Filter Died

[Kombat]

Just wanted to relay my experience last night. I've been keeping fish for almost 7 years and this was my first true emergency.

I was feeding my fish and noticed that nothing was coming out of the out-tube of the filter. Turns out my Eheim cannister quit working. I took the filter apart. Boy, did the water in it smell. OMG! I couldn't pull the impeller out. You know, normally they come out pretty easily so you can clean them, held in by a small magnet. I don't know why it won't come out, but I deemed it d.e.a.d. and tossed it. Luckily, another my tanks, a cichlid tank, has two filters running on it. So I grabbed one and put it on the tank that had the broken one. I then did a 50% water change.

Also luckily, I kept Bio-Wheel 200 I used to use for that tank. I just need to get a new wheel for it on my way home today. I'll put some media from the cichlid tank into it for 2-3 weeks while new bio-wheel cycles.

I don't know how long the filter had been broken. The water in the tank had a slight smell to it and was off-color. The filter water was terrible though. No deaths yet. I know I'm not out of the woods as the new filter will need to cycle, and some permanent damage may have been done. I didn't test the water to see how high the ammonia was. I just didn't want to know.

 

[Verminator89]

Well, from the sounds of it you've resolved the issue so far. This reiterates a factor within fish keeping that i can't stress to people enough. It may cost a little more, but having a second filter on a tank can really get you out of the s**t at times. For those who have more than one tank it can really help, but even for those with one, having two filters really can save you alot of stress and money/fish loss.

I have 6 tanks currently (soon cutting down), but i always make sure there are atleast 7 external filters running. My general philosophy is atleast one more filter than i have tanks. I havn't had to swap them over in such a case as yours, but it goes to show how handy it is. Atleast i won't have an issue with not enough filters when i close 2 of them down

Heres to hoping you don't lose any fish