Rapids Pro Series Wet/Dry Filter Systems

Newly designed advanced filtration system for larger aquariums. Next generation filter combines the filtering capacity of a wet/dry, venturi pump protein skimmer, and the ease of setup of a canister filter. Re-circulates 700 gallons of water per hour for ideal water quality.

RP3 comes complete with built-in venturi pump protein skimmer, water pump, Surface Skimmer Overflow, tubing, clamps, and filter media. RP3 Plus includes everything in the RP3 AND the Auto Fill System. Media Kit includes Activated Carbon Cloth Pillow 2 pk, Activated Carbon Pad 2 pk, and Poly Fiber Filter Pad 3 pk.

Please click on "More Information" for user guide.

Setting up the Skimmer Overflow Box
The Rapids Overflow Box automatically initiates water flow thru venturi action. As water is returned under pressure from the filter sump to the aquarium, the Venturi Valve Connector located on the return tube, uses the kinetic energy from the water flow to produce a partial vacuum. This low pressure zone draws air from the Overflow Siphon Compartment automatically initiating water flow and starting the filter.

1. Position the Rapids Pro Filter in the stand under the aquarium or to the side next to the stand. Do not attach the hoses yet.
2. Place the Rapids Overflow Box on the rear or side of the aquarium frame. The position of the Adjustable Water Height Tube should be left at the factory setting during initial set up. Instructions on how to adjust the water level in the aquarium will be addressed later.
3. Measure the distance from the Overflow Box to the top of the Filter inside the aquarium stand or next to the stand on the floor. Be accurate so you do not cut the Hose (Overflow Hose & Return Hose) too short. Take the utility knife or hacksaw and cut the Overflow Hose & Return Hose to the required length. The Hoses must follow a straight path from the Overflow Box to the Filter. There can be a little slack but not too much or the Filter will not operate effectively.
4. Place a Hose Clamp on the end of the Return Hose, do not tighten it yet. Slide the Hose onto the Return Hose Connector located at the bottom corner of the Overflow Box. Tighten the Hose Clamp so it is snug, do not over tighten. Take the opposite end of the Return Hose and place a Hose Clamp on it. Connect the Return Hose to the Hose Connector located at the Filter. Tighten the Hose Clamp so it is snug, do not over tighten.
5. Place a Hose Clamp on the end of the Overflow Hose, do not tighten it yet. Slide that end of the Overflow Hose onto the Hose Connector located at the bottom of the Overflow Box. Tighten the Hose Clamp so it is snug, do not over tighten. Take the opposite end of the Overflow Hose and place a Hose Clamp on it. Connect the Overflow Hose to the Hose Connector located at the filter. Tighten the Hose Clamp so it is snug, do not over tighten.
6. Turn the adjusting screw located at the bottom of the Overflow Box to level the Box on the aquarium.

1. Proceed to the Rapids Pro Filter Sump and remove the Filter Box Cover. Lift the Diffuser Drip Tray up and away from the Filter. Grasp the Poly-Fiber Media Container and lift up and out of the Filter. The two media baskets located beneath the Diffuser Drip Tray have handles which enables easy basket removal from the filter. Grasp the handle of the middle Bio-Media Basket and lift the basket up and out. Repeat same with the bottom Basket.
2. Grasp the Pump Carriage (located opposite of Filter Box Cover) firmly by the sides and gently pull up and out.
3. Remove protective shipping packing from the submersible pumps carefully. Be sure both submersible pumps are properly in position and all hosing firmly in place. Reassemble Pump Carriage back into Filter Sump.
4. Proceed to the Media Baskets and remove the Sintered Glass Bio-Cylinders from the plastic bag and rinse under cool running tap water to remove any dust. When finished, fill the bottom Bio-Media Basket with the Sintered Glass Cylinders. If you are setting up a reef tank and adding live rock, you can remove the Sintered Glass Bio-Cylinders since live rock and Sintered Glass Bio-Cylinders both provide biological filtration. You can add extra chemical filter media instead.
5. Remove the Carbon Cloth Pillow from the plastic bag and rinse under cool running tap water for 10 seconds to remove any carbon powder. Take the Carbon Cloth Pillow and place it on top of the Sintered Glass Bio-Cylinders. Place the Basket back inside the Filter so it is at the bottom.

