# Other Aquarium Forums > Equipment and Accessories >  <Stupidity warning>: how to start a canister filter

## Davidd

Hi everyone,

I have never used an external canister filter before, and just inherited a used Dolphin700 from someone withOUT the instruction manual.

Can I ask the stupid question: how do I start the filter? I turned it on and nothing happened, only air blowing out of the out tubing.

Cheerios,
Davidd

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## PeterGwee

You need to manually prime the filter if it does not have "auto" priming feature. After priming can you "power on" your filter to run.

Regards
Peter Gwee  :Wink:

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## |squee|

You need to fill up the filter *and* the hoses with water. 

I do this with a manual siphon, those red-coloured sucker thingys you find in local markets. Just attach the thing to the outlet and start sucking. It'll be easier if you fill up the hose and filter with as much water as you can though.

Somewhere during the sucking process, ask someone to turn on the switch. The water will start flowing out.

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## benetay

There are some methods which involves risk of swallowing mouthful of water, but my advise will be fill the filter with water, fill the hoses with water & power it on. Sometimes it doesn't work you'll have to keep trying. 

IMO it shouldn't give you much of a problem. Just give it a try and update us.

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## vinz

Aiyoh....

For a first time filter setup... i.e. just setup, and there is no water in the filter and the hoses: Set up the filter and hoses. Make sure the filter is lower then the tanks waterline. Clean the tank end of the filter outlet hose and then suck on it until water starts to flow into the filter. The filter is big enough that water should never reach your mouth. The water will fill up the filter and flow up the putlet hose partially. As long as you keep the outlet above the tank waterline, it'll never overflow (unless you turn on the filter. Put the hose back in place and then turn on the filter.

Well, the basic idea is, make sure the filter and hoses is full of water before you start it.

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## brianclaw

> You need to fill up the filter *and* the hoses with water. 
> 
> I do this with a manual siphon, those red-coloured sucker thingys you find in local markets. Just attach the thing to the outlet and start sucking. It'll be easier if you fill up the hose and filter with as much water as you can though.


I do this too... Much better than sucking on the filter outlet and less risk of accidentally ingesting tank water...  :Knockout:

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## ranmasatome

or you can just attach a powerhead to the inlet and pump water thru the entire thing for a few secs.

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## hwchoy

actually the "proper" way to start a filter for the first time, is to make sure there is no water in the filter and the hoses. because your filter is lower than your tank water level, you can use the siphon effect to prime the filter.

fit the inlet and outlet hose to the filter. affix the inlet hose in the tank. the outlet hose is where you start the siphon. make sure the filter valves (if any) are open. then gently suck (or use a sucker pump or whatever) on the outlet hose. you don't have to suck like you are drinking milk, you just need to suck enough for the water to reach the TOP of the inlet hose path. from there the siphon effect will ensure water is drawn into the filter, you should be able to see or hear the water sloshing in the filter.

now put the outlet hose over the tank, or into the water also can. you should be able to see the water filling the filter and then coming out into the outlet hose. It will stop because the outlet hose will be as high as the inlet (height of tank). At this point, you can turn on the filter which will push the water out of the outlet and you can now affix the outlet hose.

for normal maintenance where you are not draining the filter, just close the outlet valve (NOT the inlet!) and then switch off the filter. then you close the inlet valve. now you can take the hoses out of the tank and most of the water will remain in the hose. as long as you keep the inlet hose reasonable filled with water, you will be able to restart the filter just by turning it back on.

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## hwchoy

> I do this too... Much better than sucking on the filter outlet and less risk of accidentally ingesting tank water...



you need to understand how siphoning works. you should never need to get water into your mouth. if your hose has water inside, one way is to reverse drain the water back into the tank by lifting the hoses (not always possible of course) higher than the tank. once there is no water in the hose you can suck a little bit and the siphon will start.

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## valice

if we buy a new external filter, will there be instructions as those u mentioned in the package?

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## Davidd

THanks guys! especially Benetay's advice; Got the filter running and 
I never put my mouth anywhere near the tubings  :Smile:

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## brianclaw

> you need to understand how siphoning works.


Bro, that's why I said "accidentally" and "risk". Things do happen. I may be new to "planted aquarium" world, but I am not new to aquariums and other set-ups involving water.

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## hwchoy

yah but unless the tubing is very short, there is practically no chance to ingesting water. probably not including you but I have come across numerous people who thinks that siphon means sucking on the tubing until the water has almost filled the hose completely (and thus almost reaching your mouth)!

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## brianclaw

Bro, don't know if you've ever been watching a particularly exciting movie while doing water changes... Or if you're absent minded as I am... Accidents do happen.  :Grin:  
I'm just saying that using the pump is a good idea and a lot more hygenic than sucking on the pipe. Just an idea for others reading this post to consider.  :Smile:  I'm not trying to be argumentative... No hard feelings?

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## hwchoy

no lah, like I said it surprises me how many people SUCK and SUCK on the siphon that's why I trying to explain that you don't need to do that. *pant pant pant*

actually I also do not put my mouth to the tubing. I put my fist around the end of the tubing to it reasonably air tight, then suck on the rim of the fist. two good suck that's it  :Smile: 

unless your hose is very short lah, like less than a metre long?

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## XnSdVd

:Laughing:  Wahahahaha! OMG! you guys have no idea how funny the last few posts sound...  :Laughing:  Gf laughed till she cried reading that.. hahaha! Sorry for the OT post but... wahahahaha! maaaan.. I love this hobby  :Grin:

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## hwchoy

what's so funny about sucking techniques?  :Huh?:

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## XnSdVd

The mental image of you sucking on a pipe lah... just bloody cute.  :Laughing:  That and "teenagers these days" are all perverts  :Grin:

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## hwchoy

> The mental image of you sucking on a pipe lah... just bloody cute.  That and "teenagers these days" are all perverts



you pervert!  :Evil:  we should get together sometime  :Grin:

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## PeterGwee

Ahem....we should end this..its getting X-rated. I think the poster got the idea.  :Grin:  

Regards
Peter Gwee  :Wink:

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