Canister Filter Hiccups and burps?

[mrg02d]

Hello,
I have a new Fluval 305 canister filter that occasionally hiccups or burps in that it blasts out a cloud a very tiny bubbles. The whole tank fills with micro bubbles from this thing. It seems to do it about 4-5times a day.

Any ideas what this is and how to stop it?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[Da Squid]

Mine does it too. Thanks for asking, I was always curious!

 

[Blueiz]

My fluval 404 did this when I first set it up because of trapped air inside of the bio rings. I took it completely apart, rinsed everything good, filled the filter up almost all the way from the tap (with conditioned water), and the problem stopped.

 

[Markstanfill]

Or if you have a c02 diffuser or airstone that is nearby letting bubbles into the intake. Or if you have a leak on the suction side of the plumbing/hosing. If you have a small hole in a line it will not leak water but rather suck air.

 

[Telek]

Depends on how new the filter setup is too. Usually when I change my filter I take out about 3 gallons of tank water to rinse everything in, then once cleaned will use another 3 gallons in a bucket and run the filter in there to get it going again (less hassle than getting it primed in the actual tank). When I do that I gently rock the filter on the ground a few times and it dislodges any trapped air.

Keep in mind that a lot of biological processes that occur in the filter do produce gas and it can accumulate and occasionally let out a blast of microbubbles. 4-5 times a day seems too frequently though, so I'd check for how air is getting into the system (either bubbles or leak in the line as mentioned).

 

[mctypething]

My canister does the same thing. I have the Marineland C-360. After I do a PWC I'll shake the filter gently and a ton of air bubbles come out. I still get the "burps" you mention every now and then, but they are far less frequent and less intense than before I gave it a regular shake.

From what I can tell, unless you have a hole in your intake line, it's not a big deal. Just a little air getting released.

 

[mfdrookie516]

dont fill it with tap water, conditioned or not, but what i do is when i clean mine, i open the valve on the hose and fill the filter up almost to the top, then i put the top back on, open the valve, pump it a couple times to make sure there is no air in it, then i turn it on... never had that problem since i started filling it up with tank water...

 

[melosu58]

Moved to General Hardware and equipment discussion.