Filter Concerns at 1am

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coreygeorge

Aquarium Advice Newbie
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Dec 1, 2014
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9
It's 1am and my filter (aquaclear 110) is making quite loud grinding sounds (I tried cleaning it according to the instructions etc.) but it didn't help. It's spurting water at odd intervals, and the motor feels warmer than usual. I don't feel good about leaving it running while I go to sleep

If I unplug it for the rest of the night, do you think the fish will okay? It's a 75 gallon but it's only small tetras (about 15), a cory, a snail and a few shrimp inside, and 3 live plants

Will they be okay until about 10-11am when I can go and get a new motor?
 
Hope you slept well.
Look to see if the impeller is cracked or broken(missing/cchipped paddle).
IMO it sounds like your stocking will be fine for a day or so if needed.
 
Hope you slept at all. Lol

The fact it is spurting water at odd intervals, it is probably the impeller that broke, but I would have just taken it out, clean the motor and inspect that and try again, maybe something is just stuck.

Leaving it off that long probably kills off all the bb in the filter.

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Leaving it off that long probably kills off all the bb in the filter.

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I have left my filter off for a day before and did not detect any cycle when I turned it back on. The BB isn't as fragile as some think

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Thanks everyone. Sadly didn't sleep much, between my dog on 24 hour watch at the vet and then this filter it was a long night lol.

I let it run and just checked it every hour since I was awake anyways.

I've cleaned it a couple times (found some videos and followed the instructions) and nothing has worked, and sadly PetSmart won't honour the 2 year warranty on the filter (haven't even had it a year) so I'm just looking for a replacement motor if possible - that way the tank will only be filter-less for about an hour

Hopefully it won't be too expensive or I'll just buy a whole new filter - guess the fish might have to go on no-name food for a while lol
 
Can you show us a PIC of the impeller? As in, do you see any physical damages?


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Did you contact Fluval customer support? They are quite helpful and should honor their warranty. As long as there is water still in the filter with the bb then I do t think it will die that quickly. It's pretty hardy if you keep everything wet.

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Leaving it off that long probably kills off all the bb in the filter.
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I want to respectively disagree with this also.
I have left my filter off for a day before and did not detect any cycle when I turned it back on. The BB isn't as fragile as some think
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BB really isn't as fragile as many think !
My understanding is actually does not 'die' ,but rather goes into hibernation,where upon 'reviving' it grows again .
I realize you can kill it but even a dry spell I think can be tolerated(think killie about eggs,dry seasons in nature??).
Did you contact Fluval customer support? They are quite helpful and should honor their warranty. As long as there is water still in the filter with the bb then I do t think it will die that quickly. It's pretty hardy if you keep everything wet.
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^+1^
I am an AC HOB big time fan.
I like them and would contact fluval as brennae mentioned.
 
I have the same issue with one of my filters on the 75... Deep-cleaned it, and when i plugged it back in, it sounded like a motorcycle zooming down the highway at 80 miles per hour, insanely loud. I put a price of plastic to lift the impeller a bit and it is quiet, but doesn't work quite properly... However, it is older than its warranty and I'm thinking of investing in making a small sump instead of replacing the HOB.


If money cant buy happiness, that why do I need a job? I mean, I should be getting these fish free, since I don't have to pay for happy...
 
I did check the impeller and there was no damage to it, everything was in good condition - no changes since I had cleaned it a few months ago.

I actually had to put my dog down yesterday, so I was beyond trying to deal with the warranty etc. and just bought a new filter (the same one).

It went from bad to slightly less bad lol. While not as noisy, this new filter has a slight clicking noise to it, louder than it should be. Also, the intake tube (u-shaped) has a large space in it right where the water goes down into the filter, so the water splashes. I swear didn't have this issue before on the old filter, the water seemed to pretty much fill the entire tube. When the clicking dies down (it seems to come and go) it honestly sounds like someone is constantly peeing in my livingroom...

