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Thread: Canister Filter leaking - Advise needed!

  1. #1
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    Question Canister Filter leaking - Advise needed!

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    My wife told me my Eheim 2226 canister filter which output to a Atman chiller suddenly leaks.
    I am now oversea and will not be back till mid August.
    Unable to identify/resolve the issue remotely, I asked my wife to turn off the inlet /outlet to the filter to stop the leak.
    meanwhile the power source to the tank + chiller is off as well.

    I can imaging my tank's plant/moss/shrimp/oto will become being in a non-filter mode and no light except day lights for 3 weeks. Probably a pool of dead creatures when I return

    I have just start using canister filter and no ideal why this happen.

    Appreciate any advise or sharing of similar experience on how to avoid this in future.

    thks

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    I've no idea how youe Ehiem cannistor can leak, but here's my thoughts on what you can do in the meantime.

    Ask your wife to turn on the lights for their usual 10 hour duration daily. Plants need light to grow and when they do, they absorb ammonia and stuff that harm your fish. They're a great temporary filter. Just make sure that they have all the other nutrients available.

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    Just turning off the filter and the chiller will not do too much damage to the tank/plants. Leave the lights on as |squee| suggested.

    But, when you are back, DO NOT try to turn on the cannister filter when it's still connected back to the tank. The contents will be toxic by then and will kill everything in your tank.

    If possible get some one to go to your house to have a look. Most likely, if the leak is from the cannister, it's the big 'O' ring. If it's from the inlet/outlet valve, then it's small 'O' ring.

    Don't worry, everything should be fine.

    Cheers,
    I have dwarf cichlids in my tanks! Do you?

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    Could be the canister head is not sitting correctly when you install it. Is it brand new or used?
    If you've learnt, teach, if you have, give.
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    Quote Originally Posted by BFG
    Could be the canister head is not sitting correctly when you install it. Is it brand new or used?
    It is a used, I remembered whenever I plug in the power code to the socket there is a slight leak then it is alright.

    not sure if I missed anything to the canister.

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    Quote Originally Posted by benny
    Just turning off the filter and the chiller will not do too much damage to the tank/plants. Leave the lights on as |squee| suggested.

    But, when you are back, DO NOT try to turn on the cannister filter when it's still connected back to the tank. The contents will be toxic by then and will kill everything in your tank.

    If possible get some one to go to your house to have a look. Most likely, if the leak is from the cannister, it's the big 'O' ring. If it's from the inlet/outlet valve, then it's small 'O' ring.

    Don't worry, everything should be fine.

    Cheers,
    Thanks for the reasuring words....

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    I have a couple of used 2026 myself running my dad's fish tank. What I did was to place a tray where both of my filter now sits. 1 of them does leak occasionally but the tray will collect the water. My mom occasionally checks out the tray to remove the water that leaked as my dad's tank is just across from her shrimp tank. If your household has a spare tray, you could use it as I have and continue to operate the filter and chiller. Your wife could occasionally check the tray for the water.
    If you've learnt, teach, if you have, give.
    Don't walk behind me as I might not lead, don't walk in front of me as I might not follow. Walk beside me, as my friend.
    Mohamad Rohaizal is my name. If it's too hard, use BFG. I don't mind.

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    somehow I feel the o ring isn't thick enough or wears down quickly.. I find that if I lose power or turn off the power, the siphon action/gravity becomes too strong for the o ring and it will start to leak... I could put a second O ring in conjuction but I keep forgetting to do it

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    this happen to me before... leaks but cant find the source till it went for repair , it's the big orange O ring in the primer( around the the motor.)

    yes off the filter but your wife got to on the light morning and off it in the night.

  10. #10
    1) continue running the filter, if it just a small leak, wipe it off
    2) do what other suggest, add a tray for collection of water
    3) where does it leak? if the cause of leakage is not from O ring or such, u got 2 option
    a) replace a new one
    b) seal up the supected location using silicone glue, it work fine for me
    4) enjoy ur trip and dont worry, no matter how much u worry, the leak would still be there, if it got to go, it got to go, no point worrying over it

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    Re: Canister Filter leaking - Advise needed!

