Eheim Canister Filter: Intake and Output positioning

**14litre** · 15th Oct 2012, 11:10

I have a few questions/doubts on Eheim Canister Filter before buying it.

Typically,
the Output (spraybar) from the filter will be placed on the top of the tank and
the Intake into the filter will be placed near to the bottom of the tank.

Question,
can I reverse this setup as in I want the Intake to be near the water surface
and the output to be at the bottom of the tank?

Any possible issue/implication?

If the water evaporates too fast and I forgot to topup water to the tank, the water surface is likely to go below the intake. Would the Canister Filter "trip" and stop by itself or would it continue running by sucking air instead of water?

I am asking these because I am going to setup something different, a canister filter for 2 tanks connecting by a water bridge.

Thank you in advance.

**Shadow** · 15th Oct 2012, 12:01

The canister will not trip, it will suck air, over heat and burn

.

**14litre** · 15th Oct 2012, 12:52

Originally Posted by Shadow

The canister will not trip, it will suck air, over heat and burn

.

I'm in a dilemma now,
Happy that it will still suck air, so that it will not empty my tank,
Sad and very worried that my place will catch fire.

To do it or not to do, that is the dilemma.

**mukyo** · 17th Oct 2012, 22:05

Try surface skimmer bro. 12dollar ish. They adjust the water level accordingly.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk

**BFG** · 18th Oct 2012, 11:03

If you worry about evaporation, keep a bottle of water handy near the tank.

**14litre** · 18th Oct 2012, 15:35

Originally Posted by BFG

If you worry about evaporation, keep a bottle of water handy near the tank.

Sorry for my confusing post.

I put it in another way for easier illustration of my real intention.

I wanted to place the inlet near to the water surface because I want the canister filter to "trip" by itself when the inlet goes above the water level.
The way I am going to connect the filter is to have inlet in one tank and outlet in another, both connected by a water bridge.

If the filter can trip, then it will stop an overflow problem-to-be.

**Shadow** · 18th Oct 2012, 15:56

both tank at the same lever or top and bottom?

**felix_fx2** · 18th Oct 2012, 18:03

If catch fire. Many things will burn :P
Is the tank one of those you place above the console or other tanks. ?

**14litre** · 18th Oct 2012, 19:04

Originally Posted by Shadow

both tank at the same lever or top and bottom?

Both are on the same level, bro.

Water bridge is already there.
I'm figuring out the ways to do with canister filter before buying it.

**14litre** · 18th Oct 2012, 19:06

Originally Posted by felix_fx2

If catch fire. Many things will burn :P
Is the tank one of those you place above the console or other tanks. ?

Ya lor, very worried on the fire part.

Both tanks are on my tv console, next to the tv.
And I've got DVD player and other stuff in the shelf under it.

**felix_fx2** · 18th Oct 2012, 20:45

Originally Posted by 14litre

Ya lor, very worried on the fire part.

Both tanks are on my tv console, next to the tv.
And I've got DVD player and other stuff in the shelf under it.

1st of all, why would you want to reverse the intake?
If it's in fear of protein buildup or stuff similar, IMHO just use skimmer.

2nd, i asked intake and of course i ask outflow.

If you use water bridge, even if your tanks are not leveled. The water level should be, due to the principle of gravity that is working the water bridge.

**BFG** · 19th Oct 2012, 09:09

The filter would not trip. However, if the water level goes below the water bridge, all the water will exit from the water bridge into the tank. Depending on the size of the water bridge, the extra water might overflow out of both tank.

**14litre** · 19th Oct 2012, 09:52

Originally Posted by felix_fx2

1st of all, why would you want to reverse the intake?
If it's in fear of protein buildup or stuff similar, IMHO just use skimmer.

2nd, i asked intake and of course i ask outflow.

If you use water bridge, even if your tanks are not leveled. The water level should be, due to the principle of gravity that is working the water bridge.

not because of the skimmer, but I am thinking of a method to prevent overflow when I go ahead with a canister filter to connect the 2 tanks.

so I am thinking if the canister filter will trip by itself if it is sucking air instead of water. If it can trip, then I will place the inlet slightly below the water surface, so that the filter will trip and stop sucking the water to the water tank.

but looks like this is not possible liao, since the filter can't trip by itself.

Originally Posted by BFG

The filter would not trip. However, if the water level goes below the water bridge, all the water will exit from the water bridge into the tank. Depending on the size of the water bridge, the extra water might overflow out of both tank.

that's also one of the things that I worried, if the water bridge stop functioning, then the filter will suck all the water from one tank to the other, then my shrimps will start to explore a new world outside the tank.