Maybe I've just become sensitive to the noise because of how loud this last one was, but I've seen enough videos on youtube of these filters to know they should run far more silently than this.

I'm at the point where I'm going to take it back and start fresh with a different brand - though I have been considering spending the money on a canister filter - I hear they are very quiet and dependable.

I'll hunt around and/or start a new thread, but any suggestions on brands? Or any ideas on how to fix this, I have heard that Vaseline can help with a smoother running impeller, but I don't feel like I should have to be doing this after only 4 hours of use
 
I am so very sorry about your dog. I'm an animal rescuer and big lover of animals so I really can understand how devastating it is to lose your furry family member.

I only use fluval cannister filters. When you feel up to it shoot fluval an email.

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I'm sorry for your dog.

As for the aquaclear filters... They are really a hit and miss as far as noise is concerned. Hagen will not help with this.

Also, the intake tube should have a piece of plastic ring that slides on the tube inside the filter. I guess you should take it back. But the AC110 is the largest HOB ever, so you will have no choice but to go with a canister.

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Do you find it to be a quiet filter? My tank is in the basement by my TV, computer and bed - it's a large room, but I can this new aquaclear at the top of the stairs so I'll lose my mind if I spend another $150 to upgrade to one and have it be noisy. It would sit in the cabinet under my aquarium, so that would help muffle any sound I'm sure

I'd need the Fluval 406 since the 306 is only for 70 gallons, figures I'd be 5 gallons over lol.
 
I hear nothing from my Fluval cannisters. I have 4. Not sure they are running unless I look at the output.

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Thank you for the kind words about my dog by the way. On Thursday she had 4 seizures that left her unable to use her hind legs. She was a lab and going on 15, had bad arthritis and muscle atrophy, it just wouldn't be fair to leave her not even able to stand or walk. The house feels pretty empty without her, our little dog is taking it hard too, but it was the right thing to do.

And thank you for the quick reply, I'll be taking the aquaclear back in a few hours and getting a Fluval canister - if having a filter that actually works isn't worth the money, my sanity is, this noise is driving me crazy lol
 
Oh when you get the Fluval cannister they come with carbon inserts. I'd toss those and get the ammonia remover instead. It's especially helpful if your tank goes through a mini cycle or something.

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Mine was making some noises today. The easy quick fix was to use the black adjustment thing on the bottom of the filter to make it level with the tank. Probably not your issue, but just incase???

Oops, sorry, I was responding to a few pages back.
 
I think I'm jinxed when it comes to filters... my Fluval started off quiet, but has progressively gotten louder! Now it is in a wooden cabinet that sits on tile, so I understand a little sound, but even with a piece of carpet under it is louder than I have heard about and seen in videos. It also sounds like it is resetting and re-fills randomly at times, and lets out a burst of water/air so the tank fills with bubbles?

I primed it properly, unplugged it the other day for a w/c and gave it a few primes to make sure it didn't have air in it (as someone on another site suggested), but it hasn't helped.

I'm wondering, I have an older power bar, maybe an upgrade to a newer/higher one would help? Could that effect how it functions?

I uploaded a video here, if you have ever encountered/heard this before with yours? If not I might start a new post about this, find some other 406 canister owners who have had issues

Video - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting
 
I couldn't watch the video on my phone but this is craziness. I know you said you primed it but it sounds like air is trapped somewhere. When I first start mine I have to prime it a lot for all the air to work out. Did you fill it with water or did you set it up and prime it til the air all comes out then plug it in?
When you say power bar do you mean like a power strip of outlets? I am curious now that I reread your post if the canister isn't getting enough power or there are surges? I have all GCFI outlets and power strips so if one thing is not getting enough power everything cuts out which did happen last week when I tried to plug in my new 206.
I feel bad now because I keep suggesting Fluval to everyone. I know they aren't open on weekend probably but I'd take a look at the electric and if that doesn't work I'd contact them. That's an expensive filter and it should work properly.

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Oh and maybe check how close to level and plum the canister is? If it's way off maybe that's fouling it up with air inside?

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