Oase Biomaster 350 weak flow and pump

Hi! I've been using the Oase Biomaster 350 for around 2-3 months now for my 96L aquarium. At first the pump was strong and flows well. But recently the outflow and inflow (with surface skimmer) has been really weak and inconsistent. It could be strong and I unplug it to feed my fishes and plug it back in and it would be weak. I clean the pre-filters every week but the flow is still weak. Any ideas on what is going on or tips to boost the flow and pump power of the filter?

 

Hi

Could be worth taking it apart and checking the media inside the canister for build up of gunk. Whilst in there check the impellor too.

Turning a canister on or off can cause a bit of an air lock. I used to have to prime my old one and rock it a little to clear air lock.

The more media packed into the filter will reduce flow and it may be worth looking at the pipes too for accumulated matter. Long shot after a few months.

 

You need to have a pre-prefilter. One that covers your intake and that is frequently replaced with a clean one. This way, you can clean the Oase once every year, the pre-filter every season, and the pre-prefilter, depending on weakening of the flow.

 

Hi

Could be worth taking it apart and checking the media inside the canister for build up of gunk. Whilst in there check the impellor too.

Turning a canister on or off can cause a bit of an air lock. I used to have to prime my old one and rock it a little to clear air lock.

The more media packed into the filter will reduce flow and it may be worth looking at the pipes too for accumulated matter. Long shot after a few months.

I'll give it a try! Then its most likely due to the media. I've packed a lot of media into it. Its just initially the flow and pump was strong but now its mediocre. But it could also be the air trapped inside. Thanks for the tip!

 

Hi! I've been using the Oase Biomaster 350 for around 2-3 months now for my 96L aquarium. At first the pump was strong and flows well. But recently the outflow and inflow (with surface skimmer) has been really weak and inconsistent. It could be strong and I unplug it to feed my fishes and plug it back in and it would be weak. I clean the pre-filters every week but the flow is still weak. Any ideas on what is going on or tips to boost the flow and pump power of the filter?

I tossed out a Biomaster 600 recently and replaced it with a no-nonsense FX6. After about a year the 600 still functioned just not as well as before. I had a slight drop in flow but I had other problems that were equally irritating issues.

Off the top of my head, I suggest you use a slightly higher PPI for the pre-filter rings. I got best performance when I cleaned the pre-filter thoroughly every Friday. Another endeavor would be drilling extra holes in the plastic tube that holds the pre-filter rings.

You need to have a pre-prefilter. One that covers your intake and that is frequently replaced with a clean one. This way, you can clean the Oase once every year, the pre-filter every season, and the pre-prefilter, depending on weakening of the flow.

When I initially looked at the OASE line I was deeply impressed by the idea that I could go as long as a year without cleaning the unit. After 6-months without a cleaning the main body of the filter it was nearly a nitrate reactor. Perhaps I'm wrong about this, but doesn't the filters main body contain a perfectly functional pre-filter?