help with canister filter

[irene]

So I bought an aquarium package (thanks to all who responded to my ad  ) and it came with a fluval 203.  Which seems like an older model?  I've never used a canister filter before, it said online that it must sit below your tank.  I have the tank on the bottom shelf of a metal stand so is it OK to have it sitting on the floor beside the tank?  It's not lower, exactly. 

If it's OK to use, how do I get it going, just plug it in???  I did for a  minute and not much seemed to be happening, just made some noise so I quickly unplugged again.

Sorry for being clueless, my other tanks have HOB's and powerheads. 

Irene

[BigDaddy]

The reason it needs to be lower than the tank is that you need some syphon action to get the filter to fill with water.  If your unit has a primer button, push it repeatedly until you hear water filling the canister.  If not.. take off the spray bar or output hose and suck on it until you here the water start filling up.

Then power it up.  Powering up a canister filter when it is dry is not a good thing.

[beowulf]

The reason it needs to be lower than the tank is that you need some syphon action to get the filter to fill with water.  If your unit has a primer button, push it repeatedly until you hear water filling the canister.  If not.. take off the spray bar or output hose and suck on it until you here the water start filling up.

Then power it up.  Powering up a canister filter when it is dry is not a good thing.

It's a good way to burn the motor just like leaving a HOB run with no water.

[irene]

Ok thanks!  It doesn't have a primer button, so I'll go start drinking tank water .  I only turned it on for a second dry, it sounded, um, bad...so I unplugged it again real quick.

So it's OK to use it with a low tank then?  I'm going to try again to get it going now..

Irene

[fyrebull]

Once you get some water in it and it starts to pump water turn it one its side slightly with the output on the high side and this helps expell the air , this works in my 403.

[irene]

So I finally got it going, but when I put the spray bar on it doesn't seem like there's much coming out?  Without the spray bar there is a flow of water coming out but it's not super strong.  Do I need the spray bar?

Also, the connections between the the spray bar/intake tube to the part that hangs over the tank seem a bit loose, not the ones that you screw down but the ones that are inside the tanks if that makes sense.  Do I need to replace them?

I'm a bit worried about leaving it going overnight in case something pops off and pumps water all over my floor.

[fyrebull]

So I finally got it going, but when I put the spray bar on it doesn't seem like there's much coming out?  Without the spray bar there is a flow of water coming out but it's not super strong.  Do I need the spray bar?

Also, the connections between the the spray bar/intake tube to the part that hangs over the tank seem a bit loose, not the ones that you screw down but the ones that are inside the tanks if that makes sense.  Do I need to replace them?

I'm a bit worried about leaving it going overnight in case something pops off and pumps water all over my floor.

Hard to picture...but if it is the connections inside the tank, worse case scenario if the output comes off it just pumps water straight into the tank if the intake comes off and it is above the water line the pump runs dry (not good) but those connections are usually not that tight, as for the spray bar pressure my 403 with a 48" bar the water spray comes out about 3" to 4". I hope this helps...maybe.