Aquaclear 300 not filtering right, overflowing slightly.

[Venustie]

Hi I me and my other half recently aquired 3 red-bellied pirhanas and the filtering system was never a problem it was cleaned when we first recieved the fish about two months ago. When woke this morning the aquaclear filtering system was not leaking but overflowing from the top and the tank level was alot lower then usual.
New to these filtering systems so am trying to figure out the problem before I have to go by a whole new aquaclear.
Anyways would like any advice on this.
Thanks.
Venustie

 

[BillD]

The filter needs to cleaned regularly, and 2 months is way too long. Take out the foam inserts and squeeze them out in a container of tank water. It may take several rinses using new tank water each time to get them clean. They/it are plugged, hence the overflowing at the top. The top of the filter should also be level, there is a piece of black plastic on the bottom of the case to aid in doing this. I would expect the filter should be cleaned every couple of weeks or so.

 

[Venustie]

Hey must say I kinda feel stupid..lol But anyways am new to this they are actually my other halfs fish and it is me who takes care of them.
SO thank you for you time and patients have cleaned the tank and it seems to be working.Am monitoring it as we speak.
So thanks Bill.

 

[Venustie]

again Bill you are amazing..lol Thanks the water filter is working perfectly. And you were right it was just dirty.Am so glad I found this site.
Toodles for now.

 

[BillD]

A few things to keep in mind with AC filters. The sponges will last for years, so don't toss them until they start to crumble. You can use 2 sponges to double the area for bacteria. If you are using 2 sponges, you can put some filter floss, between the 2 sponges for finer filtration. The floss will clog fairly quickly, but you may want the extra filtration. How often the filter needs to be cleaned depends on the bioload in the tank. The filter will work better if kept clean, that is removing the solids from the insert. Regular cleaning will help keep nitrate levels low.
Good luck and welcome to the site.

 

[mgamer20o0]

this is how i set up many of my ac filters.....