Hehe

I just realized something *_* You said your filter is noisy? what kind of noisy? The pumps will usually be louder if there's air trapped inside. I usually try getting all the air out before I plug it to the wall, and if it make some noise then, I tilt it a little to make sure the last bubbles get out

I found when air bubbles were in my filter, I would often hear/see air and bubbles rushing out of the outlet pipe.
I've never had rattling though? Have you tried contacting the company?

As for the water, I think it depends on the type of filter?
My external filter has to be filled about 3/4 of the way full (with baskets/media already in) for it to be able to work.

There is a pocket of air in the u bend part of the intake tube....but the noise is coming from the motor part.  Now that I have the air bubble thing going....the bubbles of air cover the up noise. 

Once I get it on the stand I'll see if being on the window shelve is the problem.  Maybe when everything is set up right it won't be a problem.

So the air probably went out of it finally Great!

Ha ha. Thank goodness something on my tank is functioning well

For a second when you said MTS I immediately thought you'd meant you'd brought - Malaysian Trumpet Snails! Haha oops...
Sounds like a wicked tank, 48 inches is like 4 foot? The fish will enjoy that

As for cleaning it, just warm water and a sponge, use an old credit card or something similar if there's any algae.
My dad's tank was a quite messy, complete with black gunk at the bottom and algae all over the glass, so warm water and a bit of elbow grease had it all nice and shiny  
I avoided using cleaning products, because if any residue is left behind that you don't notice, it'll be in the water when you re-fill the tank, which can affect fish. I'm sure there are things you can use safely in the tank if you needed to, but I found I didn't need anything.

As for testing the canister... do you know what brand it is? If you type the model number/brand along with the word 'instructions' or 'manual' into google sometimes you can find digital copies of the manual online.

Not too sure on re-sealing a tank, I'm sure one of the others will be able to help you, if you do have any leaks

Thanks folks:)

Yes it's 4 feet long . One of the reasons I snapped it up. Bertie will love swimming up and down. Its long but not very wide or high. But after listening to every one I thought length was the most important.

Thanks for the video scrivens.

The canister is a Rena make. I haven't figured out the model yet. The thing is huge   I don't know how I can hide it from view.

So Skwishee......

I went to the pet store with the indoor pond and got the scoop.  I have a feeling you might already know this info but here it goes.....

The tank is made from railroad ties (I'm hoping this is also a british term). Railroad ties are strips of heavy duty wood mostly used in gardens and pressure treated.  The owner had someone stack the planks and drill holes through each plank end. Then a steel rod was placed through the holes and the rod ends secured with nut/bolt. The corners are braided together with the connecting walls (sort of like one plank is short and the opposite side is long. Next plank is short then long).  Then another hole is drilled thru the planks and secured with a steel rod. Finally it's lined with plastic pond liner.

Hes had the pond for 35 years. He's changed the pond liner several times over the years.  The pond is 200 gallons. 

I have pics though they didn't one out very well. But if you want to see them I will post.

I mentioned about your situation. He recommended a plastic horse troth.  Cheap easy. And can be set up in a house and is easy to move when you move. 

So that's the scoop. I hope it provides some ideas for lucky.

I need a small rant. I dislike my fluval filter. It's giving me problems again. . I guess I need to take it apart and clean it AGAIN.  Ugh.  Goldfish really do make a big mess. Poop makers=dirty filter.

Fluval Filters can be little devils to get running right; But when they do run I find they are no bother

If the combined strength of the filters stay around 10 times tank size, it'll be fine. It can be a little bit less too as long as you don't overstock

Thanks for the feed back Skwishee.

I cleaned the filter this past weekend. I need to test it. So two questions:

Should I replace the intake/outtake rubber tubing?  I can't really clean it very well. I priced the tubes out and it's a bit of money to buy them. The tubes look brown from waste.  Could that transfer diseases?

I priced out Rena filter filler -the sponges mainly. Since its so big it takes huge sponges and many sponges (I believe 7 ).
Is there anything I can buy in bulk? I noticed some people use pillow stuffing sold at Walmart. But I'm cautious as who know what chemicals are in it.  Any suggestions?

Alright I'll be looking for that brush....perfect

I guess I'm still learning. Ok so filter media should last longer than I thought.  I did find some bulk aquarium sponges at the store today, so I'm going to give that a try.  Worse case I buy the name brand stuff.  Just want berie to be ok. 

My next big test is filling the tank and looking for leaks. It's staying outside for that one.

I'll use the scrubbers to clean my gravel vacum!