Don’t remove the substrate at the bottom or any live plants in your aquarium unless any particularly tall plants get in the way of your work. That said, make sure you have plenty of room underneath your aquarium to fit your new filter. If you have glass tops or a canopy on top of your aquarium, check if you have space for the hoses that send and return the water from the aquarium.
If your tank’s water is especially dirty, clean the aquarium as you normally would. The filter will function normally in slightly murky water, but it will take longer to clean up very dirty water.
Use an extension cord to lengthen the filter’s plug so you can keep the aquarium even further away. It’s also a good idea to use a waterproof container to put the Fluval canister in incase of leaks or spillage while performing maintenance.
Then, secure the top of the filter back in place using the latches.
With the other piece of hose, secure the cut end to the output (a short, bent piece of clear tubing with a white connector) and the rubber end to the right side of the filter connector. Twist the red locks to secure the hoses to the hose connector. Put both the input and output in the tank. Position them so that the hoses are long enough to reach the filter.
Make sure the curved guard around the hole is facing upward.
Twist the knob on the top of the filter to adjust the flow
The chemical canister is on the left and the mechanical canister is on the right.
Make sure the intake stem and output nozzle are completely secured to the rim attachments.
Then, repeat the process with the output hose to secure it to the right-side opening of the aqua stop and the output rim attachment. You can trim the hoses to remove excess length before securing them, if desired.