    I came across this thread because I am having the very same problem. I had my system in storage for few years because we were living in a small living space and it just wouldn't fit. Anyway, my cannister starting leaking, so I unplugged the filter, closed to two valves, one to the intake, and the one to the discharge and that will stop all water flow once you remove the top. I have two O rings on mine, one smaller and one bigger under the top or lid of the filter. I used a small screw driver, you could use a small nail or something similar, and I used it to gently pry the O rings out. I got out the vaseline and rubbed in generously on the O rings. I notice that the O rings were not perfectly tubular any longer. they got sort of a flat spot on them probably from being cranked down for so long in the storage shed. I rolled them around in my fingers trying to regain some of their shape. I then put them back in, put the lid on and open the valves and plugged it in. It still was leaking pretty good so I tightened the hand nuts that hold the lid a little more and got it down to a slow leak. I placed a pan under the filter to catch the drip, I happen to had an old refrigerater drawer I was storing some aquarium stuff in that worked perfectly. The leaked finally stopped on it's own, But I know I am going to have to buy some new O-rings soon. Hope this helps

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    Re: Canister Filter leaking - Advise needed!

    Quote Originally Posted by trader_sam View Post
    I came across this thread because I am having the very same problem. I had my system in storage for few years because we were living in a small living space and it just wouldn't fit. Anyway, my cannister starting leaking, so I unplugged the filter, closed to two valves, one to the intake, and the one to the discharge and that will stop all water flow once you remove the top. I have two O rings on mine, one smaller and one bigger under the top or lid of the filter. I used a small screw driver, you could use a small nail or something similar, and I used it to gently pry the O rings out. I got out the vaseline and rubbed in generously on the O rings. I notice that the O rings were not perfectly tubular any longer. they got sort of a flat spot on them probably from being cranked down for so long in the storage shed. I rolled them around in my fingers trying to regain some of their shape. I then put them back in, put the lid on and open the valves and plugged it in. It still was leaking pretty good so I tightened the hand nuts that hold the lid a little more and got it down to a slow leak. I placed a pan under the filter to catch the drip, I happen to had an old refrigerater drawer I was storing some aquarium stuff in that worked perfectly. The leaked finally stopped on it's own, But I know I am going to have to buy some new O-rings soon. Hope this helps
    There's newer threads of the same problem, yet you managed to dig a relic one from 7 years ago.

    😁

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    Re: Canister Filter leaking - Advise needed!

    Quote Originally Posted by felix_fx2 View Post
    There's newer threads of the same problem, yet you managed to dig a relic one from 7 years ago.



    Sent from GT-N7105 powered by Temasek CM11
    I didn't notice how old the thread was until I replied, I found it doing a search on this problem not paying attention to the dates. Sorry

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    Re: Canister Filter leaking - Advise needed!

    Quote Originally Posted by trader_sam View Post
    I didn't notice how old the thread was until I replied, I found it doing a search on this problem not paying attention to the dates. Sorry
    No worries mate, sorry not needed. Just afraid your post to help would go to waste.

    You mean Google actually linked you to a old post??

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    Re: Canister Filter leaking - Advise needed!

    Quote Originally Posted by felix_fx2 View Post
    No worries mate, sorry not needed. Just afraid your post to help would go to waste.

    You mean Google actually linked you to a old post??

    Sent from GT-N7105 powered by Temasek CM11
    Yup I googled it and it pointed me to this post. I was interested if someone new of something to soak the o-rings in, a solution maybe that might help restore them. I used to work on tractor trailers and we would soak an o-ring in automatic transmission fluid to get an old one to swell and seal again. But I did not want to try that trick on the ones for my filter, of coarse due to contamination.

    BTW I feel like a fool typing all that out about how I solved my problem in an ancient thread. I wouldn't have wasted my time.

    But yes Google hit on the thread.

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