Filter broke - what to do with filter media

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
šŸ¶ POTM Poll is Open! šŸ¦Ž Click here to Vote! šŸ°

pkenziep

New Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2020
Messages
15
Reaction score
12
Location
Albany, CA
Hello! The filter on my 29gal tank just broke. Itā€™s the type of filter that goes on the side of the tank (Fluval AquaClear). I donā€™t have another at home, so while I wait to get a new one tomorrow, should I keep my filter media? And if so, how/where do I store it? I donā€™t want to throw it all away and lose the beneficial bacterias but Iā€™m not sure how to safely store it.
what should I do?
Thank you !
 
Place it in a sealed bag or container with aquarium water :) itll be good until the new filter arrives.

Do you have an airstone for now in your tank without the filter?
 
How old is the filter. Describe why it broke. Did the motor jam? Sometimes something as simple as cleaning the impeller and filter housing and tubes will solve the issue. Aquaclear filters are pretty well built and reliable if properly maintained.
 
Last edited:
Place it in a sealed bag or container with aquarium water :) itll be good until the new filter arrives.

Do you have an airstone for now in your tank without the filter?
Thank you!! I wasnā€™t sure if it was safe to so thanks I do have an air stone in!
 
Describe why it broke. Did the motor jamb? Sometimes something as simple as cleaning the impeller and filter housing and tubes will solve the issue.
It started leaking despite me not having messed with it recently and Iā€™m not even sure where it was leaking from. The piece of plastic that snaps in over the motor was dislodged for some reason, so I adjusted it and cleaned the motor while I was at it (the same way as usual, as directed by the instructions). When I plugged it back in, the motor didnā€™t start at all. I tried a different outlet and nothing helped.
 
Seems im not the only one with issues with AquaClear filters just failing on them for no rhyme or reason lol
 
Be sure the plastic piece over the motor is in the right orientation. You should be able to see the whole impeller through the opening of the plastic piece and the plastic piece should be pushed down fully. AC filter can overflow if the media gets too clogged. Also if the impeller is still jammed, you can take off the tube and using a pointed object like an ice pick or small tipped screwdriver, give the impeller a push and it should start right up. If you tilt the filter housing slightly toward the tank, it will just overflow back into the tank. There should be a piece of plastic under the housing that you rotate to tilt the filter toward the tank. I've had my AC for 7 years and all is fine.
 
Last edited:
If you try to fix and and can't, AC filters have a lifetime guaranteed so they will send you a replacement if you call them. but I know you need a filter right away. First try fixing it like I described above. You could buy a very cheap filter like a Penguin / Marineland filter to hold you over till the replacement arrives. Then save the Penguin and put it away as an emergency backup if you have a filter failure in the future.
I like the AC filters very much as they're easy to clean the media and you can choose what type of media to use. You just have to learn how to deal with its quirks.
 
Last edited:
You can test it for leaking by simply tanking out the entire filter, fill it with water and hold it over the sink and see where it is leaking from , if it is leaking at all.
 
The AC filters do often need to be primed after doing a cleaning. You would just fill the housing with water and it should then prime and start filtering the water.
 
If your filter ever stops working, wash the filter media in a bucket of tank water. When it's clean, wash it in a second bucket of tank water. Then put the media in the aquarium.

Try to get an airstone bubbling away on the tank.

If you have live plants in the tank, increase the lighting time to 16 hours per day until you get a new filter. This will encourage algae and plants to grow and use some of the ammonia produced by the fish.

When you have the new filter, put the media (that is in the aquarium) in the new filter and get it going. Reduce the lighting time to whatever it was before this happened.

----------------------
AquaClear HOB filters have a rubber o-ring between the motor and the filter case. This should be removed when cleaning the filter and the impellor assembly (cylindrical magnets with 3 or 4 plastic blades on one end).

When you have cleaned the inside of the motor and impellor, put the impellor back in the motor and then smear a thin layer of Vaseline on the o-ring. Wipe the underside of the case where the motor sits with a paper towel. Then put the motor back on the case.
 
I dont remove the o-ring ever when removing motor to clean the innards and impeller. I havent had a leak in the 7 years I have had the filter. In my AC filter, I use 2 layers of sponge, one layer of floss, and on top I use the ceramics that came with the filter. The ceramics weigh down the rest of the media and lessens the chance of clogged media rising up and causing filter to overflow. I would bet your filter is fine but you probably just have to follow my instructions in my previous posts to get it working.
 
Last edited:
When I plugged it back in, the motor didnā€™t start at all. I tried a different outlet and nothing helped.
If you have already cleaned the impeller whack it (the motor) with a screwdriver handle.
 
Be sure the plastic piece over the motor is in the right orientation. You should be able to see the whole impeller through the opening of the plastic piece and the plastic piece should be pushed down fully. AC filter can overflow if the media gets too clogged. Also if the impeller is still jammed, you can take off the tube and using a pointed object like an ice pick or small tipped screwdriver, give the impeller a push and it should start right up. If you tilt the filter housing slightly toward the tank, it will just overflow back into the tank. There should be a piece of plastic under the housing that you rotate to tilt the filter toward the tank. I've had my AC for 7 years and all is fine.
Thank you! Everything does seem to be set up and placed in the correct ways. Iā€™ve triple checked and it simply isnā€™t turning on. Iā€™ll be contacting them about a replacement. Thank you for your input!!
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Back
Top