hi i have the tunze reef pack 500 and the ongoing problem is with the 3166 filter which constantly throws out micro bubbles. it just won't stay constant and has a variation in the water level inside the box which makes it impossible to mount the osmolator in. the filter wool in the bell gets clogged after two or three days and actually stops the surface suction working until i change them out? even after changing for a brand new one it still throws out thousands of bubbles and the water level inside is very turbulent and low? can anyone tell me what is wrong before i sell it. i have had it running how it should before but it just seems to end up back here. if i put my finger on the outlet a bit the level rises but obviously this is practical please help :angryfire:
help with reef pack 500
- Thread starter rich1971
- Start date
Is it a 500 or a 505? The filter section is the same but the 500 is much older, the 505 replaced it 2009.
What type of filter material are you using? It should be filled with a 0800.010 cartridge or a 0800.140 foam sponge or a 0870 with carbon/chem media or a 0871 with floss. If you are just putting floss in the bell, especially if it is not a good quality combed filter floss, like Eheim or our macro or micro wadding, that will clog very quickly, their is no way for the water to get around it and through the bell, once the bottom gets dirty, the filter is clogged. With the 0871, the water goes in freely and can go through all sides of the filter wadding.
It is also not uncommon for the finer media to clog in 2-4 days if the tank is dirty, it just needs to be changed or you can use the 0800.140 foam sponge which is coarser or the 0871 filled with our macro wadding which is a coarser floss.
The bubbles are caused by the clogged media, a vacuum is generated by the pump since no water can pass through, the water is basically boiling from vacuum pressure and the dissolved gas is escaping.
I suspect that either the media is not correct or not in the correct cartridge or the tank is dirty and media will need to be changed frequently or coarser media used until the detritus is removed.
I use a 3167 at home and if I stir up a lot of detritus, I can clog a 0800.010 in 2 days, which is not unusual as it filters almost as fine as a diatom filter, I just change them out until I get all the dirt out. Once the water is clean, the cartridges usually go a week or two.
What type of filter material are you using? It should be filled with a 0800.010 cartridge or a 0800.140 foam sponge or a 0870 with carbon/chem media or a 0871 with floss. If you are just putting floss in the bell, especially if it is not a good quality combed filter floss, like Eheim or our macro or micro wadding, that will clog very quickly, their is no way for the water to get around it and through the bell, once the bottom gets dirty, the filter is clogged. With the 0871, the water goes in freely and can go through all sides of the filter wadding.
It is also not uncommon for the finer media to clog in 2-4 days if the tank is dirty, it just needs to be changed or you can use the 0800.140 foam sponge which is coarser or the 0871 filled with our macro wadding which is a coarser floss.
The bubbles are caused by the clogged media, a vacuum is generated by the pump since no water can pass through, the water is basically boiling from vacuum pressure and the dissolved gas is escaping.
I suspect that either the media is not correct or not in the correct cartridge or the tank is dirty and media will need to be changed frequently or coarser media used until the detritus is removed.
I use a 3167 at home and if I stir up a lot of detritus, I can clog a 0800.010 in 2 days, which is not unusual as it filters almost as fine as a diatom filter, I just change them out until I get all the dirt out. Once the water is clean, the cartridges usually go a week or two.
hi and thanks for the reply, its the 505. i have only used the tunze filter wadding cartridge that came with the reef pack. i was finding that inside the filter the water was to low so it wasn't through clogging or this would have the opposite reaction. it was like it was pulling in more water than than it should. I've also found the outer part of the filter wadding would get dirty then it would stop the draw from the surface resulting in film at the overflow? then i would have to clean the whole filter media just to get it to work again. i really can't see how the top up could work inside the housing due to the fluctuating level? i now have the clear plastic media pot in there with seachem phosgaurd in it but the draw on the surface isn't half as food and i had to lower the water level in the tank to just above the overflow to get it to pull at all? very frustrating
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Is the bell correctly seated over the pump intake, if so their will be a sort of suction resistance to lifting it out? It is possible to have the bell just sitting in the box and not actually attached to the pump intake. The water level will fluctuate a bit with how clogged the filter is. The filter media needs to be attached to the bottom of the bell, the 870 with the phosguard would plug onto the bottom lid and the 0800.010 stock floss cartridge would sit on the strainer that came with the base piece and is plugged into it. My best guess would be that the water is getting straight to the pump unimpeded either because the media or bell is not really connected to the pump.
The filter will need the 3 intakes, top overflow, and 2 bottom strainers to get enough water, it is possible to slide the bottom strainers way up the intake pipes so they are plugged and cannot let much water in, the pipe should just insert into the strainer baskets about 1/2" or so. I tend to be lazy about refilling my osmolator bucket so my tank level drops sometimes and then the filter takes in air, you can pull the clear plug on the back of the filter to let in more water so it is not as sensitive to water level, this will reduce the surface skimming though.
As the filter clogs, you are correct, the water level inside generally will rise, a clean filter, the water pulls through faster and the water level drops, but this won't be such an extreme change if everything is hooked up correctly and the water level is generally correct and the reason to put the osmolator inside is just that, a 1/8" or so change outside the box is a 1" or more change inside the box so the osmolator is more precise, any change is greatly magnified.
The filter will need the 3 intakes, top overflow, and 2 bottom strainers to get enough water, it is possible to slide the bottom strainers way up the intake pipes so they are plugged and cannot let much water in, the pipe should just insert into the strainer baskets about 1/2" or so. I tend to be lazy about refilling my osmolator bucket so my tank level drops sometimes and then the filter takes in air, you can pull the clear plug on the back of the filter to let in more water so it is not as sensitive to water level, this will reduce the surface skimming though.
As the filter clogs, you are correct, the water level inside generally will rise, a clean filter, the water pulls through faster and the water level drops, but this won't be such an extreme change if everything is hooked up correctly and the water level is generally correct and the reason to put the osmolator inside is just that, a 1/8" or so change outside the box is a 1" or more change inside the box so the osmolator is more precise, any change is greatly magnified.
ok that makes sort of sense but the filter bell was definitely sat correctly with the cartridge in and it still was to low in the box. if you take the bell out whilst it is running the whole thing blasts air out and you can see the turbulence above the two intake holes. i did notice the strainers can get pushed up to far and cause the issue but now they are fine. it was only when i first installed it and i wondered why it was doing the same. i have found to that the skimmer works for a while then the bubble formation in the neck drops right off i find this unit very powerful but also temperamental at best and there is not a lot of info on them anywhere in the uk.
How large of a tank is it being used on and how long has the tank been set up?
How popular these are in a given country depends on how people live. In continental Europe at least, where most people live in multifamily housing or apartments, liability laws favor in tank, sumpless systems. In the US, they are much less popular as most people use sumps, I am not sure for the UK. I have used one myself (the older 500) and I liked it, realistically it did not take up much more room than the overflow box and worked well. My home tank is freshwater so I use a 3167.500 filter and 2 3179's.
How is it running today?
How popular these are in a given country depends on how people live. In continental Europe at least, where most people live in multifamily housing or apartments, liability laws favor in tank, sumpless systems. In the US, they are much less popular as most people use sumps, I am not sure for the UK. I have used one myself (the older 500) and I liked it, realistically it did not take up much more room than the overflow box and worked well. My home tank is freshwater so I use a 3167.500 filter and 2 3179's.
How is it running today?
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