• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Oase Filtosmart 100 blowing air?

chris.pull

Seedling
Joined
2 Jul 2020
Messages
4
Location
Wilts.
Hi all,

New member here looking for some advice. I have a 25L nano and last weekend swapped out an older canister filter for a new Oase Filtosmart 100 with the built-in heater (mainly because I wanted the heater out of the aquarium).

Since it's been up and running, it frequently pumps out a stream of air bubbles from the outlet, about once a minute. Moreover, if I tilt it to the side, it will release a huge stream of bubbles into the aquarium. At first, I thought this was just trapped air from where I filled it up, but even if I tilt the filter until it no longer blows out bubbles, I can replicate this again later on.

My guess is that it's sucking in air somewhere; this air is then creating a pocket at the top of the filter, which is then released every few minutes when this air bubble is large enough to reach the air siphon inside.

I've checked all the pipes and it doesn't seem to be sucking air in there. Perhaps there's a gap in the seam? I wondered if anyone else had this problem. I have the receipt so, hopefully, I can still take it back if it turns out to have a dodgy seal.

Any advice welcome!

Cheers,

Chris
 
Hey Chris. I have the same filter/heater and it took a week or so for it to stop blowing sporadic bubbles for me. I just tilted it around like you've been doing occasionally, and it eventually stopped. Not the most technical answer i know!
 
Hey Chris. I have the same filter/heater and it took a week or so for it to stop blowing sporadic bubbles for me. I just tilted it around like you've been doing occasionally, and it eventually stopped. Not the most technical answer i know!

Okay, thanks! I'll give it a bit longer then. I guess a nice thing about these filters is that they have a long warranty, so if it's still an issue I should be able to sort it.

How have you found it? Besides the air blowing, I really like it. Bit noisier than expected but the benefit of not having the heater in the filter is enormous – makes such a difference!
 
@chris.pull

As above, I have the same filter and the issue did seem to sort itself out after a few days. Tilting it did help to release the trapped air.

One thing I would check is that the tubing on the hose connector is actually seated properly, it does need pushing down quite far and locking properly. Seems obvious but worth checking.

I swapped the supplied brown tubing for some clear stuff and realised after a while that the tubing I used was not as thick as the one supplied. As I was trying to tighten the locking screw the tubing was spinning slightly and I feel this probably didn’t create a proper seal and air may have been getting in that way.
 
@chris.pull

As above, I have the same filter and the issue did seem to sort itself out after a few days. Tilting it did help to release the trapped air.

One thing I would check is that the tubing on the hose connector is actually seated properly, it does need pushing down quite far and locking properly. Seems obvious but worth checking.

I swapped the supplied brown tubing for some clear stuff and realised after a while that the tubing I used was not as thick as the one supplied. As I was trying to tighten the locking screw the tubing was spinning slightly and I feel this probably didn’t create a proper seal and air may have been getting in that way.

I opened it up earlier to add some more filter media that I'd ordered. It's back up and running again now and seems to have stopped blowing out air! It could be that the pipes weren't sealing properly. I actually find they want to slip off very easily and when I tighten the nut around them they just slide up. I warmed the pipes up to make them more malleable when I set it up – not sure if that's made them slightly bigger? I might get some screw-based pipe clamp to be safe.

Cheers,

Chris
 
Hmm...I still seem to be having the same problem with this filter. I wondered, could it be that co2 bubbles are being sucked into the inlet and are building up inside the filter?

I may have to try contacting Oase.
 
Hi.
Did you sort out issue with your filter?
I was thinking about investing in one. If you did has the filter been good?
Cheers.
Simon
 
I'm having this problem with this filter too. It seems like air is getting sucked into the filter unit itself. I have tried cleaning and greasing the o-rings, refitting the inlet and outlet pipes (and greasing them too) but the issue persists. There is an occasional blowing out of bubbles, and if I tilt the unit at any time, the sound of air is there as long as it is tilted for and tonnes of bubble emerge. What also irks me about this filter is that there is no fine filter media as a final step - nor any way to site some. I think this is the reason that it occasional ejects fine matter, including oily matter that floats to the surface. My lily pipe skimmer cannot cope with the amount of it ejected and clear it, so I have to manually skim it. I wish I had purchased a larger unit now, one which would allow a final fine floss stage. I am thinking of upgrading, but I'd also need to upgrade the cabinet as there is only just enough room on the top shelf for the Thermofilter 100. I'd probably need to upgrade the lily pipe set from a 12mm to 16mm too. It will be an expensive and big job. I wish I could get the thermo 100 to work as I want, but after months of use and fiddling with it, I am starting to think that I may need to bite the bullet at some point.
 
Have you checked that the little vent hose is pointing upwards!
1703708708087.png

hoggie
 
You're not getting any leaks? Just air? Also, are you saying that if you slightly tit the unit, the air never stops? Even if you wait 30 seconds?

Last question: what is the height difference between the tip of the head unit on the filter and the outflow into the tank?
 
You're not getting any leaks? Just air? Also, are you saying that if you slightly tit the unit, the air never stops? Even if you wait 30 seconds?

Last question: what is the height difference between the tip of the head unit on the filter and the outflow into the tank?
No, not getting any water leaking out.

Height, or head, is ~50cm.

I have just tried now to tilt it for 30 seconds, and it stopped after about 10. Perhaps I had not tilted for long enough in the past? Or perhaps the work on it yesterday (plenty of cleaning and greasing of seals) has worked? I shall try tilting again tomorrow and see what happens. It does seem more promising now!
 
I have just tried now to tilt it for 30 seconds, and it stopped after about 10. Perhaps I had not tilted for long enough in the past? Or perhaps the work on it yesterday (plenty of cleaning and greasing of seals) has worked? I shall try tilting again tomorrow and see what happens. It does seem more promising now!
When I clean my filters, I plug everything back in and have to prime a little on the Biomaster 250. (I'm not sure about priming on the filtosmart). However, once that is done and settles a bit (i.e. initial bubbles go quiet), I tilt slightly (don't go tilting massively as you will hear grinding, and the propeller stops!) in each direction until I hear bubbles and hold there until the bubbles go. In short, its:
  1. After cleaning, seal everything up , prime if you have that feature, and then turn it on.
  2. Bubbles and air can be heard and can go on for 5-25 seconds or so, ejecting from the outflow as bubbles.
  3. Once that is settled, slightly tilt the canister to the left until you hear bubbles again, and then hold in that position until the air is gone. (Can be 5 to 15 seconds of air).
  4. Once that is settled, slightly tilt the canister to the right until you hear bubbles again, and then hold in that position until the air is gone. (Can be 5 to 15 seconds of air).
  5. If needed, repeat 3 and 4 with front and back tilts.
  6. Return to the flat and, hopefully, enjoy an air-free unit!
 
Back
Top