Improve Canister Filter Flow

[micaiah12]

Hey guys so I have an ehim 2215 for a heavily planted 46 gal bowfront. Over the last two months it seems that flow has really slowed down. You can't see many particles going into the intake. I put my fingers near the intake and couldn't feel really anything of a pull on the water. The spray bar is working, however, it isn't as powerful as it used to be. I have taken the media out and rinsed the filter pads and such. Still not much of an improvement. Anything else I should check? It just seems like it isn't doing much at all to filter the water. Thanks!

 

[Delapool]

Cleaned the impeller?

You have to be careful and I have two other filters, but I spray my filter pads under the garden hose to clean them in alternate sessions (especially if going to be thrown out anyway as they will still retain some bacteria compared to new ones). You also need a test kit to check for any ammonia spikes over say 6 hour intervals and also know the tap water chemistry. Last test I did was sit the canister filter in tap water over night with no ammonia detected (bearing in mind this is my tap water and I have a well established tank).

 

[TMaier]

Do you have a sponge intake? Rinse it out too?
Hoses need to be cleaned as well.

 

[micaiah12]

Hoses are clean. And I did spray the sponges out with a sprayer attachment. I’ll clean the impeller and see where that leaves me.

 

[micaiah12]

I cleaned the impeller no luck. Same flow. Could the media inside the canister slow it down? I have from bottom to top. Sponge pad > ehim filter media > scrubber pads. That’s it.

 

[TMaier]

If a canister is packed and/or media clogged up it will slow you down.

Position and length of hose can play a part too.

 

[Delapool]

Did you dry run the impeller and check it spinning visibly at same rate (very quickly only for few seconds).