Which part of the maintenance routine do you hate the most?!

[OmidNiav]

We do maintenance but there's something in the routine that just kills us! What is yours? Mine is cleaning the outside of the glass after I'm done with everything .

 

[Immortal1]

Sadly, mine is "having" to clean algae from the inside of the glass.
Cleaning the filter would probably be a distant second.

 

[Art]

Cleaning the filter pipes is the worst for me. I've broken the glass ones and then it's always a scramble.

 

[mn_aquascape]

Cleaning the filter pipes is the worst for me. I've broken the glass ones and then it's always a scramble.

I love cleaning glass pipes actually! I love the crisp clean look - its so satisfying! I've got it down to a routine now that I can clean them while the tank is draining and refilling.

--Steve

 

[mn_aquascape]

If I had to pick one it's the fikter maintenance. Lugging that thing to the sink and taking it all apart is a chore. Not terrible, but of all the maintenance things, this is the one I like the least.

--Steve

 

[Quagulator]

Filter maintenance for sure. I hate getting air trapped in reactors, air trapped in the filters, re-priming them, lugging them around, and after they are cleaned, as soon as you turn them on you get a tank full of crap that has to re-settle or the filters have to trap it all again, regardless of how well you cleaned them.


Side-note, on nano-tanks with smaller filters, running an intake sponge will surprisingly keep the filter sparkling for a long time.

 

[JPog]

I agree on the filter maintenance. Definitely not fun for me and there's always those days where my Eheim won't prime initially. The glass pipes would probably be next, although I found just soaking in 1/1 bleach removes most of the stuff, especially the intake slits on the bottom.

 

[Art]

So it looks like filter cleaning is winning the most frustrating part of maintenance. Makes sense.

A self-priming, stable, powerful filter with an easy to clean mechanical mechanism is what we're looking for?

 

[OmidNiav]

So it looks like filter cleaning is winning the most frustrating part of maintenance. Makes sense.

A self-priming, stable, powerful filter with an easy to clean mechanical mechanism is what we're looking for?

I would like to stress and over stress the self priming part. None of the filters I've used in the past has lived up to their claim. Even the ones with the buttons and levers don't easily prime.

 

[Immortal1]

So it looks like filter cleaning is winning the most frustrating part of maintenance. Makes sense.

A self-priming, stable, powerful filter with an easy to clean mechanical mechanism is what we're looking for?

Hmmm, not sure about other "current" filters, but I feel my Fluval FX4 seems to fit "what we're looking for".
At least, how I do things it seems to.
The FX-4 has a drain located at the bottom of the filter. I close off the in/out valves and open the drain which drains into the stand pipe in my stand (I know, not everyone has one of these). I do have to remove at least one of the in/out lines to let air into the filter to complete the draining process.
Once drained, I pop the top of the filter, switch out the fine filter pad in the top tray, put the top back on and then fill the filter using the same hose I use to fill my aquarium. Put the in/out hoses back on and turn it back on - thats it. The filter removes any air pocket at the top all by itself.

 

[ayman.roshdy]

Filter cleaning and maintenance is a nightmare for me, I am using hang on back filters and scrubbing their walls and pipes takes a lot of time and effort, just a few days ago I decided to use internal filters plus sponge ones as I don't have space for canister filters, which I think will need less maintenance than the hang on back ones

 

[MrMuggles]

I built a sump so that I could love maintenance

 

[DDio]

I generally hate filter maintenance the most.

It's great on the Oase since at most you're doing full maintenance every couple months or longer and just cleaning the pre filter weekly, but the bane of my existence is my GLA canister filter. Cleaning it isn't the issue, it's what you go through after cleaning it that's the problem. Trying to break the vapor lock to flood the filter is a massive pain. I've flooded my stand on more than one occasion but figured out a method of flooding the canister while reducing the likelihood of flooding the stand. I love the concept of the filter, the power, and capacity, but not a fan of getting it back online.

 

[mn_aquascape]

I generally hate filter maintenance the most.

It's great on the Oase since at most you're doing full maintenance every couple months or longer and just cleaning the pre filter weekly, but the bane of my existence is my GLA canister filter. Cleaning it isn't the issue, it's what you go through after cleaning it that's the problem. Trying to break the vapor lock to flood the filter is a massive pain. I've flooded my stand on more than one occasion but figured out a method of flooding the canister while reducing the likelihood of flooding the stand. I love the concept of the filter, the power, and capacity, but not a fan of getting it back online.

