HELP!!! All my Filters have stopped working.

[JasonJason92]

I have a Fluval Edge 6 gallon aquarium with sand and dalmation mollies. I have had it for about 3 months. In those 3 months i have bought 3 filters. The AquaClear that came with it stopped working after a water change. I cleaned it and it started up again. Few weeks later it stopped working. I bought the same filter and again stopped working. I then bought a Marineland penguin bio-wheel 100 and that one only lasted a week. I bought another Marineland 100 and same thing. I dont think these filters and sand mix. Once the sand gets in them they stop working. I try everything cleaning them filling them up with water and nothing. Is there any filter out there that won't stop working when sand gets in them?? Please help.

 

[Surfer]

Canisters maybe? I'm not sure, all of my tanks are sand and none of my filters have stopped working. My plecos kick up a lot of sand and that doesn't seem to be a problem :/ you can try to get the propeller moving on the aqua clear yourself to get it started again. But if it doesn't work completely then maybe someone else has more experience here.

 

[JasonJason92]

Canisters maybe? I'm not sure, all of my tanks are sand and none of my filters have stopped working. My plecos kick up a lot of sand and that doesn't seem to be a problem :/ you can try to get the propeller moving on the aqua clear yourself to get it started again. But if it doesn't work completely then maybe someone else has more experience here.

I no longer have the AquaClear's i threw them away. But i did do that for them and it did help but still they stopped working. On the Penguin you can't do that. The propeller is attached by a magnet and the blades are next to that. So if you pull the propeller out nothing happens since the magnet doesn't touch the other part.

 

[Jake Larsen]

I read somewhere that if you have sand substrate you can put piece of panty hose around the intake tube. This way the sand wont be able to get to the mechanical pieces of the filter. But still at the same time it won't suck all the bigger pieces of stuff that needs to be filtered. Its worth a shot. I'll try to find the article I read and I'll post the link.

 

[Cactuspixie]

I read somewhere that if you have sand substrate you can put piece of panty hose around the intake tube. This way the sand wont be able to get to the mechanical pieces of the filter. But still at the same time it won't suck all the bigger pieces of stuff that needs to be filtered. Its worth a shot. I'll try to find the article I read and I'll post the link.

Or a piece of sponge. It wouldn't matter what kind of filter it is- they all have impellers, and impellers don't like grit. Make sure you turn the filter off while doing the pwc and wait for the sand to resettle before firing it up again.

 

[patrickriley2010]

I have a Fluval Edge 6 gallon aquarium with sand and dalmation mollies. I have had it for about 3 months. In those 3 months i have bought 3 filters. The AquaClear that came with it stopped working after a water change. I cleaned it and it started up again. Few weeks later it stopped working. I bought the same filter and again stopped working. I then bought a Marineland penguin bio-wheel 100 and that one only lasted a week. I bought another Marineland 100 and same thing. I dont think these filters and sand mix. Once the sand gets in them they stop working. I try everything cleaning them filling them up with water and nothing. Is there any filter out there that won't stop working when sand gets in them?? Please help.

Your impeller could have got sand in it if you were not turning your filter off before cleaning ! Check the impeller see if its blocked keep your filter media in the water by an airstone maybe ? To help keep the BB alive .

 

[JasonJason92]

Your impeller could have got sand in it if you were not turning your filter off before cleaning ! Check the impeller see if its blocked keep your filter media in the water by an airstone maybe ? To help keep the BB alive .

Thax guys for all the replies. I did clean the filters inside and outside. The propeller did have sand in it on the AquaClear and it did help but as i said it still stopped working a week later. I did see that some people are using a sponge so i might try doing that. Luckly yesterday i was at PetsMart and bought a Fluval U2 filter so that is helping the fish right now. Going to take back the PenGuin 100 BioWheel that i just bought last week and return it or exchange it for the AquaClear it seems to work longer than the Penguin one. Thax again guys.

 

[JasonJason92]

My Fluval Chi is perfect the water is crystal clear and the filter works fine. I think it's because the filter is at least 8 inches from the sand. On the Fluval Edge the intake tube is only 2 inches from the sand. Never had this much problems before and i had a huge 36 gallon tank before with sand. I will kepp trying.

 

[patrickriley2010]

Thax guys for all the replies. I did clean the filters inside and outside. The propeller did have sand in it on the AquaClear and it did help but as i said it still stopped working a week later. I did see that some people are using a sponge so i might try doing that. Luckly yesterday i was at PetsMart and bought a Fluval U2 filter so that is helping the fish right now. Going to take back the PenGuin 100 BioWheel that i just bought last week and return it or exchange it for the AquaClear it seems to work longer than the Penguin one. Thax again guys.

Jason you do realize everytime you take a filter out or it breaks you ruin your fishtank cycle right?

Also these filters should not be breaking! You have to be doing something way wrong to keep breaking them. Like I said before turn them off when cleaning and leave them off untill the sand settles back down.

