Help! Fluval 403

[Plum]

Anyone,

I took the filter apart today for the first time since i bought the things used with my tank.

My first trouble began once I took the top off, it shot out water all over the place. I have picked up all the water and have learned my mistake as I think I should have shut off the valves first. Pretty sure anyway.

Now, I am trying to get the filter going again and can't seem to get it to run. I filled up the intake hose with water, then tried to start the filter but it again leaked water all over.

I would love to keep learning by my mistakes, but I have run out of towels, and probably would learn much more just by asking someone.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

[StylinT]

mine do that all the time it dosnt seem to matter
I just try an try again lol

eventually it works again sorry im not much help

[Laura]

I feel for you - sounds like the first time I set mine up (I have a 304), I had the instructions and still managed to mess things up.  I found this - hope it's some help.
http://www.hagen.com/pdf/aquatic/Fluval04.pdf

I think you may be doing the same as I did, check the placement of your rubber seal as I put it in the wrong spot and had water all over the floor too - take a look at the pics on the manual, the seal goes around the side of the top rather than in the lip like I thought it should.  (pic f28 shows it best)

Before you take off the lid, my system has a lever which you pull up, not to release the hoses like the blue half disk in pic f27, but a sort of T shaped lever which alters the flow rate in the hoses (it's not showing in these pics).  I pull the lever all the way up to stop the water flow, and then pull the blue half disk to release the hoses.

I dump out a bit of the water before opening the canister.

To open the canister, you open the side locks and it sort of forces the top and bottom of the canister apart.

There's also a primer to start the suction once you have it all put back together.  That's the thing that looks like a key just to the left of the guys thumb in pic f21 of the first page of the manual.  You just pull that up and down a few times to get the water flowing - when the canister sounds full - plug it in.

Good luck.

[babblefish1960]

It's a lovely filter once you get the knack;The 403 can be daunting, here are some steps to get you through it.

Step 1: unplug filter and THEN turn both sides of both valves off on either side of the disconnects.

Step 2: disconnect and remove filter to wet area cleaning site (e.g. bathtub).

Step 3: open filter side of disconnect valves before unlatching the 6 hasps.

Step 4: clean filter without destroying bacteria (read warm water here).

Step 5: on the assumption that both filter side valves are open, reconnect the intake side hose to the filter securely, when ready, open that valve. NB at this point you will know if the valve leaks, if it does, shut the valve off on the tank side of the disconnect and retry until this unwanted water leakage ceases.

Step 6: don't panic, the filter will fill with water from the intake side and NO, don't be tempted to have the out side hose hooked up, you need the venting to atmosphere in order to reduce airlock in the filter.

Step 7: remember quickly which way the valve on the filter out side  turns so that when the water is about to shoot out all over your credenza, you can close it deftly in the nick of time.

Step 8: having missed the timing a few times, use your neighbour's towels and attach the out side disconnect and open the filter side of it once more. NB if it leaks, close it and retry the coupling.

Step 9: open the tank side of the out direction coupling valve, and THEN plug the filter in.

Step 10: leaving the filter on the floor, lean it over at a slight cant in various directions until you hear and see the air being lured out once and for all of the filter by this nifty behaviour.

Step 11: go and rest on the chaise with a nice cup of tea and watch the fish until you calm down.

If you are still having trouble, I'm sure someone can help you out by physically examing your set up and determining that there are no cracks in the valves and the hoses are right way around.

Good luck. :wink:

[Plum]

Laura...

My Fluval is a round one... would i follow the same procedures as the square one? Also, unfortunately i do not see a lever.

Well, wish me luck, and thank you both, I am going to go and try this again, perhaps i will have some luck

[Laura]

I'm really no pro at this - I'm new to the wonders of Fluvals too.   But I found some more links / pointers for you

Someone's comments on the cylindrical model
http://www.kwas.ca/Articles/article6.pdf

Hagen's manual
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/manuals/fluve11.cfm

Once again - best of luck.....

[babblefish1960]

NO, they are so not the same, please read the post I left on your original question, as they dramatically changed the filter when they went from round filter to square filter.

It requires more physics as there is no lever and the disconnects are wherever you have them on the hosing, and they're not even the same disconnects on the square series.

[Plum]

Sorry about splitting the posts.

I will head the advice of step 11 and sit on a chair for a bit and relax while the towels try and i give it another go tomorrow.