Oase thermo 100 issue

[Crochetsezzy]

Hi can anyone help. I had this set up for 2weeks in my betta tank on the lowest setting but I am getting whooshing noises every few seconds and water leaking. I've tried tipping the filter but water leaks out from the electric lead at the back, not the heater one the motor one. Can anyone help? I'm guessing it air but is the seal gone or have I not got it connect properly? I have a video but it seems you can only upload photos ill post a link

 

[Jonnywylie]

I have the same filter and found it quite fiddly at first. I know this may sound stupid but when you close the filter did you apply enough pressure when closing it ? Mine leaks if I don't do that. It's as if it doesn't seal properly.

 

[si walker]

I have just set this filter up this weekend.
It has quite alot going on what with the heater and filtration.
If is quite new surely the seal can't be broken.
I know it's a bloody pain but switch everything off. Unclip and make sure that the ceramic media is level and that there is nothing at the bottom of the heater protection pipe thing?
Sponges will squeeze down but not that media?
Obviously check that the seal is also in place.

My flow was a bit strong for my tank. So I turned blue adjuster's to minimum. I am also getting a little air bubble noise every now and then. I don't think that the filter likes it at minimum which is annoying.

I guess inlet and outlet should be set at the same level. If not maybe the outlet set slightly higher to allow the water to flow easily. Maybe someone could give more advice on this.

I will have a look at your clip.

Good luck!

Keep us posted.
Simon

 

[orxe87]

I had one of these running for nearly a year until a week or so ago. I found the same water 'leak' issue with the power lead - but it would always cease after a certain amount had come out. I guessed there was a void in the lid that accumulated water and it just needed to drain. Sometimes that water would flow around the outside seal a little, but it would always be only a few mL and a couple of times drying with a towel and it would stop (similarly I found the base could collect a small amount to make you think the seal is leaking, though I see that isn't what the clip shows).

I also found it needed the two main housing clips to be forcefully pushed inwards to click in on top of the motor housing, not just pushed in until it looks sealed.

For bubbles, I noticed the white plastic air scavenging pipe inside the top wasn't pointing right up - in other words it couldn't scavenge to the top of the internal cavity. That meant some residual air, which would occasionally burp. I spent some time gently shaking it every few minutes after each clean to dislodge any remaining air, and then it stayed silent(-ish).

@si walker, are you controlling only the outflow? If the inflow then the bubbling might be due to cavitation - I gather it is best not to restrict the input flow on these impellor pumps. I ended up making a clamp on the outflow pipe by cutting a bit of broom handle in half width-ways and clamping the hose between the two rounded sides using some bolts and wingnuts. Full flow to no flow very easily, no bubbling noises.

 

[si walker]

Can I just check please:
Outflow= Water taken out of the tank.
Inflow/Input= Water put intoo the tank.
I get a bit confused about that sometimes! Apologies.

If you're not supposed to restrict the input, do you just use the Blue Outflow adjuster?

These Filter companies drive me crazy! Imagine if you purchased a car and they only gave you a little manual to work everything out? Oh they do that as well .

I hope that this is all useful to Crochetsessy!
Cheers.
Si

 

[orxe87]

Ah, sorry, no I was talking from the filter's perspective - agree it's kind of confusing! So inflow is going out of the tank into the filter, and outflow is flowing out of the filter into the tank. So you restrict the outflow into the tank (the output of the filter pump) to the spray bar or lily pipe. I ditched the Oase outflow pipe and used a glass lily pipe, hence needing the little clamp gizmo. If you just use the blue adjuster on the pump output all should be fine if it goes low enough; if not then the clamp might work for you.

I guess they must tolerate some restriction on the input (mine arrived with two adjusters, one on inflow, one on outflow), but too much is what seems to cause the cavitation for me.

 

[si walker]

Haha yeah really confusing. Especially when you can have one tap open and one not. I see them as a kind of brake I guess. It's just there's no information on which brake to apply, which is why I kept them even.
Oh that learning curve!

 

[si walker]

How did you get on with the Filter today?

 

[Crochetsezzy]

Thanks guys I've opened it up and cleaned the propeller and sealed it all up again. The whooshing seems to have stopped so I'm wondering if it wasn't pushed down enough or maybe some media had got in somewhere as I did change from the media it came with. I think the leaking is like has been said once the initial leakage comes out it seems to have stopped.

So fingers crossed all seems to be OK! Thanks for the help!

 

[si walker]

Haha that's a step in the right direction!

Actually I have learnt quite alot since your original post. I looked at the adjustments on our filters.
I think at first it's alot to set up correctly.
I have been also calibrating the heater (see manual for heater) that's working well now!
I have Chilli Rasbora and the flow is more than enough on the minimum settings.
Take care.

 

[Crochetsezzy]

Ah dies the heater need calibration as mine seems to not work that well I have a 45l tank and I have to have it on full to get it to heat to 24 degrees C I wasn't sure if it was because I was using the slow flow so not as much water was going through and the heat was going quicker...

 

[Crochetsezzy]

I've just Google the heater calibration and adjusted hopefully that will help!

 

[si walker]

One click at a time. Don't over do it. I am doing 1 click a day. Then seeing what happens. Adjusting the temperature gauge a bit then calibrating again. Basically trying to make the heater work on the correct setting for water temperature.