Fluval Chi Filter Not Working

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zophie

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Hi,
I have a Fluval Chi, 5 gallons, with one betta fish in it. I've had it so far for 4 months.
The other day when I came to feed my fish, I found that the filter was making this really loud noise! It was so loud that you could here it through the door! I unplugged it and changed the filter pads (because sometimes it makes a spluttering noise if the pads haven't been changed or the water level is too low).
Good news: the noise stopped
Bad news: the filter stopped working.
The filter was just not pumping any water! I took it out and cleaned the motor, which seemed perfectly fine. Still no progress. I took it to the LFS I bought, and they said to 'hit it, and it would start working again'. Made absolutely no progress.

I don't have a filter in my tank, and I need one urgently! Please, any help would be greatly appreciated :)

Z
 
OK 2 things:

First always have a spare!

Second, don't hit it! ;P

You've had it for 4 months? Its still well within warantee, take the filter back to the store if you can (its their responsibility to contact Fluval) or, try contacting them yourself.

Does the filter run off an independent plug?, Have you checked the fuse (be careful with this, if itsw a sealed plug you will void the warantee/make it non-waterproof).

I would just go pick up a temporary filter before your filter bacteria dies...
 
I took it to the LFS I bought, and they said to 'hit it, and it would start working again'.
Sorry, but that is just appalling customer service :eek:

At 4 months old it should still be under some kind of manufacturers warranty. Take it back and demand an immediate replacement. Take your receipt to prove the date of purchase and check the user booklet to be sure on the warranty time scale. Ask to see the manager if necessary, and probably take some moral support with you, like a friend or relative.

In the meantime, daily water changes will take care of any ammonia. You need to do large ones, as large as you can do: 90%+. Leave him enough water to swim upright in and change the rest. If you can do them twice a day that'd be even better, then you could probably to two 75% changes a day.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!
 
Hi, thanks for the replies. Well, I've found out tragically that I don't have the receipt!! :( :angry: I went to a better LFS, and they told me to pour water through it. It actually worked... almost.

Water started definitely moving in there, and I could see it bubbling, ready to come out the top. But it just wouldn't spill out of the top! Finally I unplugged it because the noise was really annoying. I waited for an hour.

Perhaps something is blocked. Everything looked totally clean, though.

Is it possible to return something without a receipt?
 
Yes,

Perfectly possible.

Do you have a bank/credit card statement for the purchase? (Or did you pay by cash?).
 
Contact fluval themselves if you have no proof of purchase, they can't refuse that it is their product after all.
 
Try turning it a quarter turn to allow air biuble to escape or it gets blocked and appears broken.
 
I would recommend contacting Fluval! I had a issue with my my chi and my flora, and they sorted my problems and they gave me some freebies! I can not praise Fluval's customer support enough!
 

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