# Serious issues with Juwel Bioflow 3.0 filtering system



## elettrone

Hi everyone, i recently bought this new tank, the Juwel RIO 180 and filled it with fertilizer, polychrome substrate, plants and such then started the filtering system to clean the water as i noticed i didnt wash it as well as i tought.
As a matter of fact the water was kinda brownish after the tank was filled up.
I removed from the filtering system the nitrax and the carbon sponge adding some synthetic wool for extra filtration leaving the rest as it was.
Problem is that after 8 days and several sponge washings the water wouldn't clean up as if the filtering system wasn't doing it's job.
The water flow going into the upper section of the filter isn't just enough to allow the wool to rertain the dirt particles in the water and i't looking stagnant.
It's like the filter doesn't suck enough water from the upper section...while the outgoing flow remains pretty strong(this puzzles me), maybe only the bottom section of the filter is flowing correctly...
I'm desperate as i have so many suspended particles in water it is starting to compromise plant's health...any hint as where might be the problem?


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## LancsRick

How have you set up the output? You should use the jet to set up a flow around the tank really, wish will help in getting all particles through the filter. As an aside, the internal Juwel filter on its own is underpowered for a planted tank, so you'll want to supplement with a powerhead or an external.


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## elettrone

I tried setting up the flow in various directions so that it moves the floating residue, fact is the mechanical filter is very inefficient as only a very small part of water gets sucked into it and thus cleaned.
Besides the fact the my water remains foggy due to dirt particles the water surface is permanently "polluted" and the water flow doesn't help.
As a comparison the "toy" filter on my 30 liters mini tank works better than this Juwel system...
I have no clue on what a "powerhead" might be, gotta research.
Thanks for the info anyway.


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## Ed Seeley

Check the pump in the filter is working properly and drawing the water in.  The juwel filter is pretty effective IME.


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## niru

I too believe that Juwel internal does the job nicely. At some point you might want to change to a 1000 lph pump.

Check your filter connections. Perhaps the intake that goes via the sponges etc is blocked and water is sucked in from the other loeer sideway window... so flow output is strong but with no effect on filteration. Put a sponge at lower window to see if it collects dirt... 

cheers

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2


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## elettrone

If you are talking about the mid hole that is between the anaerobic(upper) and anaerobic(bottom) filter then i'm positive it is not blocked.
The flow going out of the pump is strong indeed but it looks like it has no effect of filtration...
Just a question, it might look silly but at this point i don't want to rule out anything.
When setting up the tank, i totally covered the filter bottom shell with fertilizer and polychrome, should have i left it alone with some free space around? Aren't there hole in the bottom or am i wrong?
I'm gonna post a picture to better describe it.
Thanks for the info till now.


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## Ady34

Hi, placing substrate around the base of the unit is fine as shown on your images.
It sounds like your issue lies with the water not being drawn through your filter media. The juwel power head/pump which draws the water has a soft rubber seal on the base which fits tightly into the central inner filter chamber, which draws water from the top of the filter, through the media, and pumps it back out via the outlet. To me it sounds as if the pump is not seated and is drawing and pumping water, but not drawing it through the filter media. Can you check that the pump is seated correctly, and that the soft rubber seal is not compromised so as to break the necessary seal which ensures the right flow of water through the filter.
Perhaps post some more images from above looking down into your filter chamber, and of your actual pump so we can see all is well with it?
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## elettrone

I'll get some pics up asap, but i think the pump is well seated into its cavity.
The problem might just be the inadequacy of the filter...anyway today i prepared myself some sort of post-filter filter...i got a plastic bottle and cut it in half then using a lead soldering unit to puncture little holes in the bottom of the bottle, then put some whool in it, sealed the two halves back togheter and joined the modded bottle to the pump output flow with a rubber tube so that 100% of the flow goes trough this sort of filter i made up.
I lost a lot of flux inside the tank but right now i wanna see if anything changes in the next 24hrs as all the water is being filtered now.


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## Ed Seeley

Set up correctly all the water should go through the top half of the filter with a slower flow through the bottom half.  As long as you have mechanical filtration in the top half then it will work fine if the water is flowing correctly.  If it isn't then either it's set up wrong or there's a gap in the filter somewhere.  The filter design itself is fine - I've used one of the older forms for years and this is just a development of that.


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## elettrone

Then i have to conclude that the particles in the water are just too small to be filterrd by standard wool. I will try with a JBL special fiber which is claimed to filter down to 1/1000 of mm. I have no other explanations than this one as i setupthe filter accordingly to specs.


