Help! AquaClear leaking - Aquarium Advice

adelinamz · 04-15-2004, 04:46 AM

Is anyone out there? I need help! My aquaclear is leaking so I had to disconnect it. Of course it's 12:45 am so I can't go out and get another. Will all the fish die overnight?!

What can I do? I'm not about to do a water change every 2-hours all night long as my Fishlopeadia suggests!

CiRXSi · 04-15-2004, 10:29 AM

Your fish should be fine. How did things work? Did you get another filter yet? If this happens again, there shouldn't be any immediate danger to your fish. Just make sure that you have some sort of water movement going on. Either a powerhead or an air stone.

grimlock3000 · 04-15-2004, 10:41 AM

Where is it leaking from? I presume it is leaking from the O-ring seal that holds the motor on? You can try just re-lubing/replacing the seal. If something is cracked, that will not work.

Email the manufacturer and let them know you have a problem, they might send out a replacement

snapcrackler · 04-15-2004, 10:44 AM

Is it overflowing? Too much media combined with too much of a hanging alngle combined with a full tank = overflowing aquaclear.

If that is the case just remove some media.

AT 12:45 AM you can go out to walmart and get a whisper [acronym:0eb8da9505="Hang On Back"]HOB[/acronym:0eb8da9505].

hehe

malkore · 04-15-2004, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snapcrackler

AT 12:45 AM you can go out to walmart and get a whisper [acronym:d4d7452f40="Hang On Back"]HOB[/acronym:d4d7452f40].

hehe

gack! I'd rather have a leaking [acronym:d4d7452f40="Activated Carbon"]AC[/acronym:d4d7452f40] than anything with "whisper" in the brand name

adelinamz · 04-15-2004, 11:52 AM

Thanks for the replies. I did leave the various bubblers running all night (we have lots of these in the tank---my son likes bubbles!). I left the filter in my bathroom sink overnight and made sure to fill the housing with aquarium water. And go figure---it didn't leak! So are the bacteria ok? What should I do with the filter media while I take the filter back to the store? Should I float it in the tank? And what about the blue, star-shaped thingies I bought 3-4 weeks ago that are seeded with bacteria? Can these be placed in the tank itself (my son wants to decorate with them anyway!) or do they need to stay in the filter housing?
Unfortunately I had one fish death---one of the dwarf gouramis

-- I haven't time to carefully count the neon tetras but one of them may be missing too.

I hope there won't be more---the remaining fish don't appear to be stressed (to my untrained eye). I just did a 40% water change and when Petco opens at 9:00 I'll take the filter back and see if they can determine what's wrong with it. I haven't done anything to it since installing it 7.5 weeks ago. During a water change once I had to add more water to it cuz it somehow lost about half its water during the water change--- but that's it. So I don't know why it's leaking. It's a slow leak and appeared to be coming from the upper right hand corner---I think. . . . So once I get this figure out and fixed, should I replace the gourami? Are they best in pairs? The one that died was the less-dominant one---I sometimes saw the other nipping at it and chasing it a bit. . . .

Atlarge · 04-15-2004, 01:01 PM

If you have to replace it, get a penguin.

adelinamz · 04-15-2004, 04:26 PM

UPDATE: I went to PetSmart to return the AquaClear. They were out of AquaClear 300's so they gave me a Penguin Biowheel 170 instead. They said it was superior to the AquaClear anyway and assured me that I could use my retained media in it. However, once I opened the box I saw that it uses completely different media--- a slide-in cartridge! So I called two [acronym:f9d9c27f60="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:f9d9c27f60] and was told categorically by both that the AquaClear is actually far superior! How confusing!

However, I put more faith in the [acronym:f9d9c27f60="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:f9d9c27f60] stores than in PetSmart. Of course they're each a 30 minute drive from me rather than 10 minutes for PetSmart <sigh>. At least one of them is having a sale right now on AquaClears. The [acronym:f9d9c27f60="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:f9d9c27f60] guy also told me I should get some kind of special carbon for the filter rather than what it comes with. So I guess I'll go for that too. I'll have to act on this before reading your replies, but do you all agree with this assessment on the filter situation? I sure hope I don't lose any more fish. In addition to the dead gourami and MIA neon-tetra, I also have one zebra danio that's MIA.