   Rinse the Bio-Balls under cool running tap water. Fill the second Bio-Media Basket with Bio-Balls and place the Basket back inside the Filter so it is in the middle. If you wish to operate your filter with additional carbon, remove some of the Bio-Balls and place the carbon bag here.

6. Take the Poly-Fiber Media Container and place the flat black Carbon Pad at the bottom. Now place the white Poly-Fiber Pads on top of the Carbon Pad. Return the Poly-Fiber Media Container back into the Rapids Pro Filter.
7. Replace the Diffuser Drip Tray.

   If you have the Auto Fill System, proceed to "Setting up the Auto Fill System". If you do not have the Auto Fill System, continue onto the next directive.

8. Fill the aquarium with water so the water level is right at the middle of the plastic rim located at the top of the aquarium (acrylic aquariums do not have this plastic rim, fill acrylic aquariums so the water level is two inches from the top). There will be some water displacement when the Filter is turned on so it is best that the aquarium is full.
9. Fill the Overflow Box with water.
10. Fill the Filter with water to the Recommended Water Line (top of the Sintered Glass Bio-Media Basket located at the bottom). Place the Filter Box Cover back on top of the Rapids Pro Filter.

    Do not plug in the filter until setup is complete.

11. Proceed to Setting Up Protein Skimmer.

1. Attach one end of the plastic Drain Hose to the Collection Cup Drain and tighten plastic clamp. Place opposite end of the Drain Hose into an empty 1 or 2 gallon container.
2. Turn Adjustable Flow Controller Knob to the right (clockwise) so it is opened fully. You will be able to adjust the water flow to Protein Skimmer once the Rapids Pro Filter is operating.
3. Do not plug in the Protein Skimmer Submersible Pump as of yet.

Setting Up the AFS (Auto Fill System)
Auto Fill System (AFS) available with Rapids Pro RP3 Plus and also sold separately to upgrade the Rapids Pro RP3. The AFS will hold 4 gallons of water.

If you have purchased the Rapids Pro Filter with the Auto Fill System, go ahead and set it up now. This unique gravity fed water replacement system compensates for aquarium evaporation, adding make-up water slowly back into the filter system.

1. Be sure both the Filter Sump and Auto Fill Dispenser are empty. Remove the Auto Fill Dispenser from the Auto Fill Reservoir.
2. Locate the Outlet Plug at the bottom side of the Filter Sump. Unscrew the Outlet Plug and remove it. For other wet/dry filters than the Rapids Pro Filter, it may be necessary to add a 3/4" female threaded bulkhead fitting.
3. Take one end of the Flexible Hose with the Hose Connector and screw it into the Outlet Plug Fitting on the Filter Sump. Check the Flexible Hose Clamp to confirm it is still securely in place. If loose, tighten the Flexible Hose Clamp firmly.
4. Remove the Flow Control Valve from the opposite end of the Flexible Hose by loosening the Hose Clamp and pulling the Flow Control Valve away and off of the Flexible Hose. Take the Flow Control Valve and screw it into the Auto Fill Reservoir snuggly. Slide the Flexible Hose back onto the Control Valve and tighten clamp firmly.

   Note: Do not open the two flow control valves at this time.

1. Grasp the Auto Fill System Dispenser handle and pull up from the reservoir. Turn the Dispenser upside down.
2. Unscrew the cap and fill the Auto Fill Dispenser with water. When finished filling the Auto Fill Dispenser, screw cap back on firmly and reinsert Auto Fill Dispenser back into the Auto Fill Reservoir.

The water level in the Rapids Pro Filter Sump can be raised by adjusting the Height Adjusters under the Auto Fill Reservoir. Since water will always seek equilibrium, raising the Auto Fill Reservoir will increase the water level in the Rapids Pro Filter Sump. The Auto Fill System is ready to start adding make-up water as the filter needs it.

