# Rena Canister Filter Owners



## hey_wood1981 (Apr 7, 2004)

Lately I've been having a problem with my XP3 filling all the way back up with water after cleaning it. You know the drill, sounds loud and you hear the trapped air while the filter is running. I've seen some use a method of unlatching one clamp after it has filled to raise the water level. I came across this video and did it the other day and it worked great. I didn't bother shaking the filter around like he does in the video. Thought I'd pass it along. When you see it, it makes total sense, let gravity do the work.


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## m1ke715m (Jul 26, 2012)

that stuff seems unecessary to me.. all you have to do is fill up the filter with water before you put the top on.. plug it in and then open the valve..


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

hey_wood1981 said:


> You know the drill


I can relate... Thanks for the share!


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## hey_wood1981 (Apr 7, 2004)

m1ke715m said:


> that stuff seems unecessary to me.. all you have to do is fill up the filter with water before you put the top on.. plug it in and then open the valve..


The instructions specifically say not to do this. I don't have an explanation as to why, off the top of my head, but if the manufacturer says not to, there is probably a reason.


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## hey_wood1981 (Apr 7, 2004)

jcabage said:


> hey_wood1981 said:
> 
> 
> > You know the drill
> ...


You're welcome. Hope it helps you and others.


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## m1ke715m (Jul 26, 2012)

thats how i start all my canisters and theres never a problem


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## nyccichlid (Mar 24, 2005)

hey_wood1981 said:


> m1ke715m said:
> 
> 
> > that stuff seems unecessary to me.. all you have to do is fill up the filter with water before you put the top on.. plug it in and then open the valve..
> ...


Filter manufacturers will also tell you to change the filter media often. Which, as we all know, is bad advice. I tend to ignore the instructions, and go with what works.


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## m1ke715m (Jul 26, 2012)

nyccichlid said:


> hey_wood1981 said:
> 
> 
> > m1ke715m said:
> ...


good point.. yea they say to change the sponges, bio media everything lol


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## hey_wood1981 (Apr 7, 2004)

They tell you to replace sponges and media to make more money from consumers. The way they tell you to prime/not fill the canister has nothing to do with making money. It is to prevent people from damaging their filters. Logic behind it is when you fill the canister up with water before putting the motor back on, the media baskets can float and move around, resulting in them not lining up properly. If they aren't lined up properly the motor won't sit right and you can break a clamp when trying to secure it. If you're careful, yeah, it's not going to be a problem. But, those clamps feel soooooo fragile that I don't want to take the risk. By all means, do what you're comfortable with and what works for you. I just thought the video offered a good alternative to filling the filter all the way.


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## nyccichlid (Mar 24, 2005)

hey_wood1981 said:


> They tell you to replace sponges and media to make more money from consumers. The way they tell you to prime/not fill the canister has nothing to do with making money. It is to prevent people from damaging their filters. Logic behind it is when you fill the canister up with water before putting the motor back on, the media baskets can float and move around, resulting in them not lining up properly. If they aren't lined up properly the motor won't sit right and you can break a clamp when trying to secure it. If you're careful, yeah, it's not going to be a problem. But, those clamps feel soooooo fragile that I don't want to take the risk. By all means, do what you're comfortable with and what works for you. I just thought the video offered a good alternative to filling the filter all the way.


Ok, so we have now established that they will intentionally give you bad advice, just to make some extra money. With that said, I would take anything else they say with a grain of salt :lol:


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## hey_wood1981 (Apr 7, 2004)

nyccichlid said:


> hey_wood1981 said:
> 
> 
> > They tell you to replace sponges and media to make more money from consumers. The way they tell you to prime/not fill the canister has nothing to do with making money. It is to prevent people from damaging their filters. Logic behind it is when you fill the canister up with water before putting the motor back on, the media baskets can float and move around, resulting in them not lining up properly. If they aren't lined up properly the motor won't sit right and you can break a clamp when trying to secure it. If you're careful, yeah, it's not going to be a problem. But, those clamps feel soooooo fragile that I don't want to take the risk. By all means, do what you're comfortable with and what works for you. I just thought the video offered a good alternative to filling the filter all the way.
> ...


 :roll:


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## m1ke715m (Jul 26, 2012)

i think i figured out why they suggest doing it that way instead of filling up the bottom first and turning it on.. i happen to be testing the impeller of an eheim and the impeller axle snapped from spinning dry.. maybe thats why.. when you open the valve and gravity fills the canister and then you turn it on theres no time that the impeller is dry.. this is just speculation thou but it makes sense.. when you fill up canister with water first theres a second that the impeller is dry.. i guess you could fill it up with water then open the valve then turn it on..


