HELP!! My filter isn't working!

It's an aqueous quiet flow 50 it's like running, I can hear it making that noise that some things make when they are plugged in. But it's not sucking up water. Anything is helpful!!

 

Check the holes under the water on the tube. If those aren't blocked then take it out while it's unplugged and drained and look inside the tube. If that's not blocked, plug it back in and see if it's magically working again. Mine took an extra 3 minutes to prime today. (But it was dealing with pretty low water for it)

 

Check the holes under the water on the tube. If those aren't blocked then take it out while it's unplugged and drained and look inside the tube. If that's not blocked, plug it back in and see if it's magically working again. Mine took an extra 3 minutes to prime today. (But it was dealing with pretty low water for it)

No such luck. It's not clogged and when I plugged it back in, it turned on again, still isn't sucking water and occasionally goes verrooOOOOerm softly ( like the ver gets a little louder then softer.)

 

No such luck. It's not clogged and when I plugged it back in, it turned on again, still isn't sucking water and occasionally goes verrooOOOOerm softly ( like the ver gets a little louder then softer.)

I've got one, take it out, leave your media in the tank so you don't kill BB and take the filter apart, clean it out and put it back together, usually works for me

 

Yeah. The magnet might be jammed as well somehow. I think the sound you're hearing is the magnet skipping or jamming

 

Yeah. The magnet might be jammed as well somehow. I think the sound you're hearing is the magnet skipping or jamming

Ok. Where is the magnet? (I'm bad with mechanical stuff) Also, I noticed that the part I'm pointing at in the picture is pretty hot. Could this be related to anything?


EDIT I found the magnet. I think it's magnetting all right? How can you tell if it's jammed?

 

Ok. Where is the magnet? (I'm bad with mechanical stuff) Also, I noticed that the part I'm pointing at in the picture is pretty hot. Could this be related to anything?

Re seam joining the motor to the intake (the box to the tube) should separate and contain your magnet if I remember correctly, look up a YouTube video or online manual to disassemble the filter

 

Re seam joining the motor to the intake (the box to the tube) should separate and contain your magnet if I remember correctly, look up a YouTube video or online manual to disassemble the filter

Ok. How do you tell if it's jammed?

 

It's hot because it's been running without water to cool it. It will be ok most likely.

 

It's really warm.

It's hot because it's been running without water to cool it. It will be ok most likely.

Ok good.

 

Ok good.

Take the magnet out of that little well and clean it out

 

Take the magnet out of that little well and clean it out

Success! Thank you so much!!

 

Yay! Glad you got it sorted.

 

Success! Thank you so much!!

Glad I could help, it may happen again some time down the road, rinse wash repeat and you should be fine. You're very welcome

 

Sometimes my filters will do this or just a very faint hum -- then I know it is time to clean the impellor. If it doesn't work, try again. One time it took 3 times using Q-tips to clean out where it goes before it would finally go.

 

Sometimes my filters will do this or just a very faint hum -- then I know it is time to clean the impellor. If it doesn't work, try again. One time it took 3 times using Q-tips to clean out where it goes before it would finally go.

The hum is always my sign to get down and dirty. Nice user name btw big fan

 

The hum is always my sign to get down and dirty. Nice user name btw big fan

Thanks! I am sad when it is taken and so have to use the_escapay instead.

 

Is it the live plants that are floating or is it the snails that are in there? My heater isnt working either, are my fish are going to die?

 

Is everything plugged in

 

What kind of fish do you have? What kind of filter? Is the extension cord still working? Do you have an air pump that still works?

Is it the live plants that are floating or is it the snails that are in there? My heater isnt working either, are my fish are going to die?

 

What kind of filter? The smaller ones seem to be more prone to having the motor burn out from being clogged, in my experience.

 

If you're using a HOB you'll need to manually fill it with water after you plug it in to get it going at first

 

If you're using a HOB you'll need to manually fill it with water after you plug it in to get it going at first

Good advice. Sometimes the exact same HOB you have on one tank doesn’t need to be primed, and another one does.

Next question...if it’s HOB, do you hear the motor working? Have you tried fiddling with the intake to make sure it’s seated correctly?

 

If both heater and filter fail to work I would first suspect a problem with the outlet both are plugged into.

