy as well.

If they are bigger particles you are seeing, is there enough flow for them to get sucked in to the intake?

As far as the pea gravel goes, that just seems like a really bad bio media if you ask me, would have no other function. I'd replace with either another sponge or a real bio media, depending on your needs.

Don't know about the gaskets.

You could also try routing the filter outlet to a glass briefly, just to see if it's coming out clear.

 

[duanes]

How often are you cleaning the mechanical filtration media?
If it is saturated with gunk and plugged, particles can often just bypass and flow back into the tank.
Putting a filter sponge on the intake, and squeezing it out daily is often the ticket to getting particles out of the system.

 

[deeda]

Jeremy, check out the Penn Plax website for info and instructions on your filter if you don't have the manual. They have it on their website and you should be able to download or print it for reference, including part numbers and pics.