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## elimsprint (May 28, 2011)

hey_wood1981 said:


> They tell you to replace sponges and media to make more money from consumers. The way they tell you to prime/not fill the canister has nothing to do with making money. It is to prevent people from damaging their filters. Logic behind it is when you fill the canister up with water before putting the motor back on, the media baskets can float and move around, resulting in them not lining up properly. If they aren't lined up properly the motor won't sit right and you can break a clamp when trying to secure it. If you're careful, yeah, it's not going to be a problem. But, those clamps feel soooooo fragile that I don't want to take the risk. By all means, do what you're comfortable with and what works for you. I just thought the video offered a good alternative to filling the filter all the way.


I put the top(motor) on mine, a Rena XP, and then fill it through the right hand, facing from the front, hose hole. As soon as the water is up to the top it bubbles out a bit and I then reattach the hoses and let her rip. With the top on the filter baskets don't move at all. Easy, peasy, works perfect every time.
Kim


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

yeah mine wont self prime anymore. especially if my water level drops below the intake. i have to completely fill with a pitcher of water first. never tried filling before putting the motor on, i might try it. dont see how it would hurt. any thoughts?


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## Hock (Mar 23, 2012)

I've found that as long as I dont unscrew the black cap on the filter intake and the spraybar is underwater, once I connect the hoses back to the filter body and release the valve, it fills itself back up every time. But if your having a hard time with it doing that, the best solution is to buy a cheap funnel and unscrew the cap on the intake and pour water down it, screw it back on, start it up to create the siphon and should be good to go.


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## taranis17 (Dec 19, 2012)

B.Roberson said:


> yeah mine wont self prime anymore. especially if my water level drops below the intake. i have to completely fill with a pitcher of water first. never tried filling before putting the motor on, i might try it. dont see how it would hurt. any thoughts?


I have 6 of these filters and I always fill them with tap water to about 1.5 - 2 inches from the top while at the sink, add a little Prime, put the top on, then reconnect at the tank. Over the last 6 years, never an issue.

The XP4 is the hardest to prime IMO - the others almost do it by themselves as long as there's a siphon at the intake hose. Most of the time, the smaller ones will push the air out of the filter as the tank fills.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

i just [ well 1 mo ago] 2 more xp3 for my 90. i like em, no problems.....
untill today., but great news, not 1 issue with the filter, it was media. 
i came home from work,tank been running 2 weeks, barely a flow out of 1 of em. what???????
checked the hoses! checked my new inline hydor 300??? ckecked the input ?????? what. took the filter outside and took it apart. 
what did i find?? some [2] stupid PINK filter pads that i bought online thAT SAID were better than the blue/white that 13razorbackfan suggests. 
i had gotten a roll and used some in an ac110 on another tank but moved the pads to my other filter on my 90 to help seed. not only did they slow the water
they almost completely stopped water flow. funny thing though, they werent even dirty, just water wouldnt go thru them.. 
threw that entire roll away. 
i had already got the blue/white razor suggested. 
anyway point is i like the xp3. easy for me. and easy troubleshooting seems


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## xdm4me (Jan 6, 2013)

I have the have all the old models running. We have 4 "rena xp3's" and one xp4. You flip the lever up. Take care of the filter pads and media. Then just put it back, press the lever down, wait the 10 min the directions tell you to. And turn it on. Without the unit turned on. The only problems yoj will have, is not from the unit itself. The unit is not even on. Its gravity and your connections. Just like with micro bubbles. If you have a leack or bad seal anyware. It will cause some odd issue. I have a bad habbit of over stuffingmy systems (rena xp's) . If that output hose is not pushing the water like it used to. Back off on how much stuff u put into it. I have all the older origional rena xp's and I think I may have one that the motor is getting week. But they are real simple basic canister filters. That just work work and keep working.

Just give then time to fill. I did think the fuys exit tube idea was a neat consept. Its all gravity. But just five her time to fill. I sometimes notice towards the top of the canister. As she is fillinf. She will slow down. But lie there and watch her. The air bubbles will come out . She is a 24/7 workhorse. Check all your connections. Seal them with electrical tape if you want. Make sure the rinf gasket that touches the lid and moter housinf is rounded. Not flat. Lick your finfer and rub it around that gasket aroubd the lid. LOL then place it on the canister.

Im not bragging. But sometimes its the most basic thinf that is overlooked. Like I said before. I have the post "filstar" canisters. And she will continue to outlast all them fancy $400 canisters. Rena used the "K.I.S.S." method when they made the xp's. Take care of your filstar xp and it will out last the energizer bunny. And dont dont dont stuff her with too much junk. Women get a complex when they feal fat. LOL


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