 

[Ian086]

Try and keep the filter intake about 2" above the sand. As was said, turn off your filter during cleaning and/or water changes. You certainly shouldn't be having that many filters break. Grease the impeller, might stop the sand getting inside it. What kind of sand are you using and did you wash it really well before adding it. A small piece of polyfil inside the intake tube might help but will involve clean it more and when you try and take it out, some of the dirt will go back into the tank. You could also try this, a prefilter sponge;

 

[JasonJason92]

Jason you do realize everytime you take a filter out or it breaks you ruin your fishtank cycle right?

Also these filters should not be breaking! You have to be doing something way wrong to keep breaking them. Like I said before turn them off when cleaning and leave them off untill the sand settles back down.

I do turn them off when doing water changes. I wait till the aquarium is almost full then i pour a cup of water that i got out of the aquarium to prime the filter again. I then plug it in and thats when it either stops working or it works. Since i have bought the same filters the filter media stays the same and i just used the old ones to keep the aquarium establish. I will try the sponge thingy.

 

[patrickriley2010]

I do turn them off when doing water changes. I wait till the aquarium is almost full then i pour a cup of water that i got out of the aquarium to prime the filter again. I then plug it in and thats when it either stops working or it works. Since i have bought the same filters the filter media stays the same and i just used the old ones to keep the aquarium establish. I will try the sponge thingy.

If you didnt wash the sand and its just really small particles

 

[JasonJason92]

If you didnt wash the sand and its just really small particles

What do you mean wash the sand? I did wash it when i set up the aquarium. It has been set for 3 months. Should i wash it again?

 

[Cactuspixie]

What do you mean wash the sand? I did wash it when i set up the aquarium. It has been set for 3 months. Should i wash it again?

No, it doesn't need washing again- just make sure the intake is not close to the sand, stab a hole in a piece of coarse sponge to cover the intake, and ensure the sand has settled after pwcs before turning the filter back on.

I have a couple of HOBs which I use purely for back up BB, and sometimes they have trouble starting back up. Sometimes jiggling the bit that sits over the impeller works, other times I have to get very technical and bang the whole thing a couple of times. :Hide: I probably should clean the impellers more frequently, but unlike my canisters, where I can just shut the valves and take the lid off to clean the impeller (without disturbing the media or the tank) with the HOB I always end up making a mess inside AND out of the tank, and have to disturb the media to get at the impeller. Then I have the problem of fitting it back together so that the impeller can spin freely (the screeching noise when i get it wrong cuts through me!)

I have to say- you've got me worried because I'm about to set up a tank with sand!

 

[patrickriley2010]

I do turn them off when doing water changes. I wait till the aquarium is almost full then i pour a cup of water that i got out of the aquarium to prime the filter again. I then plug it in and thats when it either stops working or it works. Since i have bought the same filters the filter media stays the same and i just used the old ones to keep the aquarium establish. I will try the sponge thingy.

If you didnt wash the sand and its just really small particles

 

[JasonJason92]

If you didnt wash the sand and its just really small particles

Well i went and exchange the Penguin Bio wheel for the Fluval Aquaclear 20. I also bought one of those sponge thingys that go on the intake tube. I will follow the advice i got on here and wait 5 minutes for everything to settle down after doing water changes to turn the filter back on. I think what the problem for me is that i am using Caribea Sand. When i first got into the hobby years ago, i bought play sand and never had any problems. I might switch to play sand after all it's only 5 bucks. Thax again guys.

 

[Surfer]

Well i went and exchange the Penguin Bio wheel for the Fluval Aquaclear 20. I also bought one of those sponge thingys that go on the intake tube. I will follow the advice i got on here and wait 5 minutes for everything to settle down after doing water changes to turn the filter back on. I think what the problem for me is that i am using Caribea Sand. When i first got into the hobby years ago, i bought play sand and never had any problems. I might switch to play sand after all it's only 5 bucks. Thax again guys.

Different types of sand never occurred to me. I use play sand without any problems. Good idea on changing it back.

 

[JasonJason92]

Different types of sand never occurred to me. I use play sand without any problems. Good idea on changing it back.

Well i did everything you guys told me. I put one of those spongy thingys on the intake tube. I waited 10 minutes for the sand to settle down after doing water changes. The filter lasted me a month and one week. I made the mistake of one day rearanging a plant and sand got into the filter even with the sponge thingy and it stopped working. Yesterday i cleaned the aquarium, dumped all the sand and now using white gravel instead. Hopefully this will work for me. I bought 3 swordtails. I used the same decorations and same filter media to get the aquarium ready for the fish. Hopefully the filter will last me this time. I have never never had this many problems with a filter and i have had so many tanks over the years.

 

[reefdiver]

I to think it may have being the sand. The Caribsand is really find if not wash well it will get into filter. I have it in a 36 gl but only have 20 lbs. but when I run my hand trough it it will go every where.

 

[reefdiver]

Word of advice never junk any extra stuff always come in handy or sell on ebay