Bad filter purchase

T

TLT

AC Members
May 6, 2008
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I bought an Aquaclear 300 from some lady in the classifieds and when she offered to deliver it all for the low price of $10, I thought it was too good to be true. Alas! It was.

There is a branched crack underneath where the water overflows and the thing leaks. Can I seal the crack with silicone?

The rotar is also very loud. There's a low-pitched grinding coupled with a higher-pitched grinding, like grinding sand. I know that the impellar should be put properly into place, but doesn't it just go in?

Thanks for any help. Anything would be better than the "Get a new one" suggestion I got from the pet store.
 
Yes you can seal it but how long it will last is any one's guess. If the impeller is loud/noisy/vibrating it needs a new impeller. They are drop-in's. Clean everything with a Q-tip thoroughly in that area. A small brush would be better. Replace the impeller with a new one (about $6.00)

Never buy a used filter without testing it first.
 
i have sealed cracks in a few filters with crazy glue and had no problems i just glue it good and let it dry for about a week i use the thick crazy glue and i have been using those repaired filters in a tank now for almost a year and still no leaks and not one fish died from the crazy glue. there might be sand or something down in the impellar hole where it sits try and flush out the hole good i use a plastic chop stick to clean mine out with works well for me. good luck! next time make sure you hook it up and see if it works before you hand over your cash i always do if i am buying something used.
 
I tried to silicone a crack in my AquaClear. I found 20 gallons on my floor.
 
TLT said:
I bought an Aquaclear 300 from some lady in the classifieds and when she offered to deliver it all for the low price of $10, I thought it was too good to be true. Alas! It was.

There is a branched crack underneath where the water overflows and the thing leaks. Can I seal the crack with silicone?

The rotar is also very loud. There's a low-pitched grinding coupled with a higher-pitched grinding, like grinding sand. I know that the impellar should be put properly into place, but doesn't it just go in?

Thanks for any help. Anything would be better than the "Get a new one" suggestion I got from the pet store.
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Superglue, contrary to common opinion is NOT waterproof. Silicone could work.

The best would be to find out what type of plastic the filter body is constructed from, I have many AC filters, but am not sure myself. It is possible that acetone may "melt" the plastic, if so, with care, applying a thin "bead" of acetone along the DRY seam will cause it to weld perfectly.

All, in all, I would say $10 bucks ain't bad ... but then, that will depend on the cost of the solvent to "weld" the plastic ... perhaps others know what the material is which the case has been constructed from ...

Regards,
JS
 
fishyface said:
not true...reefers have been using superglue for years for fragging corals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate
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I would NOT lie, superglue is NOT waterproof ... squirt it you mouth, glut your teeth together ... in a couple of hours, or more, the bond will fail, you can get your teeth apart ... if you doubt this, research it on a manufacturers website ... they will tell you, it is NOT waterproof.

Now, it may "catch" in a crack and slow the leak to an imperceptible level, however, the glue, itself, is NOT waterproof--i.e., the bond cannot be maintained to surfaces when immersed in water.

But then, you CAN prove me wrong, find a manufacturer stating the glue is waterproof and present the URL here ...

Regards,
JS
 
fishyface said:
i didn't suggest you lied, but the link i provided states that it is waterproof as does this link: http://www.palmlabsadhesives.com/cyanoacrylate.htm

however in my experience methylene chloride or a similar solvent such as you mentioned previously is a much better option.
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fishface:

I certainly meant no disrespect. However, if it was truly waterproof it would make a perfect cement to glue our tanks together with ... it is not.

I have made the same mistake, at first I did think it was waterproof, I had to find out for myself--you are FAR from being alone.

Hey, that is what this is all about. Debating and getting to the rock bottom truth and getting US ALL ahead.

It does work with coral, but coral is porous, it goes into the pores of each piece and so "locks" the pieces together--I have not seen that under a microscope, but I believe that is how it works so well. With the smooth surfaces in a plastic break, such is not an option ...

Warm regards,
JS
 
Hmmm, I can only find that it's made from plastic. 'Seems like other people have had problems with cracking too. I'll try with silicone and hope it works in the long run. I'm not going to ditch the filter because I'd like to think that I got a good deal, rather than being gipped, lol. Thanks everyone for your input!
 
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