My xp3 canister will not start

by debbie cincala
(pittsburgh)

I am so frustrated with my filter the past 4 mos. For 4 years everything ran perfectly fine.

A couple months ago we were getting some noises and the filter finally just started turning off for no reason so we did what they said to try on the website and got a replacement canister o ring. Well, my problems only got bigger and bigger so then I purchased a rotor, shaft, bearing. Then I had leakage problems which then seemed to be helped by placing petroleum jelly around the new oring. Then, the water never cleared, now the thing wont even start.

What is there left to do? It seems every time I try to help the matter additional items need fixed.

Is there one good thing to try next? I just need this thing to run-my poor turtles are not in healthy condiditons for the last couple months.

Thanks

A: Turtles are very hard on filters. Mars Fishcare (the owner of Rena) only supports the filter for use in aquariums but many hobbyists have found it works well for turtles so it continues to be used. The main problems with turtle tanks are the amount of solid waste and the lower water level that makes it more difficult to prime or restart the filter. In 4 years something has happened to your filter that is not allowing it to prime properly and/or maintain prime. In a turtle setup these are the most likely areas for air leaks:

1. Inlet side above the water line where two pieces connect together.


2. Small cracks in any of the inlet pieces


3. Leaks around the tubing connections


4. Leaks around the Quick Disconnect O-rings or poorly seated and/or broken Quick Disconnect


5. Air being sucked into the system from an aerator or waterfall


6. Improper restart of filter after cleaning ie. starting with water in the canister

It is easy to identify if you have poor priming and/or flow. If you restart your filter in the proper manner with an empty canister, you should not have an air pocket in the top of the canister. If you do, then this tells you the filter is not priming properly. If an air pocket appears in the top of the canister after a few days, then this tells you a small air leak is allowing air to mix with water as it is being drawn from the tank. This air will build up over time and eventually your filter will not have enough water in the rotor impeller chamber to pump and it will either run hot and quit or you will burn up the motor.

Without actually seeing your setup or filter it is difficult for us to be sure of the exact cause. After 4 years, you might want to consider a new filter and keep your other parts for spares as needed. Planet Rena offers a loyalty discount on filters which you can find out about by calling the Toll-Free number on their site.