I just don't know what's becoming of these fish. Now that I've taken out the filter media I see that they're not in there. How weird! amz

04-15-2004, 04:48 PM

Yeah! I agree Aqua Clear is far better.

adelinamz · 04-15-2004, 07:33 PM

Aaaack! I'm SO confused! It seems everywhere I turn I get conflicting info on how frequently to do partial water changes and how large these changes should be. One book author recommends frequent, large changes (twice a week, up to 50% of the water) and the [acronym:42d1654464="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:42d1654464] guy at the shop today said to do a 10% change every 2 weeks!!! He says most of the bacteria is in the water. <big sigh> At any rate, I bought an AquaClear 300 for my 29 gallon tank and I bought some zeolyte charcoal for it (supposed to be far superior to the charcoal it comes with), plus I bought some liquid bacteria, and some liquid gravel vac. I don't know what came over me---it cost a fortune!! Anyway, the [acronym:42d1654464="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:42d1654464] guy said to use the new sponge and new charcoal and get rid of the old. I WILL be keeping the blue foam star-shaped things and I assume they have bacteria on them. But I was nervous about not using the old sponge and charcoal. So I put the old sponge on top of the new charcoal in the filter basket and I have the old charcoal sitting on a bubbler in the bottom of the tank. Am I doing the right thing?! I'm wondering if I've been had by the [acronym:42d1654464="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:42d1654464] guy who saw $$ signs when I walked in. He said he's been keeping fish for 20 years and seemed to know what he was talking about. But then he said I should change both the sponge and the charcoal at the same time, regularly. And that's counter to what I've read. Again, I'm so confused! Help!! amz

04-15-2004, 04:46 AM	#1
adelinamz Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 17	Help! AquaClear leaking Is anyone out there? I need help! My aquaclear is leaking so I had to disconnect it. Of course it's 12:45 am so I can't go out and get another. Will all the fish die overnight?! What can I do? I'm not about to do a water change every 2-hours all night long as my Fishlopeadia suggests!

04-15-2004, 10:41 AM	#3
grimlock3000 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: maine Posts: 1,971 Images: 1	Where is it leaking from? I presume it is leaking from the O-ring seal that holds the motor on? You can try just re-lubing/replacing the seal. If something is cracked, that will not work. Email the manufacturer and let them know you have a problem, they might send out a replacement __________________ 26 freshwater 2x Sunburst Platys (2M, 2F) // 3x Neon Tetras (?) // 2x Cherry Barbs (1M, 1F) // 2x YoYo Loaches (?) // 1x Bushy Nose Pleco (M) // 1x Clown Pleco (?) // 15H marine -30# Live Rock -Mixed Snails (Nassarius // Cerith // Astrea // Black Turbo // Mexican Turbo) -8x Blue Leg Hermit Crabs // 1x Banded Serpent Star // 1x Cleaner Shrimp -1x Royal Gramma // 1x Percula Clownfish -2x Mushroom Leather // Metallic Green Star Polyps // Pulsing Xenia // Striped Xenia // Blue Mushroom -Remora + Maxi-Jet 1200 // 2x Maxi-Jet 600 // Maxi-Jet 400 // Visi-Therm Deluxe 50 // Current USA Orbit 2x 40w [acronym:f2db8017b4="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:f2db8017b4]

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04-15-2004, 10:29 AM	#2
CiRXSi Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Cheese, anyone? Posts: 169 Images: 11	Your fish should be fine. How did things work? Did you get another filter yet? If this happens again, there shouldn't be any immediate danger to your fish. Just make sure that you have some sort of water movement going on. Either a powerhead or an air stone.