Starting the Filter

1. Priming Filter - Pour water into the Filter Box up to the Recommended Water Level on the side of the Filter Box.
2. Priming Overflow Box - Pour water into the outside chamber of the Overflow Box, adding water until the chamber is full
3. Electric Power - Plug the two power cords (1) Rapids 700gph Submersible Pump and (2) Protein Skimmer Submersible Pump into a standard polarized power strip. Use of a grand fault circuit interrupter is recommended and be sure to form a "drip loop."
4. Water Level of the Aquarium - If you wish to keep the aquarium's water level higher, grasp the Water Level Adjuster Ring located under the Noise Reducer Chamber of the Overflow Box and gently pull upward. You can adjust the aquarium's water level to the desired height by raising or lowering the Water Level Adjuster Ring.
5. Recommended Water Level in the Filter - Check the water level in the Filter Sump. If the water level is lower than Recommended Water Level, add water to reach Recommended Water Level. If the water level drops below the Recommended Water Level in the Filter Sump, the Rapids Water Pump can start to draw air and pump numerous tiny air bubbles back into the aquarium. Also in the case of electric power loss, if the water level is too far below the Recommended Water Level and the electrical power resumes, the filter may have difficulties in restarting.
6. Turn Switch Located on the Power Strip to "ON" - The Overflow Box will automatically start drawing water from the aquarium, initiating flow and starting the Filter. Check for leaks at this time.
7. Check the water level in the Filter Sump - It is best to keep the water level in the Filter Sump at the Recommended Water Level. If the water level is lower than Minimum Level, add water to the aquarium to reach the Filter's Recommended Level. The Submersible Pump will start to draw air when the water level is below the minimum water level and pump numerous tiny air bubbles back into the aquarium.

1. Adjusting Foam Level of Protein Skimmer - To increase the height of the air bubbles in the Protein Skimmer adjust the Flow Controller Knob a quarter turn to the left (turn counter-clockwise) and wait 5 minutes before adjusting again. If air bubble level is still too low turn the Flow Controller Knob another quarter turn to the left. It is best to adjust slowly to achieve the desired level of bubbles.
2. The height of the Collection Cup has been pre-set to manufacturer's recommendation. During operation if the foam is too wet and watery you can further adjust and fine tune the Protein Skimmer by loosening the Height Adjusting Nut located beneath the Collection Cup until it is free. Pull the Collection Cup up and off. There is a thin O-Ring found directly under the Height Adjusting Nut, gently Roll the O-Ring down. This will raise the height of the Collection Cup and firm up the foam.

   Typically when the Collection Cup is raised upward, this will affect and firm up the layer of bubbles pushing up through the small tube in the Collection Cup. If the bubbles are overflowing too quickly into the Collection Cup, slowly turn the Flow Controller Knob to the right, reducing the water flow. Always wait a couples minutes to allow the Protein Skimmer to adjust to the new settings.

3. Once the Protein Skimmer is functioning properly, check the settings of the Protein Skimmer daily by viewing the amount of bubbles in the Reaction Chamber and the skimmate collecting in the Collection Chamber.

Maintenance
To ensure optimum Filter performance, routine maintenance should be performed monthly or less depending size of the aquarium, amount of fish and number of daily feedings. If filter and media are neglected, the filter media will become clogged and unable to collect waste material. This can affect aquarium water quality and possibly the health of the tank inhabitants. In addition, grimy waste can damage the Rapids Submersible Pump and also diminish the filter efficiency.

The Rapids Pro Filter can be left on and running during maintenance.

Do not use soap or detergents to clean the Filter Sump and Overflow Box since they can leave residues which can harm aquarium inhabitants.

The Poly-Fiber and Carbon Pad Filter Media should be changed every three to four weeks or as needed depending on the amount of aquarium inhabitants and number of daily feedings.

