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Good Morning!

Our filter a few weeks ago started showing signs of not pumping properly. It seems weak, and not able to pump the water through well. We've had it for almost two years, so I don't think we need a new one, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

We've tried cleaning it, replacing the charcoal/porcelain, etc. But it still seems to not have enough "umph" to push the water through properly. Could it be the motor? Would we be better off just buying a new filter? (I'd like to avoid that if I can as a good one can get pricey).

Any help? Thanks!

P.S. From what we can tell in our own troubleshooting, it is a problem with the suction end, not the end that cycles it back into the tank.

What type of filter do you have? Many of the canister filters have warranties on them that may still apply to your unit.

Have you checked all of the tubing for blockages? Are you still using the microfiltration pad (if so, try getting rid of it for a few days)?

Often filters will begin to weaken with time, but it should only be a little noticeable, not very noticeable.

Our warranty was only one year. We checked that one already. We've cleaned out every nook, cranny, and tube we can see, and there are no blockages that we could find.

We've done some experiments to try to find where it could be coming from. When we take the motor part by itself, no tubes, nothing on the suction end, the pressure seems just fine. But when we add any tubes onto it, the pressure is significantly weaker. So, that didn't help us much.

Yes, our filter is a canister filter. It's a ZooMed 501. We've even gotten the manual and can't seem to get much info out of that, either.

Any other ideas? Thanks for any help!

Which one is the microfiltration pad? Is that the charcoal, or the sponge cylinder in the "out" end? What will removing that do? We thought the charcoal was for chemical filtration.

Okay...we took the cylinder-shaped sponge out, and so far, so good. The pressure's not as good as it used to be, but it's significantly better. When should we put it back in? Should we try a new one?
What does it mean that it worked better when we took it out? Does that narrow it down to something more specific? Thanks again!

The microfiltration pad on my Rena XP3 is a white, thin filter pad. It's the last step before the water goes back into the tank. It is supposed to "polish" the water by removing any additional debris. Most people get rid of it right away because it easily gets clogged and nasty and stops the flow.

I'm not sure what the cylinder-shaped sponge is, but it sounds like it's function is the same. Looking at the manual, I'm guessing you may want to look into a replacement. The other media shouldn't ever effect flow, but that type of sponge can. I would not completely remove it indefinitely, unless you can come up with another way to trap major debris, like using those green washing scrubbers, Rena replacement filtration pads, or something else.

Like I said before, your filter may never work exactly the same ever again, but it should only be slightly decreased.

The 501 is not a powerful filter to begin with, so it's likely it has outlived its usefulness. I haven't heard of them or anyone else but Rena using a microfiltration pad (though that might have changed).

If there's only one foam pad in there, then that's the mechanical filtration part. Its main function is collect debris, without it then it can't properly do its job. But I agree with Jax, time for a filter upgrade.

Norma -- Make sure if you replace the filter that you check the gph of the pump. Some manufactures don't include that. Your gph should be at least 5 times the volume you have in the tank. Remember the clue is "at least", more would be better. Just don't make it a blender. I have a 29 gallon tank with a 350gph and the small swirl of water is great. I would suggest that you get a canister as the clean up is much easier.

The zoomed 501 is a canister I am pretty sure... just a small one.

Van-real -- What is the gph??

Okay, we'll look into a filter upgrade it sounds like. Wow, I would think that a filter would last more than two years.

And, yes, I do know to get a more powerful gph than what my actual tank size is. It's not as extreme as yours, mikee, but we have a 29 gal. tank, also, and have a 90 gal. filter.

Thanks everyone, for your input.

Norma -- What is a 90 gallon filter? If you have a 90 gallon filter, how many gph is it? It is my opinion that the 90 gallon filter is arbitrary that some fish folks think will work for fish. It has nothing to do with the care of a turtle. If you have a 90 gallon tank you need 5,6,or 7 times that number gallons for a filter. For a 90 gallon tank, I would have no problem putting a FX5 to work.