Canister Filter Emergency!

[follicle]

Help!

Tonight, I disconnected my Eheim Classic 2215 Canister Filter from the intake and output tubes using the quick release gang valves so I could rinse off the filter media.

After getting it cleaned out, I reconnected the tubes to the canister. When I turned the canister on, water drips from the middle of both the intake and output gang valves connections. I disconnected the valves again and examined both of them, as I thought there might have been a small crack in both, but I couldn't find anything. I disconnected and reconnected the gang valves several times to no avail. Water keeps dripping right out of the middle of these things (about one drop every five minutes). Here is a photo of the quick release gang valve with the area of the leak circled in red:

I live in a small town, and don't have immediate access to spare parts. At the same time, I find it odd that both broke at the same time. I am wondering if it could be something else. My plan is to contact a LFS tomorrow that I believe makes house calls. Contacting Eheim is out of the question since all they do is refer you to a local dealer – there are none within a 100 miles radius of my home. Worse case senerio, I might just have to try to find spare valves online and hope that's the fix, because I don't think I could return them.

Here are my questions:

1. Any idea what's going on? I mean, I really don't think they are cracked, as I really can't see any damage. I have them connected as tight as they will go. Could I have done something else wrong?
   
2. This might turn into a three or four day wait until I can get spare parts. Until then, I won't have a running filter. Should I do a 20-30% water change everyday as well as check the levels to avoid any spikes? Anything else I should be doing?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

[mom2reds]

float your filter media in your tank so the bacteria stays alive and at least then you will not have to recycle your tank. I wish i could help you with the leak problem but I really don't know.

good luck

 

[severum mama]

My advice would be to run a HOB filter on your tank and stuff as much media as possible inside of it until you can get replacement parts for your Eheim. Whatever media doesn't fit inside of the HOB, just float it in the tank. I guess if you can't get a HOB filter, float all the Eheim media in your tank and at least run powerheads for circulation, and possibly an airstone. Good luck!

 

[Ruadh]

I'm not familiar with these units but I assume there are 'O' rings to seal the connectors?
Try putting a little vasaline on the rings before you put them back together. I figure maybe the rings arn't seating all the way and the lub might help.

 

[follicle]

Thanks for all of the replies... I tried the vasaline without any luck, but that was a good idea! I kind of thought they weren't connecting correctly. For the fix, I went ahead and ordered two of these: Stop Cock Fits 400594 Tubing

They're basically the same thing I have now, without two valves and the connection between them (which is the area that sprang a leak). Hopefully these will solve the problem. I will just have to deal with not having a quick release mechanism. It's not like I clean it all the time, anyway. All they had was standard shipping – I'm hoping they'll be here by Thursday or Friday.

I'm tight on money right now, so I don't think I could invest in an HOB filter right now. In the mean time, I've placed all of the filter media in the tank and I'll run my airstone 24 hours a day. I am really concerned about all of my fish. I hope they can live through this. I'll stay up on water changes and I'll monitor the levels – I guess that's all I can do.

I kind of feel like complaining to Eheim. I was very careful and gentle putting this filter together. Now because of two small leaks, my fish are at risk, my water is cloudy again (which I just got corrected!), I'm out 40 bucks (with shipping), and I spent a good three hours just playing around with the darn thing.

Oh, well...

 

[severum mama]

I'd contact Eheim. That's really not cool that you've had to waste time and money trying to correct this defect, and their products aren't exactly cheap to begin with. If they refer you to a dealer just explain your situation... if they refuse to help, that's when I'd give them attitude. But that's just me.

Good luck!