General Care Discussion :: Switching from a Rena XP3 to...

[socialmonsters]

...well, I guess this is where I need your help and suggestions. Obviously, I've been running an XP3 and needless to say, it's a HUGE pain to prime. The problem likely lies in the fact that my outdoor (above ground) pond isn't too much higher than the filter. I understand that canisters typically need a good amount of distance with the it being lower than the tank setup. When it's running, it seems to work just fine. The problem is that occasionally, whether for cleaning or my RES accidentally hitting the intake, I need to reprime it and it's unbelievably frustrating, no matter what method I try.

Long story short, are there any canisters that work as well or better than the XP3 that don't seem to be as tough to get going? Again, I realize that my height setup isn't ideal but I was hoping maybe someone could point me in the direction of a canister that can adjust to the height or is just flat out easier to start up. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

[socialmonsters]

BUMP please.

Any suggestions? I guess I'm more looking to see if anyone thinks the problem with priming will still exist regardless of the filter. Would a Fluval FX6 work better due to it's stronger output or is that irrelevant because of the height?

[steve]

I think you're going to have issues with any canister. Can you raise the pond?

[socialmonsters]

As of now, the pond is sitting on top of 2 wooden pallets (like you see at Home Depot/Lowe's holding bricks, etc.) It seems to do just fine as almost all of it is supported. I guess I could grab another pallet but that would only raise it another 4"-6" I'm guessing. Do you think that would be sufficient to help the filter or probably not?

I was thinking of grabbing a Penn Plax 1500, since it has the push pump priming, and trimming the intake hose so there's no slack. Any thoughts on that? Thanks.

[socialmonsters]

I also forgot to ask if there are any tips on getting it started, ie. can I physically hold the intake higher up with it in a cup of water and attempt to prime it? Once it starts up I would obviously lower it back into the pond.

[Kansasslider]

I own an fx6 and use it on my indoor stock tank. My tank is raised 8" off the floor. The fx does not need priming. Its plug and play. One thing to keep in mind however is that the output nozzles need to be closer to the surface of the water than the intake strainer. That is because if its close to the bottom the air in the filter doesn't want to come out due to water pressure. The fx purges air in the filter 2x a day. I have no problems at all. PS, I hate rena filstar filters!

[socialmonsters]

How's the durability/longevity of the FX6? I don't mind spending the money ($340 right now on Amazon) if it's going to pay for itself in terms of convenience and effectiveness. As it stands now, I have the output above the water for additional disturbance and also for the face that I'm quickly able to tell if the filter is running!

[Kansasslider]

Funny you ask, I own 2 fx5's and one 6. I only use the 6 now and I can truly say I love it! Combined they have run for 3 Years with no problems. To be fair one fx5 is still in the box. Yes, sometimes I bid on stuff I don't need. Bought all on e-bay.

[socialmonsters]

That's great to hear, it seems like the FX5/FX6 is the go-to in general, I just didn't (initially) want to pay the premium price if I was going to run into the same priming issues. Is it pretty safe to say that it would work more or less no problem with the lower pond setup that I have?

[socialmonsters]

Sorry, I keep thinking of more questions after I post...

My pond is 125 gallons with only about 3/4 of it being filled. With that being said, I noticed with the XP3 it kept the water pretty clean but there would be debris (hard water buildups, etc.) still sunk at the bottom. Would the much more powerful FX6 do a better job cleaning the debris as it's rated much higher than the XP3 or Penn Plax 1500?

[Kansasslider]

Some maybe ? I use a large maxi jet to keep the water moving. Keep in mind filters are really only designed to keep the water clean not the bottom of the tank. But it should help some just because of the volume of water being moved. Mine is in a 300 gallon tank with 4 turtles and does a good job along with the circulation pump.

[Kansasslider]

Oh ps, It won't help with hard water.

[steve]

What about cinderblocks to hold up the pond? Can you post a current picture of the setup?

[socialmonsters]

Oh ps, It won't help with hard water.

Ah, this is my main problem all together. The water out here in Phoenix is really hard. The pond is black and I couldn't believe how much calcium and lime buildup there has been primarily from the output being above water and splashing the sides. It doesn't seem to affect him or anything else other than being a HUGE eyesore but still a bummer.

What about cinderblocks to hold up the pond? Can you post a current picture of the setup?

I posted some pics awhile back but I don't believe it showed the bottom. It's basically two of these stacked on top of each other: http://www.associated-pallets.co.uk/wp- ... lets21.jpg

Now that you mention it, I think I could get enough cinderblocks, either on their side or normal, then place one of the pallets on top of that. That should raise it more so than adding a third pallet. Does it seem that I'll likely have the same priming issue regardless of the XP3, Penn Plax 1500 or FX6 if the pond is at its current height or does the "self-priming" FX6 eliminate raising it?

[steve]

I don't have the FX6 to know how well it primes, but the XP3's priming is straight forward. I think you'll need to experiment to see how well it does, but I'm also curious to see how well it holds the filter hoses.