Is this normal?

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I love AquaClear filters.

Is there a white mass at the outlet or is that light reflecting off the waters surface?

How often do you service this filter? I can see that there is a lot of brown matter, algae or otherwise, accumulating in your biomax media. It is good practice to break down your filter once a month for service. This type of matter may bind up the filters impeller and motor, damaging the equipment.
 
I'm beginning to hate them! At the moment I am breaking it down almost every week as my cascade flow goes really slow or when I turn off the filter to WC it doesn't turn back on again. Should I clean that off the biomax? If so how? Btw it was just a reflection
 
Just soak the biomax into aquarium water into a bucket.

It need monthly maintenance/cleaning. Clean pads, biomax, change carbon if nessecery, clean impeller, remove excess diatoms, etc.
 
I'm beginning to hate them! At the moment I am breaking it down almost every week as my cascade flow goes really slow or when I turn off the filter to WC it doesn't turn back on again. Should I clean that off the biomax? If so how? Btw it was just a reflection

If the filter doesn't start back up, the impellor may be bound up. It must be cleaned.

By giving the motor a quarter-turn counter clockwise you can remove it from the filter body. This will allow you to remove the impellor for cleaning. See link to manual below for more detailed instructions.

AquaClear Instruction manual
 
I'm beginning to hate them! At the moment I am breaking it down almost every week as my cascade flow goes really slow or when I turn off the filter to WC it doesn't turn back on again. Should I clean that off the biomax? If so how? Btw it was just a reflection


I have this same problem with my aqueon quiet flow. I have found that the plastic pipes and impeller get clogged easily and using pipe cleaners and a tooth brush is a good way to clean out the nooks and crannies that get clogged and slow the flow. It's a pain, but it's what you have to do.
 
The instructions in the manual will not be helpful for this. You just have to do what you have to do in order to keep it junk free and running smoothly. Preserving your BB of course.
 
I have the same filters on all 4 of my tanks, I also have sand substrate which is why I use these filters because they don't get clogged and stay quite when the fish kick up the sand.

Anyway, like post #6 said clean your filter once a month, that stuff on top when it looks like that, clean it as needed, you do not want that... it is bacterial build up and not the good kind.

I used to clean where the impeller sits.. that little spoke ...but it is very fragile and breaks easily...so I use my sprayer from the sink to clean it. I use a baby bottle brush for all the large parts and a small brush to clean the plastic tubes.

I clean my filters in my kitchen sink, but most say to clean them in dirty tank water to preserve the good bacteria. I never had a problem though...so each his own.

Unfortunately, having to kick start the impeller is the only drawback to this brand.
 
I have this same problem with my aqueon quiet flow. I have found that the plastic pipes and impeller get clogged easily and using pipe cleaners and a tooth brush is a good way to clean out the nooks and crannies that get clogged and slow the flow. It's a pain, but it's what you have to do.
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Khuligirl93 is spot on. I have the following three filters on my 38 gallon tank stocked with 44 fish:

AquaClear 50: Placed In service Dec 2013
Fluval C3: Placed in service Aug 2013
Fluval C3: Placed in serice Jan 2014:

And guess what ...... despite my water being crystal clear and polished ...... the filters get filthy and "gunked up." I turn filters off during feeding ....... and within about 60 days ... filter motors won't "self start" due to build up. I use an ice pick to get them going short term ...... then I just surrender and take the motors off and clean impeller, tubing, etc with a Q-Tip & a bottle brush. The tubing and impellers seem to accumulate more "gunk" than the filters themselves. The gunk is kind of subtle in my aquaclear which you can see in this video (taken 10 days ago) .......

38WonderfulWorld_zps0f8edabb.mp4 Video by Paul1792 | Photobucket

but now it's totally filthy and I'm going to clean it today along with a 20% weekly water change.

Oh and BTW: I hadn't thought of a toothbrush ........ thanks for the idea.

As for the mess on the biomax ...... despite the claims that it lasts forever .... you cannot ever make it "like new" and it should be gradually replaced. The instructions say at 6 months or so .......... which is about right. I'd gradually replace the factory bio-media with Fluval ceramic biomax

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HHSG5M...TF8&colid=17EMAD0UKAAUI&coliid=I3J17V8CDDTPBA

Even Mr. Cheapskate himself king of aquarium youtube DIY Joey Mullen says you cannot clean biomedia ...... you must replace it:

http://checkoutthelatest.com/uarujoey&watch=eOOBTJB791I

I currently run Seachem Matrix along with "factory" media in all my filters.

http://s948.photobucket.com/user/Pa...atrixampFloss_zpsbd52e54d.jpg.html?sort=6&o=5
 
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