Problem - Aquaclear 110 Media Basket Keeps Popping Up

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justafishnerd

Feeder Fish
Jan 10, 2018
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So I purchased an Aquaclear 110 HOB filter several weeks ago to replace the Marineland Penguin 350 I was using on my 75 gallon community tank (the biowheels clogged/never span properly, and it just wasn't working as well as I'd hoped). I also run a Fluval 406 canister filter on the same set-up, and added the HOB filter to deal with a high bioload + digging fish making a mess.

Well, the Aquaclear 110 is having it's own issues now, too. Specifically, ever since I set the filter up, the right side of the media basket (looking at the front of the filter as it's hanging on the back) will not stay securely in place. That side of the media basket keeps popping up, and I wasn't keeping the top weighted down with an old aquarium decoration, the lid would pop off.

I have included two pictures to better show what is happening.

Is this a common problem with the Aquaclear 110 filters? Is there anything I can do to fix this problem myself, so the media basket sits properly?

Or am I going to have to purchase another new HOB filter to see this fixed?100_0651.JPG 100_0652.JPG
 
I don't have that issue with my 110.Try resting a rock on top of the media after pushing the basket properly in place.
 
I know with my 110s, I sometimes have to sort of squeeze the sides of the media basket together as I'm setting it in place so it seats down all the way.

Are you using the stock sponge?

The only other time I've had this happen with my AC70s is when the sponge gets pretty clogged and the high differential pressure across it forces it up.
 
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FreshyFresh said:
I know with my 110s, I sometimes have to sort of squeeze the sides of the media basket together as I'm setting it in place so it seats down all the way.

Are you using the stock sponge?

The only other time I've had this happen with my AC70s is when the sponge gets pretty clogged and the high differential pressure across it forces it up.
Click to expand...

I'm using the stock sponge that came with the filter. And I do have to squeeze the sides of the media basket together when I put it in, which initially led me to believe it would stay in place.

And I have heard of the media and basket popping up when the sponge is too clogged with debris, as it was one of the things I read when it first happened. I did rinse the sponge in old aquarium water (it'll get rinsed again during the next water change), only for it to pop up again the very next day. Given that I am running two filters, the sponge should not have gotten clogged that quickly.

Putting a rock on top of the filter media would work to weight it down, and at this point, I'm kinda wondering if that's all I can do. Without buying another new filter, that is.
 
If you don't mess with the carbon bag or the biomax bag you can give the sponge a good blasting out with a hose. It would be no different than normally replacing it.
 
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For biowheels, I found I always had to keep a dry wall screw nearby to ream out the holes every other day or so, and actually widen them over time. Also shoving a thin brush into the main aperture of the spray bar weekly helped a lot.
Never had that problem with aqua clears.
 
I agree the issue is usually the filter foam plugging up a bit with debris but it sounds as if you have already cleaned the sponge.

One other thing to try is to level the filter using the leveling leg or if it's missing, some wadded up cardboard. Your 2nd pic shows the gap between the tank and filter is wider at the top than at the bottom. The filter should be level or slightly tilted toward the tank rim.
 
I forgot to ask.. Are you using other medias in this 110 aside from the sponge and the bio bag? I've never run more than that. I don't use carbon or other chemical media. If you are, I'd pull them and just run the sponge, with the mesh bio media bag on top of it. These filters push a LOT of flow. Anything hindering it will get shoved up.
 
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