Are you using dual valve quick disconnects on the GLA filter? I find they are useful for re-priming. I put the disconnect close to the filter on the inlet side. And the other, close to the top of the pump.

When I'm done with maintenance,
1) reconnect the inlet side disconnect with the valves closed,
2) leave the disconnect apart on the outlet, with the valve open,
3) slowly open the valves on the inlet side, which begins to siphon water out of the tank, into the filter (air will be escaping from the disconnect on the outlet side of the filter),
4) pay careful attention as you begin to hear water and see it coming through the pump, and then quickly close those valves,
5) reconnect the disconnect on the outlet side, open valves and plug in the filter.

I can get this filter going without spilling a drop. It is a million times better than the Oase I had, or any Eheim I've owned.

Not sure if this makes sense. I could make a video if you would like. Filter maintenance is today

--Steve

 

[DDio]

Are you using dual valve quick disconnects on the GLA filter? I find they are useful for re-priming. I put the disconnect close to the filter on the inlet side. And the other, close to the top of the pump.

When I'm done with maintenance,
1) reconnect the inlet side disconnect with the valves closed,
2) leave the disconnect apart on the outlet, with the valve open,
3) slowly open the valves on the inlet side, which begins to siphon water out of the tank, into the filter (air will be escaping from the disconnect on the outlet side of the filter),
4) pay careful attention as you begin to hear water and see it coming through the pump, and then quickly close those valves,
5) reconnect the disconnect on the outlet side, open valves and plug in the filter.

I can get this filter going without spilling a drop. It is a million times better than the Oase I had, or any Eheim I've owned.

Not sure if this makes sense. I could make a video if you would like. Filter maintenance is today

--Steve

No that makes perfect sense. I was connecting everything and then unlatching one of the latches to let air purge. When it sounds like it's getting close, I shut the latch and then turn the pump on to see if it's flooded enough to start, but I wind up unlatching a couple times. I'll need to use your method going forward because then at least I can see that it's fully flooded without risking that o ring slipping off the ledge.

 

[mn_aquascape]

By using the disconnects to purge the air, you also ensure the pump is fully primed too.

If you lose the siphon on the inlet hoses that will put a wrench in the system. That said, it's relatively easy to prime the hose by sucking on the one end a little and closing valves quickly, and get back on track.

--Steve

 

[JPog]

By using the disconnects to purge the air, you also ensure the pump is fully primed too.

If you lose the siphon on the inlet hoses that will put a wrench in the system. That said, it's relatively easy to prime the hose by sucking on the one end a little and closing valves quickly, and get back on track.

--Steve

I'm always losing the prime on the inlet since I clean the lily pipes with filter maintenance. So instead of sucking on the inlet disconnect I've turned to the very versatile turkey baster instead.

 

[DDio]

By using the disconnects to purge the air, you also ensure the pump is fully primed too.

If you lose the siphon on the inlet hoses that will put a wrench in the system. That said, it's relatively easy to prime the hose by sucking on the one end a little and closing valves quickly, and get back on track.

--Steve

I suspect I won't lose suction just because I don't remove the inlet tube to clean it. I actually don't clean it at all lol. I'm glad someone convinced me to use stainless lily pipes versus glass. My lily pipes would probably just be filthy all the time because cleaning them would be too much of a hassle and I'd really need to do it almost weekly.

I appreciate the tip. You saved me from the risk of flooding my stand again lol. I actually didn't flood my stand trying to purge air out of the canister, it happened because I lubed the main o ring and when I began closing the latches, the o ring would slip off the shelf. When I opened the valves, I sat there and watched water start pouring out of the lid next to one of the latches so I quickly shut the valves, dumped water out of the canister, and then opened it and reset the o ring. Got it all set up, then promptly flooded the stand again. I sat there for a good half hour trying to figure out why the o ring kept slipping off. Finally I decided to see if the lube was causing the issue so I completely dried off the o ring and removed all silicone grease, cleaning the ledge, and then carefully reinstalled the lid and noticed that you can see the o ring through the latches. Once I was satisfied that it was shut properly I reconnected it, opened the valves, and nothing lol. There was a vapor lock so by unlatching one latch and risking flooding the stand again, I was able to break it. The thought never occurred to me to minimize the risk by not connecting the outlet quick disconnect and letting that purge the air out.