urgent - LARGE filter advice - 850L tank

SmithRC

SmithRC

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Apr 21, 2009
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Newport Pagnell
Right folks... I'm off on holiday on monday and today I decided to clean out one of the 2 Tetratec 1200xps that are currently running on the tank...

found it sitting in 3" of water (I have them all in buckets after reading the stories on here). No actual leak found before i spent 45 mins cleaning..Put it back together to find its finally got the infamous leaking head issue... Its pooring out!

Anyway - I've now got an xp700 thats leaking un controlably and this 1200... The 2nd 700 and 1200 both have signs of leaks too!

SOO.... Its time I forked out on something else...

Whats out there for the bigger tanks guys...
need it bought and setup before Monday..

Fluval FX5....

Eheim ??

:dk:
 
bigbird

bigbird

Pleco Profiles Moderator - RIP FRIEND
Sep 9, 2010
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Hello,

Sorry to hear this. I would have suggested a Sump but till monday that will not be possible. The Fluval looks capable. cheers jk :thumbup:
 
SmithRC

SmithRC

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Apr 21, 2009
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D-MAC said:
Eheim 2260 Classic 1500XL would be my choice... I would get new tap sets for the Tetras as this was the fault issue with them...
Go to this page and they will send you out new parts
https://www.tetra-service.net/tetra/go/D34240F3219BFB922F206A48EFAF7B17?lang_id=2&step=3&product_id=469849
Click to expand...
As in Part D on the exploded diagram?

I've got replacement orings for them. I've smeared the main oring seal and seat with vasaline, and can hear air coming out while its filling up... when re-opening the vasaline had "blown" upwards in the leaking areas...

Could it simply be a new head seal needed?
 
SmithRC

SmithRC

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Apr 21, 2009
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oh - just thought... Its not the tap unit - I've swapped the canisters over and the un-opened canister is now working ok on the leaking canisters hoses...

I'm going to take a shot at the seals and will still have the weekend to dig myself out of trouble if need be :-D
 
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matubula

matubula

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May 7, 2009
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If you could stretch to one, I'd get the Eheim Pro3 2080 (or the 2180). I've been through same thing. I had two ex1200 and a ex2400 as my main filtration, but after they began to fail I moved on to the big Eheims.

I wouldn't bother with the Fluval FX5, although mine works ok and is so far reliable, I just don't rate it. I've yet to try the Eheim 2260 but my only concern would be the power consumption.
 
D-MAC

D-MAC

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SmithRC said:
As in Part D on the exploded diagram?

I've got replacement orings for them. I've smeared the main oring seal and seat with vasaline, and can hear air coming out while its filling up... when re-opening the vasaline had "blown" upwards in the leaking areas...

Could it simply be a new head seal needed?
Click to expand...
Yes part D was the problem...All the new models coming through just now seem to be ok...They also supplied me with a load of tap sets to fix any leakers that came back and so far it looks to be working on the ones that I changed...Changing the o ring did not fix the problem on any that I tried...Is the water coming out at the seal or from under the handles?
 
SmithRC

SmithRC

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Apr 21, 2009
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All fixed - I say fixed...

I wiped most of the vaseline off and the problem got a lot better... thoroughly wiped down and it was leaking at one point... looking at the unit and its a moud indentation in the grove the o-ring sits in - I guess the age of the seal added with the small pit = leak..

two wraps of PTFE tape in the groove and inserted the o-ring then one round the oring for luck and I've not got a leak anymore...
So I've new seals ordered for the 700's and the 1200's :)

Having now moved the taps about I can see the seeping leak at the pivot on the tap assembly... its been doing it a while as there is a lot of scum round one of the taps...
 
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Scrapman53

Scrapman53

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My 1200 has leaked for 2-3 years. Bought a new head minus the taps to start with and thought I'd sorted the problem.......... Until the next time I cleaned the filter. This was when I found out it was the taps that were leaking.
There is one position on the swivel part that the taps don't leak ad I try not to move them when I clean the filter. If it does leak though, I make small adjustments of the taps till the leak stops. I also have it sitting in a bucket.

If the new tap sets are now leak proof, I might as well buy a new set. Suppose the bonus is that I have a full spare head if anything goes wrong with the motor or impeller.
 
SmithRC

SmithRC

Member
Apr 21, 2009
1,313
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Newport Pagnell
matubula said:
If you could stretch to one, I'd get the Eheim Pro3 2080 (or the 2180). I've been through same thing. I had two ex1200 and a ex2400 as my main filtration, but after they began to fail I moved on to the big Eheims.

I wouldn't bother with the Fluval FX5, although mine works ok and is so far reliable, I just don't rate it. I've yet to try the Eheim 2260 but my only concern would be the power consumption.
Click to expand...
65W was a bit of a shock for eheim kit!

will see how it pans out with new seals...
 
D-MAC

D-MAC

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Scrapman53 said:
My 1200 has leaked for 2-3 years. Bought a new head minus the taps to start with and thought I'd sorted the problem.......... Until the next time I cleaned the filter. This was when I found out it was the taps that were leaking.
There is one position on the swivel part that the taps don't leak ad I try not to move them when I clean the filter. If it does leak though, I make small adjustments of the taps till the leak stops. I also have it sitting in a bucket.

If the new tap sets are now leak proof, I might as well buy a new set. Suppose the bonus is that I have a full spare head if anything goes wrong with the motor or impeller.
Click to expand...
Hi Pete
I would be carefull about buying a tap set as you don't know if they are the new ones or not...Best to go through the Tetra site and get them sent to you via a warranty claim...You have a three year warranty but the site has only 2 years, just ignore that and tick the box that states the filter is under 2 years old :thumbup:
 
Scrapman53

Scrapman53

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Apr 21, 2009
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Fife Scotland.
D-MAC said:
Hi Pete
I would be carefull about buying a tap set as you don't know if they are the new ones or not...Best to go through the Tetra site and get them sent to you via a warranty claim...You have a three year warranty but the site has only 2 years, just ignore that and tick the box that states the filter is under 2 years old :thumbup:
Click to expand...
I think my filter is more than 3 years old though. :wb:

SmithRC said:
All is good this morning.

Not sure if I should disturb it when the seals turn up :)
Click to expand...
Mines goes for months without leaking until the next time I clean it. I marked it with a scriber to line the taps up to the correct position if they move, but I try not to move them when stripping the filter.
 
Scrapman53

Scrapman53

Member
Apr 21, 2009
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Fife Scotland.
You can use any store that stocks them. I used Ultimate Aquatics who are no longer there. Even though I bought my filter off Ebay more than 3 years ago. Got a phonecall from Tetra in Germany today to say my new taps will be with me in around 10 days. RESULT! :clap: Thanks Derek. To be honest though, if I'd known about the waranty site when my filter first started to leak, I'd have done it ages ago!
 
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