How to Install a Tetra Frameless Aquarium Filter

An industrial designer, Jeffrey Warden, collaborated with Tetra to create the Whisper EX frameless aquarium filter. This highly efficient filter contains multi-density floss filter cartridges that effectively remove both large and small particles from the water. These flosses are color coded for ease of use and are unique in design, as they are frameless. The filter cartridge access door on Tetra's frameless filter has been designed to flip up and stay out of the way during cartridge replacement and limits access to only those cartridges that require changing. A strategically placed tab on the filter carrier allows the aquarist to replace and install new filters quickly and easily.

Things You'll Need

  • Tetra Whisper EX frameless filter
  • Replacement filter cartridges
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Instructions

    • 1

      Hang the Tetra Whisper EX frameless filter on the frame of the aquarium. Position it over the back glass pane, if there is sufficient room behind your aquarium for you to work. By hanging the filter in this location, it is effectively out of sight, but you must be able to reach it in order to change the filter cartridges.

    • 2

      Plug the filter into a wall power source, but do not turn it on yet.

    • 3

      Adjust the intake extension tube and strainer to suit the depth of your aquarium. Ideally, you want the intake of water to be as far as possible from the return, so that the intake tube does not take water that has just been cleaned back into the filter. Extend this tube as far as it will go then, in order to draw in dirty water from near the aquarium gravel.

    • 4

      Ensure that the strainer is on the extension tube. The strainer will prevent very small or weak fish from being sucked into the body of the filter. The strainer also prevents invertebrates, such as snails, from crawling up the intake tube and blocking the water.

    • 5

      Do not attempt to prime the submersible motor on the Tetra Whisper EX frameless filter, as it has been designed to be self priming.

    • 6

      Flip up the snap-on hood at the top of the filter. This filter access door has been constructed to offer access only to cartridges that require regular changing. Place the multistage carbon filter cartridge into the body of the filter. Due to the carbon filter carrier, you will know exactly which way the cartridge must face. Tabs on the filter carrier's exoskeleton guarantee correct alignment of the cartridge.

    • 7

      Place the time strip onto the Tetra filter's hood, by using holder and adhesive backing.

    • 8

      Gently press the clear start bubble on the time strip and wait to see if the white begins to darken. If the lower section of the time strip does not darken within 30 seconds of you having pushed the start button, activate the strip again. By changing color, this strip indicates when the filter cartridges are dirty.

    • 9

      Turn the wall power source on.