Please Help!

[Aqua Tom]

Just clean it in tank water. eg get a jug of your tank water & dismantle & clean your filter in that water.


Tom

 

[-Jo-]

the only trouble is, is that the majority of the water in the tank is new water as i was mid way through filling it up with new water. So it wont be great for the bacteria will it? argh!! Have used a cotton bud and it still isnt getting anyway. ive tapped it a few times whilst its been on in the hope it will start but it hasnt. Really really unsure what to do now. I will have to clean it again i suppose and see if ive missed anything.

 

[tribalbrit]

is the tank full now??? IF not fill it up and try the filter again.. you may find that if its not full the filter can not lift the water as it should.

 

[Aqua Tom]

the only trouble is, is that the majority of the water in the tank is new water as i was mid way through filling it up with new water. So it wont be great for the bacteria will it? argh!! Have used a cotton bud and it still isnt getting anyway. ive tapped it a few times whilst its been on in the hope it will start but it hasnt. Really really unsure what to do now. I will have to clean it again i suppose and see if ive missed anything.

Is it dechlorinated tank water? If so then its not a paroblem.


Tom

 

[-Jo-]

yeah i have dechorinated it. thats ok then. I have had it on for about 15 mins in the hope that it works but it hasnt - so will turn it off and leave it for a few mins to cool. So is it ok to take the impeller away from the filter system, take off the bottom to take out the propeller, and literally dunk it in the water? all of the impeller? Im soooooo scared when it comes to electircals! ha!

 

[-Jo-]

its only that when it says power head where the impeller is - it suggests to me not to put water anywhere near it!

 

[tribalbrit]

The filter works by drawing water up out of the tank by means of the impeller, therefore water passes over or near to the impeller which is in a sealed electric motor.
Water can not enter the motor. remove the impeller, wash it and its housing. Is the tank now full of water?

 

[Rummynose]

I don't know what kind of filter you have but it sounds like one of those waterfall types, that hang on the back of the tank!?

Mine is an aquaclear, and the first one I had stopped working twice, it did not even make any motor sounds. Bought a new one and that also stalled....there was some gunk that was in the impeller housing and for some reason the motor then just would not work. I have got both filters working now, since I've figured out what the cause was.

I've used a tooth pick and gently poked around where the impeller sits. It must have loosened whatever was making it stuck, and I got them working again. Also check if the water intake tube is attached properly. Mine have to snap into place for the suction to work!

Whenever I do water changes I unplug all of the electrical equipment on the tank. The heater could burn you as you are working on the tank, and I read that the heat of it could burst the glass, and if you have your filter running as you are draining the tank, it could harm the motor of your filter!

 

[tribalbrit]

Have you sorted it???

 

[Mowbz]

Hey, will update on the other thread shortly, but just noticed this one!

Sounds nuts, but this works on my Fluval everytime. (Renowned for not restarting after switchoff!)

Turn the power on, give the impellor a nudge round if possible. (I use a small chrome coated electrical screwdriver to give it a spin. Any metal is fine, plastic if your paranoid.) The unit is earthed and there is no risk of shock through a plastic impellor. Theres also no other current carrying parts in the area, its completely safe.

It'll probably jump back to life.

Let us know when you;ve filled her back up

 

[-Jo-]

Hiya - thank you everyone for your replies!

Ive been at it for a good few hours now, prodding and poking and cleaning, and its now just packed in. When i turn it on theres nothing. it gurgled into life which was good - but then it made this awful loud clicking noise and then just stopped. its definitely gone as my filter and heater are plugged in the same socket - and my heater comes on fine. The filter just doesnt. I couldnt be any more gutted. Im guessing its back to square one....with a new powerhead.

 

[-Jo-]

Hey, will update on the other thread shortly, but just noticed this one!

Sounds nuts, but this works on my Fluval everytime. (Renowned for not restarting after switchoff!)

Turn the power on, give the impellor a nudge round if possible. (I use a small chrome coated electrical screwdriver to give it a spin. Any metal is fine, plastic if your paranoid.) The unit is earthed and there is no risk of shock through a plastic impellor. Theres also no other current carrying parts in the area, its completely safe.

It'll probably jump back to life.

Let us know when you;ve filled her back up

thank you for your reply I might have to keep this in mind for next time - its completly packed up it doesnt even switch on anymore. gutting!

 

[Mowbz]

Its potentially burned out. I feared this when i read above again and saw you had left it on waiting for it to come back to life

Did you try what i said?

 

[-Jo-]

I was only leaving it on 5 minutes or less at a time as I didnt want it to over heat too. Yeah I did do what you said - I used a plastic flat tooth pick thing (not actually sure what it was!) but to no avail

 

[-Jo-]

All the water is out of my tank and everything is switched off parts have been ordered and now its just the waiting game till they all arrive. I bought some spare sponges and carbon filters. Would it be best to put the new ones in before starting again ( ) or will the sponge and carbon filters I was using before be ok? Thought it might count as 'mature media' - but im unsure.