Uh oh, big problem... (filter related)

[Onyx!]

I woke up today to hear my filter making weird noises. I realized that there had been a power outage, so I unplugged it right away (it's a hang-on-back aquaclear). I plugged it back in a bit later so I could prime it and get it going again but it seems to be fried, it's not even making a sound :/

Now if a simple power outage is enough to destroy one of these things when it runs dry (though it did still have some water in the bottom) then obviously I don't want to buy another.

I thought I'd post just in case there's something I don't know and it's not actually fried and I need to do something to it that I don't know about? And if not, I've been seeing people talk about these canister filters, is that the way I should go? If so are there any really crappy brands that I should avoid?

 

[Onyx!]

Sorry for the double post, wasn't able to edit. The only store I currently have access to is Petsmart, going from their website they have Fluval, Marineland, and EHEIM to choose from (don't know if that's also true of my local store). The EHEIM seem pretty expensive though and would probably be overkill for a 16 gallon, though I do prefer to have double the filtration capacity compared to the gallons of water in my tank.

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

Hold on.....Unplug the filter if is not already, remove the impeller and then plug it in and see if it works. If so you are OK, if not take the motor off the filter by rotating it, be careful not to loose the black "o" ring. Make sure there is nothing caught in there and plug it in and see if it works. If not, lightly tap the side of the motor housing while it is plugged in with the handle of a screw driver or something. It should come back to life. If not you I know you can get the motor assembly separately if you wanted.

 

[Onyx!]

Thanks, you saved my life! It's working again. I decided to just give it a good cleaning out (except the filter media) then rinsed everything well in dechlorinated water, put the impeller back in, and voila it's working again.

I'm still interested in hearing anyone's opinion about canister filters though, as I've decided I'll probably be setting up a new tank in the near future and while I kind of like the bit of splashing sound from the one tank, twice that amount of splashing would drive me batty.

 

[aakaakaak]

HoB filters aerate your water and are usually pretty cheap. Canister filters provide a much greater flow of water but are normally more expensive. There's probably a dozen other differences that I'm unaware of.

 

[Onyx!]

I don't mind spending more if it's worth it, but I don't want to add too much current to a 16 gallon tank either. I'm not sure if a canister would be overkill, or if I'd need to add something to slow down the flow.

 

[Thyra]

No one ever mentions the Aqueon filter. I have had two of them for over 5 month now and they sure seem to work well and are relatively inexpensive. They start automatically also - don't need to be primed. Both Petsmart and Petco carry them and I noticed Petco has a coupon for $5 - $10 off. Also you can get them fro Petco by mail considerably cheaper.

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

I have never owned a canister filter, but Paige uses them and I think (pretty sure) she loves them! I have heard of leaks and people forgetting to clean them, but I think that happens with all filters! LOL

Glad I could help get your filter going!

 

[Newman]

I use a canister too and its good for FW tanks. heck i've seen someone use my canister the fluval 205 for a 5 gal SW tank lol. most new canisters can be adjusted for low flow anyway.

 

[Pooky125]

I had an Eheim 2213 for years. I think a 16 gallon tank would probably be just perfect for it, if it was filled with media. That said, yes, they are expensive, but also extremely reliable, silent, and will last for years. I had my eheim for 7 years before I ended up giving it away. Last I heard, it was still running strong, going on 11 years old now. Still ran silently too. I often had to check to see if it was still running.