Replacing Filter Media

1. Grasp the sides of the Filter Sump Cover located over the filter media and pull up and off gently.
2. Remove the Diffuser Drip Tray.
3. Lift the Media Container containing the Poly-Fiber Filter Pad and Carbon Pad out from the Filter Sump. Position the Media Container over the Filter Sump Cover to keep the water contained and from splashing on the floor while transporting it to the sink.
4. Remove the Poly-Fiber Filter Pad and Carbon Pad and discard.
5. Grasp the handle of the Bio-Media Basket and pull up and away from Filter Sump. Position a towel or bucket under the Bio-Media Basket to catch any water runoff. Place this Bio-Media Basket to the side.
6. Reach down into the bottom Bio-Media Basket in the Filter Sump and remove the Carbon Cloth Pillow and discard. Replace the Carbon Pillow every four weeks or less, depending on amount of aquarium animals, water clarity and the number of daily feedings.
7. Reinsert the Bio-Media Basket back into Filter Sump.
8. Rinse the Media Container under cool running tap water to remove any dirt or detritus. Add the new Carbon Pad and then the Poly-Fiber Pad. Replace Media Container back into Filter Sump.

Periodic inspection and cleaning of the impeller is recommended.

1. Turn off the power strip and unplug the Rapids Submersible Pump and Protein Skimmer Venturi Pump from the power strip before servicing the pumps.
2. Remove the Filter Cover and lift the Diffuser Drip Tray up and out.
3. Grasp the sides of the Pump Carriage and gently lift upwards and out of the Filter Sump to expose the Pumps for servicing.
4. Disconnect the 700gph Submersible Pump from the Return Hose and Pump Base. Also disconnect the Protein Skimmer Pump from the Protein Skimmer.
5. Hold the pump and remove the Impeller Cover from the pump by gently turning either counter clockwise or clockwise. The 700gph Submersible Pump will have an additional Impeller Cover that will need to be removed also.
6. Clasp the Impeller Blades with needle nose pliers and slowly pull the Impeller from the Pump.
7. Hold Impeller and Pump under warm running tap water and rinse. Do not use soap or detergent.
8. Take a cotton swab and clean Impeller Chamber thoroughly, rinse again under running tap water.
9. Reassemble both Submersible Pumps in the reverse order.

1. To ensure maximum performance, it is recommended to clean the Venturi Valve Connector and Return Tubes (both Small & Large Elbows) periodically in order to remove algae or debris build-up.
2. Remove both small and large Return Tubes gently along with the Siphon Overflow Compartment from the Overflow Box. Do not pull them out forcefully, gently pull them out inch by inch. If pulled too aggressively, the Plastic Elbow or the Elbow Adaptor may crack.
3. Use a flat screw driver to pry the tubing away from the Siphon Overflow Compartment delicately. Remove the Tubing from the Overflow Siphon Compartment gently, inch by inch. Do not pull it out forcefully; damage to the connectors may occur if handled too aggressively.
4. Clean the surface and inside of each part with a flexible brush under running tap water. Do not forget to clean the small hole of the Venturi and the Siphon Flow Tube opening. In the event of electrical power loss and to prevent flooding, these holes must be kept clear of any obstructions to work properly. Do not use soap or chemicals since any residue can harm your animals. Use warm water only.
5. Reassemble in reverse order. (Properly match each elbow to the correct connector).

Problem: No Water Circulation
Recommendation: Check power supply and confirm Submersible Pump is plugged in.

Problem: No water in Filter Sump, add water to recommended level.
Recommendation: Check Overflow Box to confirm water is flowing.

Problem: Large amount of bubbles are being pumped back into aquarium
Recommendations:

1. Check water level in Filter Sump, add water if needed.
2. Check Overflow Box for obstacles.
3. Check Hosing for kinks or obstructions.
4. If using air stones or power heads with venturi installed position away from Overflow Box.

Problem: Return water flow is sluggish
Recommendations:

1. Check Overflow Hose or Return Hose for kinks; straighten Hosing if needed.
2. Check for obstructions in Overflow Box or inlet of Submersible Pump in Filter.

