Filter Stopped, Shops Closed, Now What?

[Rhindon]

We have a five gallon hex tank (Marineland) that my daughter (who's at her dad's) has three male guppies in. I did a water change this morning, checked numbers this evening and all is fine. I went to put her clean clothes in her room and the filter isn't running. The tank is only about a month old.

The LFS is closed and I don't know what to do.

Suggestions?

 

[creeker]

What kind of filter is it? Is it one that hangs on the outside of the tank? If so, maybe it ran dry when you did the water change. If that's the case simply fill the filter with water until it starts flowing again.

 

[Rhindon]

It's over the tank, and it doesn't even sound like the filter's getting power.

 

[Rhindon]

The filter sits inside the tank, partially in the water when the tank is full. I tried pouring water over it (filter and biowheel) in the hopes that would kick start it, but nothing is happening. I don't know what to do. How long can these guppies live without a filter?

 

[Tolak]

Make sure the tank is full, fill the filter with tank water. If the motor for the filter feels warm, unplug it, give it 15 minutes to cool down. Plug it in, give the impeller a spin with your finger, or something like a pen if you have fat fingers like me.

If this doesn't work, take a small plastic cup, punch some holes in it, clip it to the inside of the tank. Put the media in the cup, every few hours pour water through the cup.

 

[Rhindon]

Whoa! I picked the filter up and it suddenly started sucking up water and then working. Any idea what could cause that?

 

[Tolak]

Shook the impeller to a slightly different spot, similar to giving it a spin.

 

[Rhindon]

Thanks. I did an 80 - 90 percent water change this morning, but I don't remember if I forgot to unplug the filter when I did it, since I've been doing them almost daily (fish-in cycle - had been so long since I'd established our 37 gallon tank that I'd forgotten).

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

sometimes wen our filter stopped (on our old filter) my husband would give it a slap and it would work