04-15-2004, 10:44 AM	#4
snapcrackler Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,286 Images: 21	Is it overflowing? Too much media combined with too much of a hanging alngle combined with a full tank = overflowing aquaclear. If that is the case just remove some media. AT 12:45 AM you can go out to walmart and get a whisper [acronym:0eb8da9505="Hang On Back"]HOB[/acronym:0eb8da9505]. hehe

04-15-2004, 11:52 AM	#6
adelinamz Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 17	Thanks for the replies. I did leave the various bubblers running all night (we have lots of these in the tank---my son likes bubbles!). I left the filter in my bathroom sink overnight and made sure to fill the housing with aquarium water. And go figure---it didn't leak! So are the bacteria ok? What should I do with the filter media while I take the filter back to the store? Should I float it in the tank? And what about the blue, star-shaped thingies I bought 3-4 weeks ago that are seeded with bacteria? Can these be placed in the tank itself (my son wants to decorate with them anyway!) or do they need to stay in the filter housing? Unfortunately I had one fish death---one of the dwarf gouramis -- I haven't time to carefully count the neon tetras but one of them may be missing too. I hope there won't be more---the remaining fish don't appear to be stressed (to my untrained eye). I just did a 40% water change and when Petco opens at 9:00 I'll take the filter back and see if they can determine what's wrong with it. I haven't done anything to it since installing it 7.5 weeks ago. During a water change once I had to add more water to it cuz it somehow lost about half its water during the water change--- but that's it. So I don't know why it's leaking. It's a slow leak and appeared to be coming from the upper right hand corner---I think. . . . So once I get this figure out and fixed, should I replace the gourami? Are they best in pairs? The one that died was the less-dominant one---I sometimes saw the other nipping at it and chasing it a bit. . . .

04-15-2004, 01:01 PM	#7
Atlarge Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 131	If you have to replace it, get a penguin.

04-15-2004, 04:26 PM	#8
adelinamz Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 17	UPDATE: I went to PetSmart to return the AquaClear. They were out of AquaClear 300's so they gave me a Penguin Biowheel 170 instead. They said it was superior to the AquaClear anyway and assured me that I could use my retained media in it. However, once I opened the box I saw that it uses completely different media--- a slide-in cartridge! So I called two [acronym:f9d9c27f60="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:f9d9c27f60] and was told categorically by both that the AquaClear is actually far superior! How confusing! However, I put more faith in the [acronym:f9d9c27f60="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:f9d9c27f60] stores than in PetSmart. Of course they're each a 30 minute drive from me rather than 10 minutes for PetSmart <sigh>. At least one of them is having a sale right now on AquaClears. The [acronym:f9d9c27f60="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:f9d9c27f60] guy also told me I should get some kind of special carbon for the filter rather than what it comes with. So I guess I'll go for that too. I'll have to act on this before reading your replies, but do you all agree with this assessment on the filter situation? I sure hope I don't lose any more fish. In addition to the dead gourami and MIA neon-tetra, I also have one zebra danio that's MIA. I just don't know what's becoming of these fish. Now that I've taken out the filter media I see that they're not in there. How weird! amz

04-15-2004, 04:48 PM	#9
Guest Posts: n/a	Yeah! I agree Aqua Clear is far better.

04-15-2004, 07:33 PM	#10
adelinamz Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 17	Aaaack! I'm SO confused! It seems everywhere I turn I get conflicting info on how frequently to do partial water changes and how large these changes should be. One book author recommends frequent, large changes (twice a week, up to 50% of the water) and the [acronym:42d1654464="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:42d1654464] guy at the shop today said to do a 10% change every 2 weeks!!! He says most of the bacteria is in the water. <big sigh> At any rate, I bought an AquaClear 300 for my 29 gallon tank and I bought some zeolyte charcoal for it (supposed to be far superior to the charcoal it comes with), plus I bought some liquid bacteria, and some liquid gravel vac. I don't know what came over me---it cost a fortune!! Anyway, the [acronym:42d1654464="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:42d1654464] guy said to use the new sponge and new charcoal and get rid of the old. I WILL be keeping the blue foam star-shaped things and I assume they have bacteria on them. But I was nervous about not using the old sponge and charcoal. So I put the old sponge on top of the new charcoal in the filter basket and I have the old charcoal sitting on a bubbler in the bottom of the tank. Am I doing the right thing?! I'm wondering if I've been had by the [acronym:42d1654464="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:42d1654464] guy who saw $$ signs when I walked in. He said he's been keeping fish for 20 years and seemed to know what he was talking about. But then he said I should change both the sponge and the charcoal at the same time, regularly. And that's counter to what I've read. Again, I'm so confused! Help!! amz