iralbuqu Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Hi there, have a Noob question, Is there a risk of leakage from the Cannister filter? I am planning on putting the aquarium on an upper level of the house and shudder to think of the consequenses of a leaking filter, I would imagine it would destroy the sub floor completely. Is this a valid concern? Anything I can do to mitigate the risk? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Ram Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Cannister filters should not leak if they are assembled correctly and maintained. Just make sure your tank is level and your stand is made to support the weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werner Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Yes, it's possible, but not common. Several years back, I had a hose pop off a canister filter on a 130 gal tank while I was out. The water ran across 3 rooms until it reached a cold air return duct, and then drained into the basement where it ran to the floor drain. Fortunately, we had originally (1) gotten approval for an aquarium from the landlord, and (2) made sure that our renter's insurance covered potential water damage from the aquarium. The lino in the kitchen and carpet in 2 other rooms had to be replaced. The basement was unfinished, so it was okay. There is also the potential for water damage from broken tanks. Contact your insurance agent to confirm that your homeowner's/renter's insurance will cover water damage from an aquarium. I have also had minor leaks from incorrectly reassembling filters after cleaning, and getting distracted while filling buckets, etc. Having a wet-dry shop vacuum around is a handy thing for small spills. If you're completely new to fish-keeping and/or canister filters, familiarize yourself with your filter by actually reading the manual! Practice taking it apart and putting it back together as if you had cleaned it. If you want to test it, hook it up to a bucket of water, set the whole thing in the bathtub or shower and let it run for a day or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishkabod Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 If you really want to be safe put the canister filter on top of the tank in a way that if it does leak it'll leak into the tank. that would be ugly no doubt. If you want you can buy water alert monitors to put nearby so that if water hit it it'll go off and alert anyone in the house. Good luck L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drydock Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 If you really want to be safe put the canister filter on top of the tank in a way that if it does leak it'll leak into the tank. that would be ugly no doubt. If you want you can buy water alert monitors to put nearby so that if water hit it it'll go off and alert anyone in the house.Good luck L I think that most cannister filter instructions state that you need to place them below the tank... I could be wrong, but the point is to read your instructions. Even if they CAN be placed above the tank, most are designed to 'push' not 'pull' water and they rely on that natural siphon to assist in refilling the cannister. You would be adding additional work to your pump which would decrease the effectiveness and probably shorten the life span of your motor. I ran a cannister for many years with no catastrophes. I did keep it in a 3 gallon bucket with a handle so that if it did leak, the water didn't go anywhere and it also made it easy to carry it to the sink for maintenance. I always made a habit of keeping an eye on the filter and bucket religiously for a couple of hours after cleaning the filter or a water change and then a couple times a day for 1-2 days afterwards just to make sure everything was good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corrosionjerry Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I use to have a phobia with canister filters / now I am comfortable with them and prefer them over HOB... for no good reason other then it is one less object I can see hanging onto the back of my aquariums.... the only problem I have had with a canister was my own fault by not assembling it properly after cleaning one... wasnt much of a problem as it was a tiny leak that I caught soon.... I do check after cleaning a couple of times shortly after just in case.... by the way the worst leak I ever have had was on an HOB that somehow started backing up over the top of the filter ( aquaclear) it was on a 20G and about 5g of water was pumped out before it was at the level of the input .... wasnt so bad though as all of my tanks are in my basement.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corrosionjerry Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I use to have a phobia with canister filters / now I am comfortable with them and prefer them over HOB... for no good reason other then it is one less object I can see hanging onto the back of my aquariums.... the only problem I have had with a canister was my own fault by not assembling it properly after cleaning one... wasnt much of a problem as it was a tiny leak that I caught soon.... I do check after cleaning a couple of times shortly after just in case.... by the way the worst leak I ever have had was on an HOB that somehow started backing up over the top of the filter ( aquaclear) it was on a 20G and about 5g of water was pumped out before it was at the level of the input .... wasnt so bad though as all of my tanks are in my basement.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iralbuqu Posted February 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Anyone use this device called Aquastop with any success? Is that something that might be a solution? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfong Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Well most of mine canisters are great. Although today my xp4 developed a crack, good thing I caught it before it made a huge mess, but overall I prefer canisters over HOB although I do use a whole bunch of aquaclears on some of my tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BooUrns! Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I've found that certain types of canisters will leak more easily than others. The Fluval x04/x05 series (the x03 series were more reliable) seem prone to leakage after being cleaned the 2nd or 3rd time. Small amounts of debris can buildup inside the filter can settle on the o-ring causing the filter to have a slow leak. I've had quite a few Fluvals that had/have this problem. I've heard from other sources how the motor heads can heat up and become warped leading to the o-ring not being able to seat properly. The other major issue with the fluvals is gas buildup in the canisters. I've lost entire tanks of fish when not one but two fluvals failed due to air locks building up in the filter at inopportune times. I've begun replacing all of my fluvals (except the FX-5s) with various models of eheim canister filters. They're more expensive but much better quality. They may slow down due to debris buildup but I've never had one stop. They seem to be effective at releasing built-up air despite the motor head being on top of the canister. I believe the aquastop you mention is a feature of the Fluval x0/x05 canister filters. It's just a control valve that can limit or even stop water flow. This won't help you if the o-ring begins to leak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iralbuqu Posted February 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 From everything I am reading here, seems like the best path forward is Check your Home Owners/renters insurance Ensure you know what you are doing when cleaning the filter I also like the idea of putting the cannister itself in a larger bucket to help contain any small leaks while on the learning curve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Or just check your filters. When I turn on the lights in the morning I check all my filters. when i get home at night I check them again. I also keep them in plastic bins to catch water if they do leak. It is easy to just take them for granted, But if you get in the habit, you should catch most problems before they get to bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xeroid Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 I had a used Fluval 404 that I acquired from a friend leak on me. I was out of town and my wife came home to half of her 35g tank on the livingroom floor. It turned out to be a bad seal on the main body of the canister. If you are going to get used equipment, I would check it thoroughly. Lesson learned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firestorm Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 Maybe I can offer some of my advice since I service aquariums for a living and have encountered problems with leaking filters. Sometimes leaking filters don't necessarily mean theres a crack in the filter, or you didn't assemble it properly. Every now and then you might have to replace the o-rings or take them out and give them a good lube job. We keep many of our filters in plastic containers, just so that if there ever is a leak the bucket should catch some of the water. At least having the filter in your home, the chances of catching the filter before it does alot of damage is higher than when your not around at all. I have had to do emergency calls before because a clients filter was leaking. Canister filters must be placed below the tank, they won't work properly when placed above it. But the chances are slimmer of them leaking than HOB's. I had an aquaclear backflow out the back before as well, I woke up in the morning to find a 25 gallon tank only half full of water, and it ended up damaging some drywall on the ceiling downstairs. But the whole time I have had my canisters, none of them have ever leaked on me. I usually check my filters once a day to be sure nothing is leaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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