Equipment Review and Discussion :: [Advise Needed] RES bites my filter

[swifty]

Hi guys,

I'm new in this forum and I'm trying to seek some help because of my terrapin of about 4 years have been biting and pulling out the plastic tube/pipe from the submerged pump, which disallows the filter to work cus it can't pump water up to the filter.

To give you an idea, its an overhead filter. Anyone faced this problem before and have a solution to that?

Just to show you want my RES has done, here's a pic!

[steve]

Welcome to the site! I haven't quite seen a melanastic male like that before. As for the filter, I don't think many of use that type. Many filters have a rigid inlet/outlet pipe. Some people choose to make their own with PVC pipe (pretty inexpensive and it's safer) but I'm not quite sure you can do that with your specific kind of filter. Does it have a spray bar?

[swifty]

Yeah, I wonder what happened to its color too. It used to be greenish shell and it was all normal.

Here's a pic to how it looked like 4 years ago, the one on the left is it. The one on the right died from some illness a few days after I bought it


Nope, it does not have a spray bar. The water returns directly back to the tank from the hole in the filter. For reference how the filter exactly is, I googled a clear image of it.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/505 ... 6c3134.jpg

So I should bring my pump to the shop and get the right fit for the pvc pipe? Cus I don't have the necessary tools to diy my own pipe.

[steve]

The melanism is pretty normal. It sucks that they lose their cool colors, but it's an interesting transition.

Before you go ahead with the PVC, how deep is the water level?

[swifty]

I usually put it about 16-18inches high. It's a 3 ft tank.

[steve]

Ah, OK. Do you know a spray bar looks like? The only thing you really need to figure out is how to connect the pipe to the tube, assuming this is what you want to do.

[swifty]

Yeah I know what it is. I'm thinking of removing the tube totally and just using the pvc pipe. But dayumm, it looks tough. Still in the process of thinking how should I do this. Mayb a new diy filter, but man.. Connecting the pipe to the pump and all? I have no tools and clue about that! Just doing a simple search on YouTube for overhead filters gave me a lot of ideas, but no confidence of doing them. Ahh.. Hahaha.

[steve]

Well, connecting the tube to the pipe is the tricky part, you might need to get a different tube as well. I would be pretty paranoid about doing a DIY filter too!

[swifty]

Ive decided to get a new pump, new overhead filter and rigid pipes from people selling them at a much lower price. Got a friend helping me out here, so hopefully everything works out fine!

[steve]

Just be careful, with rigid pipes usually come with extension pieces and at the end is a strainer. On some rare occasions, the turtle will knock off the stainer and get stuck (and drown or need a limb amputated). Some people glue it together or make a PVC inlet pipe (looks sort of like a spray bar).

[swifty]

Alright thanks Steve! Ill have a watchful eye over him! Hehe.

[leenseah]

Hi swifty (or anyone else reading this), nothing much to do with your original post but I was directed to your post because of the image you posted of your overhead filter (I was searching online for images of how they're supposed to be set up). I bought an overhead filter recently, thinking it would be easy to set up but I had no idea what to do with it. I have the basic "box" part figured out, unfortunately I don't really know what to do with the other parts and how the tube connects to the "box" to make the entire thing work. Was wondering if you could give me a hand since I believe we have pretty much the same overhead filter. I could post images. Thank you.

[leenseah]

As mentioned in my previous post I have absolutely no idea what to do to connect the box in the first image and the tubes in the second image. I don't know what the extra plastic thing (in the middle) is for, too. Someone please help me as I am really new to this. Thanks!

[steve]

What brand/model is it?

[swifty]

Hey leenseah, hope you managed to fix it up!

Guys i got another problem. The new OHF and pump with a rigid pipe(i think its acrylic), is all good. But as steve mentioned, keep an eye on the strainer? My RES pulled out the strainer, ripped off part of the pump and now its damaged. Ugh.. Anyone else have such a aggressive and violent RES? Im so lost. Thinking of getting a classic eheim 2215. Just the pipe in, will my RES destroy it as well?

Sigh.. Plants inside, plants floating, my floating dock, previous filter, all destroyed by my RES. Whyyyy?