 

If both heater and filter fail to work I would first suspect a problem with the outlet both are plugged into.

Oh, snap. There goes Mattgirl thinking like an engineer again.

 

If it turns out to be the outlet, go check your breaker panel and look for one pointed in the wrong direction, and snap it back into place before you go calling an electrician.

Took me a hot minute to think it out a step further, Mattgirl, but I had shrimp to buy/start drip-acclimating. Couldn’t turn down 20 more pounds of dragonstone at $3/lb when it was local, either. No S&H, got to choose the pieces myself, and man does it pair well with the Oil Dri cap.

 

Shrimp and stuff.

 

Is it the live plants that are floating or is it the snails that are in there? My heater isnt working either, are my fish are going to die?

I wouldn't say your fish are going to die, but I would see when this started, what size tank? The smaller the tank the smaller the filter the worse the filter(in my case). As mattgirl said above, it could be both.

 

I wouldn't say your fish are going to die, but I would see when this started, what size tank? The smaller the tank the smaller the filter the worse the filter(in my case). As mattgirl said above, it could be both.

Tank size makes a big difference. He’s right. Way easier to control parameters in a bigger tank than a small one, assuming you have the right gear (e.g., you aren’t using an HOB filter meant for a ten gallon tank on a 150G saltwater tank).

 

(Tank) size really does matter.

 

I did a filter cleaning last night and did everything the same as I have for years. When I hooked my 406 fluval canister filter back up it wouldnt take in water. I tried priming it with no luck. I removed my impeller and checked it and all looks fine. My primer looks good. I replaced all my hosing and still nothing. I did a couple test bumps to see if impeller turns and it's good. I'm at a total loss on what to do.

 

No gaps in anything anywhere they aren't supposed to be? That's all i got...i haven't dealt with canisters enough for any other ideas

 

Did u full it to the very top wit water. That’s how we usually have to get ours going also tipping it back n forth and front to back will sometimes help .

 

No gaps in anything anywhere they aren't supposed to be? That's all i got...i haven't dealt with canisters enough for any other ideas

No gaps check that over a few times.

Did u full it to the very top wit water. That’s how we usually have to get ours going also tipping it back n forth and front to back will sometimes help .

I will give that a shot.

 

I would agree with filling it full of water - I recently got a Fluval, and the manual says like "Do not fill with water!!!" when you open it up and maintain it. However, also having a Marineland Magniflow 360 (and another that the Fluval replaced) - it *needed* to be filled up before starting it. Is it making an electric sound and air noise when you plug it in, or is it just doing *nothing* at all?

 

No gaps check that over a few times.

I will give that a shot.

No luck with that either. I filled it right to the brim. Gave it a tilt a couple times to get the water worked through everything and then filled the hoses. No water is moving when I turn it on. I can hear the motor going and I know the impeller is working so I have no idea why No water movement.

I would agree with filling it full of water - I recently got a Fluval, and the manual says like "Do not fill with water!!!" when you open it up and maintain it. However, also having a Marineland Magniflow 360 (and another that the Fluval replaced) - it *needed* to be filled up before starting it. Is it making an electric sound and air noise when you plug it in, or is it just doing *nothing* at all?

I tried filling it like the other poster had suggested and no luck. It sounds normal. Everything looks good but no water flow.

 

You don’t really need to have the canister full of water to get it to prime, as long at the input side is full of water and the input is in the water in the tank you should be able to open the tap and let gravity do the rest. If you cannot get the input side full of water there is always a fool proof way of priming, take the output out of the water, make sure everything is empty, the can, both hoses. Now suck on the output, I know it’s nasty but this is the last ditch effort, now once the water starts to enter the canister gravity should fill it, once filled out the output back in the tank and turn it on, if everything is full of water you either have a broken impeller or a bad pump.
Good luck!

 

I would double check inside the housing where the impeller sits to make sure there isn’t anything holding it from initial startup like a rock or sand or a snail

 

I had my husband siphon the output hose to create a suction for the whole loop and it seems to have done the trip. I have never had this happen in the many times I have done this cleaning before. It was weird and hopefully doesn't happen again. Thanks for all your suggestions.

 

Consider removing the hoses and cleaning them out.