I need help setting up filters

Hey all! I'm 15, and I have two tanks. One is for my fishies, and one is for my red-eared sliders (two of them!). In my fish tank, I have a Topfin Pro 200 Canister Filter, and it works amazing! It's quiet, wonderful, etc. However- my other filter in my red-eared sliders tank burnt out recently. I've purchased a Topfin for this tank as well, but for the life of me.. I can't get it to work? Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I don't know what I could be doing wrong. It won't prime no matter what- I've literally sucked on the outgoing tube while pumping just to try to get it to work, and it won't. After this, I bought a Marineland Magniflow 220 Canister Filter- everything is fine with it (besides output tube being too short, so I had to swap a part from the Topfin) but I can't get it to prime. The filter is set up properly, there's water in there, everything should work fine.. it just doesn't :c. I have two options, basically. I cannot just keep buying filters, so should I keep trying to fix this? It feels like I'm close, I just can't figure it out. I don't know if I should just keep the tank clean until I can get a filter working, or keep trying when I don't really set up filters?
(I apologize if this is the wrong kind of post, or in the wrong thread- I'm new here, and just really, really want help with this! Thank you! :''D!!)

 

Take a cup and fill the filter chamber up about halfway when you turn it on. Thats what we had to do with every wTer change on our Top Fin filter.

 

I'm not sure if it's EVERY topfin filter but with mine, I always have to pour some water to get it going.

 

I'm not sure if it's EVERY topfin filter but with mine, I always have to pour some water to get it going.

I'm currently trying to get the Marineland to work- although I did fill the topfin one up, and it didn't work.

Take a cup and fill the filter chamber up about halfway when you turn it on. Thats what we had to do with every wTer change on our Top Fin filter.

Yesyes, that's what I tried- for some reason, it didn't do much. I still had to suck while I was trying to prime. Got a mouthful of water, but no water flow! :'D

 

In most cases when filters don't work it's due to them not being properly primed.

 

In most cases when filters don't work it's due to them not being properly primed.

If a filter requires THAT much clowning around to get started I'd consider myself silly for not reading enough reviews and use it as a convenient excuse to buy another unit.

OP, is your filter making noises like it wants to start or is it silent? If the latter is true, check/reset the impeller and look at popping for a new pump head, if possible.

 

Buy from Amazon and return it if you don’t like what you buy. They’ll take filters back like every thing else. Just dry it pack it well.

I don’t know your specific filter but with every filter I bought I found Youtube videos to help. Maybe look over there if you haven’t. Other people have probably had the same issues.

 

If a filter requires THAT much clowing around to get started I'd consider myself silly for not reading enough reviews and use it as a convenient excuse to buy another unit.

Well I don't know about Topfins but regarding the canister if it’s making a noise but not pumping it’s likely not primed. Unfortunately on some canisters those priming buttons are not very effective in expelling all of the air and a new owner may not be aware of that. However you can prime a canister easily enough without them. Try this method if the inlet hose is already full of water:

• Attach the closed (lever up) valve assembly to an empty unplugged canister.
• Ensure that the aquarium is full, then open the valve (lever down).
• The canister will fill, expelling the air. Wait for filling to stop.
• Top up aquarium and plug in canister.

Try this method is the inlet hose is still empty of water:

• Attach the closed (lever up) valve assembly to an empty unplugged canister.
• Ensure that the aquarium is full, then open the valve (lever down).
• Remove the outlet hose from outlet assembly and suck on the outlet on the assembly so that water begins to drain through the inlet into the canister.
• Close the valve assembly tap (lever down) as soon as water reaches the outlet (have a container or towel handy to catch any drips).
• Re-attach the outlet hose and open the valve. Top up aquarium and plug in canister.

 

That's a complex set of troubleshooting steps there, GlennO. I'm starting to think I'm lucky (or just good) for having two different filters that prime like beasts whenver I need them to.

 

That's a complex set of troubleshooting steps there, GlennO. I'm starting to think I'm lucky (or just good) for having two different filters that prime like beasts whenver I need them to.

lol...tried to detail each step in case OP was in a bind and so I'm sure it reads more complicated as a result. But, unless you drain your hoses with each clean most canisters are just fill, plug in and go.

 

I have 5 Tetratec EX 600 external filters...only one gives me aggro and thats cos the aquarium is a wee bit shallow for the intake so its diagonal instead of straight down.

They do require manual priming when first set up....great excerise for the leg muscles (no point bending over to prime with a hand when the foot on the primer will do nicely)

A couple of squirts and farts and voila we have flow.....switch on and away we go with the occasional fart here and there til its settled.

Water changes easy peasy.......first turn power off then turn your valves off with the provided taps so the pipework/spraybar etc stay full of water. Remove the desired amount of water from the aquarium as usual. Refill the aquarium to over the spraybar height, open the taps on the hoses and turn the power on. After a few farts all runs hunkydory.

For media changes, turn off the power, close the taps and leave the hoses/spraybar etc full of water, unlock the tap section from the body of the filter and let it dangle...it will not leak since taps are closed and autolock is on when the tap/valve section is apart from body. Do the media changes as required, empty canister body of mucky water, put the media baskets back, fill the canister with clean water to the top of the baskets. Lock the lid back on, take back to aquarium, re-attach the valve/tap section and lock it down, no need to prime, open the taps, turn the power back on and off it goes with one or two farts...no issues.

 

I don’t know your specific filter but with every filter I bought I found Youtube videos to help. Maybe look over there if you haven’t. Other people have probably had the same issues.

With YT videos I've learned to look for consensus, not opinions I support or want to believe. One example would be my hunting for OASE reviews on YT. One European mentioned that he thought a 600 could go a YEAR without cleaning. Of course that idea was so sexy that I had to try it. After 5-months my nitrates started to shoot up, because my 600 had turned into a nitrate generator, because it was so filthy.

lol...tried to detail each step in case OP was in a bind and so I'm sure it reads more complicated as a result. But, unless you drain your hoses with each clean most canisters are just fill, plug in and go.

Be as detailed as you want, G. It was a fun read.