Forgot to unplug filter during water change

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VioletThePurple

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And now the usually quiet filter buzzes. Idk what I should do now. Should I get a new one? If I do it might upset the cycle. I think it still works but I'm not sure.
 
I would take it off the tank, dump all residual water out, and use an unused turkey baster or something to dump water back into the pump. That's what I did when my filter didn't start back up and that worked super well. But it also could need a cleaning
 
filter housing and impeller should be cleaned every month or two.
Well I think I may be a bit behind 🤦‍♂️ 🤣
I will see how to get into that part of the filter... Its usually easy for me to figure out how to take something apart 😅
 
The media yes (aquarium water). The casing, impeller and parts, any water. It doesn’t matter.
 
Aquaclear is a great HOB and I usually leave mine running during water changes...however, if the tank level gets too low, the water can back siphon and empty the filter. I sometimes will simply remove the inlet tube while the filter remains running, until the water level is restored.
As previously pointed out, simply remove the filter, disassemble, clean, and reassemble - a task that should be done about every month or two at the most especially to ensure that the impeller is not fouled with debris.

By the way, it's a myth (See Fish Hobby Myths vs. Truth)that all the beneficial bacteria lives in the filter. Oh the filter is a great place as food and O2 is constantly delivered. However, in the established tank, the BB in the substrate dwarfs that of any filter. As a matter of fact, in the established tank (say 6 months or longer) filter sponges can typically be cleaned in tap water with no adverse side effects! :)
 
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