1. Confirm Submersible pump is plugged in and has electrical power.
2. Check impeller in Submersible Pump to confirm it is rotating freely. Remove Filter Cover and remove Diffuser Drip Tray. Grasp Water Pump Carriage at the indented sides and pull Carriage up and out. Disconnect the Pump from the Return Tubing and pull Pump out from the Pump Holder. Remove Impeller Cover, grasp Impeller Vanes and pull the Impeller out. Clean Impeller Vanes and Impeller Chamber thoroughly under running cool water.

1. Disconnect Hosing from Hose Connectors and clean Connectors thoroughly with a moist cloth, reconnect Hosing and tighten hose clamps snuggly.
2. If Hosing has slipped from original position, remove and clean area, reconnect Hosing and tighten hose clamps snuggly.

Problem: Protein Skimmer not functioning
Recommendations:

1. If the Filter is newly set up, it may take a couple days for the Protein Skimmer to start collecting waste.
2. Confirm Submersible Pump for Protein Skimmer is plugged in.

1. Aquarium is not established yet and has not produced enough dissolved organics waste.
2. Confirm Venturi is not clogged with debris.
3. Confirm there is sufficient amount of water in the filter sump.

1. Possible clogged Venturi, remove airline tubing and run under hot water thoroughly. Also, make sure Venturi opening is not obstructed.

1. Reduce water flow to skimmer by adjusting Water Flow Controller Knob and slowly close.
2. If bubbles and water are still rapidly filling the cup, unscrew the Skimmer Height Adjuster and lower the O-Ring 1/2 inch. This will raise the Collection Chamber upward one inch. Reassemble.

Problem: Overflow Box not supplying water to Filter Sump
Recommendations:

1. Check power supply and confirm Filter Pump is plugged in.
2. No water in Overflow Box, add water.
3. Check Overflow Box for obstacles.
4. Check Hosing for kinks or obstructions.

1. Raise Water Level Adjuster Ring upwards if adjusted down previously.
2. Siphon some water from aquarium.

1. Raise Water Level Adjusting Tube upwards if Overflow Tube had been lowered previously.
2. Siphon some water from aquarium.

The Rapids Pro Filter System is constructed of only the highest quality parts and materials; providing a powerful and quiet filter. This patented injection molded filter gives you the best of two popular aquarium filters, the canister filter and the wet/dry.

The state-of-the-art design makes this filter extremely efficient. Thoroughly engineered to deliver the best in 3-stage filtration, this filter provides superb mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration. Delivering optimum water movement and consistently processing waste and impurities so the aquarium's water quality remains ideal. All the while keeping the aquarium water crystal clear and your tank inhabitants healthy.

The Overflow Box delivers most favorable surface skimming, removing aquarium surface contaminants and sending them to the filter where these waste materials are trapped and removed. This unique Overflow Box is designed to disrupt the filter's water flow in the event of loss of electrical power, therefore preventing the aquarium's water from draining back down into the filter and overflowing. When electrical power returns, the Overflow Box automatically initiates water flow, re-establishing aquarium filtration.

The Rapid Pro Filter also comes complete with a built in protein skimmer, actively removing dissolved organic waste before they are able to enter the filter, as a result increasing the life of the filter media. These waste materials (dissolved organic compounds) are attracted to the fine bubbles produced by the water pump with venturi. As these fine bubbles move upward in the Reaction Chamber, the dissolved organics adhere to the surface of these bubbles. The waste laden bubbles continue to move upward towards the top of the Reaction Chamber forming a foamy layer. This foamy layer is then pushed up and into the Collection Cup where it is captured and easily disposed of.

The super porous Sintered Glass Bio-Cylinders with the additional Bio-Balls supplies unsurpassed biological filtration, resulting in the rapid oxidation of ammonia and nitrite while beneficial gas exchange is greatly increased as water trickles over the exposed Bio-Cylinders and Bio-Balls. The unequaled Carbon Cloth Pillow provides full adsorption kinetics with 100% activation, aggressively removing discoloration and odors.

3-year warranty.