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i have a rena filstar xp3 canister filter on my 90 gallon aquarium?

Mar 22, 2009 by Evil Resident | Posted in Fish

it says that this is a good match and my fish are very healthy but it always looks like it is almost snowing in my tank. what is with all of the specks.

make sure the filter intake isnt by an air stone... if it is produceing alot of bubbles then it might be sucking up air bubbles along with water.

if it isnt, make sure you mechaincal media is fine, to reduce stuff in the water try wrapping the mechanical sponge with filter floss to polish the water.

That Fish PIace Guide: Installing Aquarium Canister Filters

Having difficulty installing a Canister Filter in your aquarium? ThatFishPlace.com guide to installing the Rena Filstar XP2 Canister Filter is ...

Filstar XP4 Canister Filter – up to 265 Gallon

by admin

I have owned three different canister filters for 2 red-eared sliders. Between their eating and constant defecation, a good filtration system is needed. The first was Fluval and it began leaking after a few months. The next was Cascade and it just stopped working after a month or so. Then I spent about fifty bucks more for the Rena Filstar XP4 and I couldn’t be more pleased. It doesn’t need primed, works on the first try – every time, simple to clean, doesn’t leak and I have had it for over a year now and it still packs a powerful punch, filtering the water crystal clear!

I purchased this filter after researching all the available brands and types of filters for my red-eared slider. About a week ago I knew nothing about these turtles until my daughter brought one home as a “gift” from her friend. Does anyone know the start up cost of something that little? I do- and from experience,it costs about $300 – $500. I purchased a 30 gallon start up kit that included lame filter that couldn’t manage the mess that this turtle dishes out on a daily basis. After a week, I got tired of changing Scooter’s water everyday. Even when I did-the water was icky and cloudy. Knowing that this creature depends on me to keep its swimming, drinking and eating water clean, I needed a better way to clean her water. The Rena Filstar XP4 seemed a bit overkill for a baby turtle but I didn’t want to buy more filters in the future to fit a growing RES. I read the unfortunate review of an owner of a baby slider drowning because of the intake pipe coming apart. I took that to heart as I glued the parts together permanently and used duct tape to double secure the joints on the intake pipe. If she starts playing with the duct tape I will be sure to remove it. When I received the package in the mail, I knew that the shipping charge was high but I had no idea that these filters were so tall! My suggestion to putting this together, would be to become familiar with the parts included and how you are going to set up your aquarium. I had to find a taller base to set the aquarium on as it requires a distance of 24 inches minimum from the tank to the filter.The pleasant thing about this filter, is that it offers different options to set up the filter system based on the needs of the aquarium. My tank will not be filled to the brim, so I used the longer extension part of the output tube to reach lower in the tank. The spray bar creates a beautiful little waterfall in the back of the aquarium that my RES loves to frolic in the bubbles or just watch them if she is mellow. After cleaning my tank completely, I set up the entire aquarium. Setting up the filter was slow and tedious. I took a tip from another review here about the flexible tubing. It will not work if you don’t coat the inlet/outlet connections with vegetable (I used olive) oil. If you don’t, you could break these valves off from the force to get these things on. My biggest complaint about the setup involves the inlet pipes and cap. In my opinion, it would make sense to have just one inlet pipe with no connections to come loose. Or have two inseparable tubes put together where one slides into the other for adjusting the length. The inlet strainer should be non removable because if it accidently fell off the feeder fish that are in the tank could easily be vacuumed up into the filter. I cracked one of the extender pipes when I was putting this together. The inlet pipes are flimsy and should have better safety features than what it has now. The outlet pipes are in much better shape and have a unique connection design and outflow regulator. I like the fact that I can control the water output by simply turning a dial near the spray bar. The flexible tubing is definitly wide enough to prevent clogs and moves large amounts of water quickly and filters it with ease. The start up was easily explained in the directions but I needed to try several times to get the air out of it to finally run smoothly. It wasn’t difficult to get the water in the flexible tubing, it just required patience. My tank wasn’t full enough and when it was taking the water from the aquarium to fill up the filter container, the intake valve started sucking in air. At that point, I needed to stop the process, fill the aquarium up with more water and then start the process over again. When it did start filtering the tank I was very impressed with how quiet the filter does run. My dog sleeps next to the filter and it seems to have a calm, lulling affect on him. The XP4 has been running for over 24 hours and it looks as clear as it did when I first started it up. Best of all, I don’t smell that foul turtle stench that I used to have with the old filter. I hope to have this running in the new tank when little Scooter outgrows this one. Overall, I predict this filter will be saving me time and money. Not to mention a happy and healthy turtle. UPDATE: September 2009. I upgraded to a 120 gallon tank and this filter runs better than when it filtered the smaller tank. I have been very busy this summer, so I have stopped using the lettuce leaves everyday for my turtle. The purple lettuce leaves get torn to shreds and tends to clog the filter. I added an aerator (remember? she loves swimming in the bubbles) and the water seems clearer. I have added many feeder fish and my RES will happily eat them from time to time. She has decided that two of the big gold fish, one smaller minnow, two snails and three bottom feeders(one named Sushi) are her friends. She will not eat them and the filter can manage their waste with ease as well. I have designated one day per month for major cleaning. I put Scooter in a plastic bucket with some water and a rock and she will watch me spend about 2-3 hours cleaning everything. Scrubbing the algae off everything manages the overly green slime problem. I have found the tubes/hose that lead to the filter cannot be removed and difficult to clean. I have a little brush to break up the slime that can clog it at times. Then where I can’t reach the tubing, I simply squeeze the tube until the solid slime on the inside of the tubing breaks up and finally filters into the tube/hose or the aquarium. Make sure you do this before you change the water. The slime can be quite messy and you don’t want to clog brand new filter medium. There were times that it was difficult to prime, and I am not sure what the problem was but persistence is the key. I kept trying different things like making sure there was enough water in the intake valve and sealing the cap securely. The replacement filters are easy to find and although they are not cheap, they are worth more to me by reducing the amount of time I spend cleaning. I still think the intake tube(s) are flimsy and need to be updated to accommodate aquariums that don’t have water filled to the top. I have furnace tape to secure the joints to prevent air getting into the filter. It works but wish the design was better so that I didn’t have to resort to such a primitive solution. Overall, the filter earns its keep and provides a healthy clean evironment for my turtle and her fish friends.

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