Inherited fish part IV: HELP!

[SaraHall]

Hi guys,
thanks for the great info and help but even though I have visited the fluval site and read the directions for reconnecting my fluval 303 filter and getting it to work. It hasn't. The directions say to open the in valve first and then the out and I've done that, but it doesnt work. I am going nuts with this dang filter. SOmeone said I may need a pump to get it started but it doesnt have a pump on it. I've gotten all the air out, managed to place the o ring in the right spot maintaining an air vac seal, but it still doesnt work! question? Are there people who visit homes to help with this stuff that I can pay to come out or something? Do you guys know anybody in the northern nj area?
I am deperate and so are the fish that I care for. :(
I feel sorry for them. I am now like dr joyce brothers of aquaria land telling them (the fish) to hang in there, I'll figure it out eventually!
Sad actually..quite sad :(
Sara

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

Sara, Sara, Sara-You have had quite the time havnt you? :) One option is to drag the whole thing into a really good LFS and get their onsite guru to help you...OR, you could try contacting a local fish club...Maybe get involved with them and maybe they will help you...
Is it possible that the thing was on the fritz to begin with??? Maybe it wasnt working anyway...You may want to consider ditching the thing and buying a new or gently used filter...They are not terribly expensive and way better then driving yourself mad with that thing. For a new filter try www.bigalsonline.com for used try www.craigslist.com or our own Ads onsite here.

[FishInMaryland]

I'm not familiar with what the 303 looks like, but if it's an earlier version of the "04" series of Fluval filters, I've been through this with my 404. One time when I got no flow, the problem was that the impeller was not spinning, so not drawing any water in/out of the filter. To check this, I took the top part of the filter, that houses the motor, and just plugged it in, dry. It doesn't hurt anything, and I could see that the impeller was not spinning. New impeller and voila, everything was fine. Normally, though the problem is that there is a bit of air trapped somewhere. You must get out ALL air, or these things don't work. At least, the older versions don't. The design for the 04s has been changed, hopefully for the better, but I don't have a newer one.

You might be able to get a parts manual on the Hagen website. Or, as somebody else suggested, just get a new filter.

Good luck!!

[ksimmo1]

You also have to make sure that the hoses don't have too much slack, if they do theres a good chace that air is trapped in the bends of the hose. The way that I always started my 303, and now my 304, was to drain it completely and blow the water out of the hoses. Then with it empty and set back up, put the intake hose back in the water and suck on the outtake hose as hard as you can. You should hear the water draining into the filter. As soon as the water stops draining plug it back and hopefully it will start back up. If it doesn't, check the impeller to make sure it isn't jammed or broken. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries, especially with a fluval, which are notorious for hard restarts.

[SaraHall]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone,
I still cant get the dang thing started and I am not the bob villa of fish world. Oh god! what have I gotten myself into? :(
Well, tomorrow, being halloween, I might get one of the 'ghouls' that come ta the door to help me! YES! I AM cracking up!
I can't wait to go and suck the intake hose to get it working again, the mere THOUGHT of sucking in that WONDERFUL water just makes my millenium! :)
I shall try once more and if no avail will unhook the whole kit and kaboodle and take it to elis aquarium store up the road. THAT GUY seems ta know everything about fish and fish environs. If not I'll get a new filter.
The wels are all well! ironically, even in MY HANDS!
a rodent fell in the pond and the koi and wels had lunch. Now I am worried they will get worms or something.
Guy at pond plant store had me buy about 60$ worth of pods, plants and flora to winterize the pond. so I guess if they dont die of mouse worm infestation I am ok with them. Gwaaad!!
I feel like such the idiot for not being able ta start that dang fluval filter and the aquarium is starting to smell like bad fish at the market!
So I have been changing 50% of their water with dechlorinated water every other day and they seem happy happy joy joy all around. OF COURSE the poo is adding up. which is simply lovely.
The sucker fish is now eating gourmet algae pellets because the fish guy said that it will help him grow. I mean he is only about 9 inches now so I CANT WAIT for him ta grow!The albino oscars are happier with a new filter I bought them, but I have to install the heaters soon because its getting cold in the basement.
Pretty soon I will be ready for the funny farm!
But thanks again for your help. :)
Regards
Sara :shark:

[Holly9937]

Sounds like you're doing pretty well over all!! Congrats. The water changes will really help, are you doing a gravel vacuum when you do them? That will help keep the POO from accumulating, but messy fish are messy fish. Good luck with that evil filter :joke:

[SaraHall]

Hi Holly,
Yeah I am doing the 'poo suck' (sounds gross ey?) whilst changing buckets of water but thanks for the suggestion. :)
Sara

[SaraHall]

Hi Holly,
Yeah I am doing the 'poo suck' (sounds gross ey?) whilst changing buckets of water but thanks for the suggestion. :)
Sara

[wataugachicken]

instead of putting an empty tube into the tank and trying to suck the water into the tube, fill the tube at the sink, then cover the ends. put one end into the water and take your finger off the other end in the bucket, then uncover the end of the tube in the tank. when you've filled the bucket, cover up the tank end again so the water stays in it before you take it out.

[SaraHall]

Well success finally. I took the fluval 303 to the local petco and he said that the older fluvals don't have a self pump on top of the canisters and ya have to suck the water ta get it going. Well, he tried it in an aquarium with feeder fish and after one fish had tunnel vision(got sucked in the intake tube poor fella) the guy blew him out again! anyway, it seems to be working A OK. So Thanks again for everyones help! next dilema is the heaters and or lack of heaters. 3 aquariums have heaters and 6 don't AHHHHHHHH! The albino oscar looks cold cold cold.. His feeder goldfish buddy seems okay. But I understand goldfish and Oscars have different requirements. The Koi, Wells and Ugly fish seem to be Okay outside especially AFTER I installed the 'raccoon mesh'. I put the plants in they seem to have rooted in the substrate and they look A OK. I just need to figure out the heaters. So if anyone knows how hot or cold heaters need to be it would be a great help. I have the heaters that look like a giant thermometer with two suction cups. I dont know if they all look like that so I thought I'd give you a visual.
Thanks again everyone!
All my best
Sara