Holiday Disaster: 200+ Litres on Floor

[tiger15]

Whoever ownes a canister filter has to be extra careful because it has external plumbing, more so if it is plumbed into a co2 diffuser/reactor, because if any part leaks or comes off, it can drain the tank. The OP accident is no accident as I’ve heard it way too many times.

I run 6 fish tanks from 20 to 120 gal and have never want to own a canister for fear of flooding. All my tanks are filtered by HOBs which have no external plumbing and thereby no vulnerability for flooding. When I started my first planted tank a year and half ago, I was surprised that nearly all planted tank aquarists favor canister to drive CO2 reactor. I’m not comfortable with any canister in light that my planted tank is in my living room. I searched real hard to find only one vendor, Tunze, that makes co2 reactor I like as it is driven by an internal power head free of external plumbing.

 

[alto]

All my tanks are filtered by HOBs which have no external plumbing and thereby no vulnerability for flooding.

I’ve known several cases of water damage from HOBs - maybe it’s just the odd filter (had one myself, definitely no blockage or inappropriate media - everything set up to manufacturer directions with OEM media & parts ... would return home to find it happily tricking over with decidedly damp floor & cabinet ...)

While a HOB filter cannot actually drain a tank, that slow leak can easily blow out the pressboard cabinets/stands often sold for aquarium setups or mould carpet underlay

 

[tiger15]

HOB can spill but extremely rare and won’t drain the tank.

One time I placed an undersized HOB on a big tank and it did not fit and sat 1/2 inch above the rim. Worked fine for a few months until one day I found water on the floor due to tilting of the box spilling water onto the rim and dripped over to the floor.

The Aquaclear style HOBs can drip water due to popped up foam tilting sideway. It also has an O ring in the motor housing you have to unscrew to clean the impeller and over time will fail and leak.

HOB is just a box hang on the back with no external plumbing. In comparison, canister filters have O ring, clamps, and external hoses all vulnerable to leak, failure or come off by accident. If you add an in-line reactor, you just add more weak links.

 

[Barbara Turner]

My ehiem was already old.. it deffinetly was low on flow after the accident, it gradually got worse till it just made a ticking noise with no flow.

That's a pity about your Eheim; I'm not so optimistic now...

The wet dog smell will go away eventually..