my Lifegard Fluidized bed filter finally arrived!

[CRUSHER]

well i read everything there was to read and examined all the parts that came with it... also got a Rio+ 1000. I didn't connect the fluidized filter to my canister, it's a fluval, but I used the rio 1000. had a small leak at first but fixed it... it was leaking from the flow adjustment valve... just took that off, cleaned it a bit, lined it up... and poped it back in and afixed the set screw... all goodnow and seems to be working the way it is supposed to and it is very very quiet :)

[CRUSHER]

oh boy this thing has a leak issue, the flow control valve is poorly designed. it haws an o-ring but does not seem to prevent water from leaking out the top of the valve. will try a fatter o-ring or maybe a wide paper thin piece of rubber. like bycycle innertube.... hope it will cure the leak issue

[afremont]

I guess the honeymoon is over. I don't know exactly how it's put together, but if it's like I suspect then a bigger o-ring sounds like a good idea to try. Anybody know if petroleum jelly (vaseline) would harm the fish. I don't see why it would, but who knows. If it won't hurt them then you might try lubricating the o-ring with just enough vaseline (or maybe baby oil) to just coat the surface and putting it back together. Be sure and get it all dry first. This might help keep it from leaking by keeping it from pulling and stretching when you turn the valve control. Just a thought.

[CRUSHER]

well I put a slitely smaller but thicker o-ring on it... it was hard to put back in, had to use a hammer lol but it's in now and it is so tight it dont have a chance to leak and the media level is where it is supposed to be and not way up in the top coming out into the aquarium... all IS good now! so, it is a worth while item to get to go along in-line with or just beside your canister filter. the folks at Lifegard tell me that i will notice a big difference in about two to 3 weeks of 24/7 usage.... fingers are crossed!

[CRUSHER]

I guess the honeymoon is over. I don't know exactly how it's put together, but if it's like I suspect then a bigger o-ring sounds like a good idea to try. Anybody know if petroleum jelly (vaseline) would harm the fish. I don't see why it would, but who knows. If it won't hurt them then you might try lubricating the o-ring with just enough vaseline (or maybe baby oil) to just coat the surface and putting it back together. Be sure and get it all dry first. This might help keep it from leaking by keeping it from pulling and stretching when you turn the valve control. Just a thought.

The original o-ring was like a rubber band, real stretchy and it fit kind of loose. They supply a small tube of silicone lubricant in the package. The new o-ring is tight, a lil fatter and well lubed with the silicone lubricant that they had supplied.

[Totenkampf]

so how do you feel about the FSB filter now? I have been looking at them and kinda dig the Lifegard modular systems too but i have never known anyone that has had them.

[CRUSHER]

It is a very good Filter, but it does take a while for the bacteria to grow into it, took about a month for the top section of the sand to turn color. I messed up and took it off my 100 gal and cleaned it out. I have searched at least all the pet stores near me for the media sand but no one has it. when i first bought it, Petco actually had one container of it, now they tell you to get it on-line only. so I am using leslies pool filter sand in it.... looked for Mystic White filter sand... can't find that anywhere either. Now it is on my tall 45 gl and doing very good there now. I just bought a 135 gl off craigslist and will be getting two lifegard fluidized bed filters for it. I may just use the lifegards on all my tanks.... good thing about them also is NO NOISE, NO changing media and to run them all ya need is a little Taam Rio+ 1100 Powerhead/Pump UL. the only thing I do not like about the lifegard is the flow control, it will leak unless you put a new thicker o-ring on it... but not too thick... I had to use a hammer to pop the flow valve back in it's place... but now all is good and running great.

so how do you feel about the FSB filter now? I have been looking at them and kinda dig the Lifegard modular systems too but i have never known anyone that has had them.

[CRUSHER]

the plumbing kit seems nice too.. comes with a section that runs under your substrate and pops up where ya want it to suck up stuff.
Lifegard Aquatics CustomFlow Plumbing Kit