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## Ady34

You could also try carrying out a 100% water change and see if the new water remains clear, you seem to imply it may be dust from your insufficiently rinsed substrate in which case it may be that the particles are just too fine? Could you maybe post some pictures of the problem particles too? 
You described the water as 'foggy', it could also perhaps be a bacterial bloom of some sort which wont filter out with traditional medias but will pass in time when the system matures...purigen or other such organic removers may help if this is the case. Such blooms give a milky look to the water....although it is maybe a less likely possibility as the issue has been there since filling, but worth a mention.
If your convinced that your filter is set up accordingly, then I'd go for the big water change option to see if this has an effect.
Also I know it sounds obvious, but the filter wool does tightly fit the filter chamber without gaps in the corners? Water always takes the easiest route so could it be by passing most of the floss and the remaining coarse bottom sponge not being fine enough to trap the particles?
It's a bit of a mystery this one as although not 10x turnover, the juwel filtration systems have always worked well for me in the past too.
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## elettrone

This is what i came up with to filter the output flow but even so the "fog" doesnt go away.
I'm pretty sure it isn't bacterical as it has always been there...

Tomorow i'll try a 75% water change.


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## linkinruss

Is your tank back to front?
The hosing etc (the cut outs at the top) should be back to the wall. 
Can't really tell as the pictures are very small.


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## elettrone

Yes, back to front, i keep it in the middle of the room so you can see trough.
By the way, click on the image, it gets bigger 
On the left you can see the out filter shell covered with "dust" and some spots where i used a sponge to remove the dust...
So the water really is filled with particles, it's not bacteria.


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## Ady34

elettrone said:


> This is what i came up with to filter the output flow but even so the "fog" doesnt go away.
> I'm pretty sure it isn't bacterical as it has always been there...
> 
> Tomorow i'll try a 75% water change.


What fertiliser did you use? If its an under substrate one is there anywhere it could be leaching out into the water column? Ie not capped sufficiently.
Also it looks when viewing the large image that you have a sand bed at the other side of the tank....what was that? Your water does look cloudy as you say, and perhaps only large frequent water changes will clear the fog. Have you been carrying out water changes and if so is the water that is going in clear? Your local water board havnt been carrying out any works recently as disturbance and flushing pipes can result in slightly cloudy water from the tap?
Has the makeshift filter had any effect, perhaps as you say a finer grade floss may help.....
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## elettrone

I used JBL Aquabasis Plus as fertilizer then 4 to 8 cm(i made some hills) of polychrome sand 2-3mm on top of it, I don't think it's leaking dirt...
:-/
I'll be sure tomorrow when i change most of the water thou, btw the tank is 8 days old now so I have yet to do some maintenance.
The makeshift filter did not help at all... :-/
The white sand is not a sand bed it is supposed to be a shore  it's 1-2mm white quartz sand.


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## freelanderuk

I think its part of the maturing of the filter, and it will go of its own accord, I have had similar in my tanks when I put my new filter in, if your tank is only 8 days old I would worry just yet


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## elettrone

It's not bacteria.


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## Ady34

elettrone said:


> I used JBL Aquabasis Plus as fertilizer then 4 to 8 cm(i made some hills) of polychrome sand 2-3mm on top of it, I don't think it's leaking dirt...
> :-/
> I'll be sure tomorrow when i change most of the water thou, btw the tank is 8 days old now so I have yet to do some maintenance.
> The makeshift filter did not help at all... :-/
> The white sand is not a sand bed it is supposed to be a shore  it's 1-2mm white quartz sand.


I think with water changes you will see an improvement. My guess is that it is a very fine particulate from either of your substrates which is too small for your filter to remove.
Keep us posted on progress.
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## elettrone

Yeah my guess too, tomorrow as soon as i have news i'll update the thread. Thanks for the support so far.


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## elettrone

After applying *JBL SymecMicro* filtering vellum the result was crystal clear water, it needed about 24hrs.
These are the results:






Oh i changed 20% of the water before using the new filter material.
Thanks everyone for the support!


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## Filter problem

I am also having the same problem as elettrone with the top filter intake! Bottom is working, I can see in the filter there is flow coming up but the top surface intake is doing nothing, which is causing what looks like a biofilm build up on surface. I have had this tank a 2/3 years, it’s been working perfectly fine up till now. I’ve just changed the filter media “old for new” if I remove all filter media flow restores to normal, but I don’t understand why the filter media would cause this as they are the same brand and media for the filter. The only other thing I can think of it being due to is that some how the motor has weakened in some way. (FYI I’ve the same tank as Elettrone the only difference being mine black not white) I have checked the rubber ring seals and all looks normal, the only thing I can think of it being is a motor malfunction/burnout making it not run to optimal performance. Any advice would be appreciated!


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