Habitat - Indoor :: Filter question

[tissigirl]

I just got a new Fluval filter and I have a few minor issues that I am hoping someone can help me with. I had to put it on the bottom of the tank since it is so large. I suctioned it to the bottom of the tank (like the not very helpful instructions said!) but the bottom end of the filter is floating up leaving a big gap between it and the tank bottom. I know it will still filter ok, but it looks weird, and my turtle keeps trying to swim under it lol.
Also it looks so cumbersome in the tank. Is there any way to conceal it? can you possibly build up rocks around it without messing up the filtration? I know I am probably being anal about this, but I want it to look and be as natural as possible for Mr. Turtle and myself!!

[jenaero]

well, you can't really pack rocks around it without messing up the filtration. I have mine suctioned to the side of the tank, not the bottom, and after I clean it the back end floats up for a while. You can fiddle with it, or just wait and it'll even itself out. You're probably better off to stick it on the side of the tank and make sure there's enough room underneath for them to get in and out because they will try and you don't want them to get stuck. Mine has about 4 inches clearance at the bottom.

[pkneeyahx]

I've never used one, but could you weigh down the back of it by putting marbles in the bottom chamber?

to weigh down my old filter before I drilled a whole through the side of a hockey puck and used long plastic tie straps to strap it to the filter. it worked pretty good. Doesn't look pretty, but it was functional and served it's purpose well.

Plus, Willy doesn't care much for how things look. She just cares about food.

[tissigirl]

Thanks for the suggestion! I just placed the suction cups on there a little crooked so that the bottom floats even with the top. Mr. Turtle is now happy that he can get both under it and on top of it! lol

[marisa]

Tissigirl, I've had a similar problem to the one you described with my Fluval 4+ as well. After having dealt with a canister, I frankly find this filter to be somewhat silly, and, as you noted, cumbersome. The stock tank I'm using it in has curved sides, so I've had to stick it on the bottom as well. And when I did, it floated like yours. I was so irritated with it that I called the Hagen company to complain. I was told that when the media gets saturated enough it wouldn't float anymore, but that perhaps placing a rock on it would help. I found a perfectly flat rock the size of the filter chamber and have tied it on top of the filter with a nylon cord to make sure any vibration wouldn't knock it off. It has weighed the filter down so that my turts can't swim under it. I've been told you want to be careful with these filters in that you don't want your turtle to get stuck under it.