Filter just died

lucas68

lucas68

Registered Fish User
Jan 4, 2006
93
0
0
Newark, DE
The filter on my 30 gal tall tank just died. It was a "hand-me-down" and has been working fine for the past few months but it looks like the motor just got to hot and died. I was told this was the second motor on this filter in its 15 months of previous service. I don't think I want to repair this thing again. My LFS does not have a good selection of tank hardware, and they tend to be a little over-priced. I have one of the big stores that sell pet stuff (not rock with string... I asked). The big store has good prices, but the people there don't know what they are selling. I was wondering what anyone might recomend for a replacement filter for this tank. It's one of the ones that hang on the back with the tube in the tank. Any help would be greatly apprecieated. :help:
 
TheMightyQueenPixie said:
Did you clean out the impeller??? Try that then plug it back in...May work or you may of cooked the motor...
Click to expand...

Cleaned it and it's spinning. The motor is getting warm quickly. I don't think I trust the thing. Thanks for the information, but I still think I want to relace it with something a little more reliable. Any recomendations?
 
The Penguin Bio-wheel power filters by Marineland are among the best in my opinion. I've used just about everything over the years, and the Bio-wheels are really great because they don't clog up, and they agitate the surface alot better than most (no airstones needed either).
 
From personal experience, Hagen AquaClear filters...cheap, reliable, easy to maintain. Just make sure the water level is kept high enough to avoid a "vapor lock" in the uplift tube. That pretty much applies to all HOB (hang-on-back) filters. They're also really quiet.

If you go on vacation and use an autofeeder, and water level might drop a bit due to evaporation, a good HOB filter compromise would be a HOT Magnum. It hangs on the back of the tank, but it's a canister filter. My wife has had one for a couple years on her 38-gallon tank. Being a canister, it is not as prone to losing pump prime. Again, really easy to maintain (clean, put back into service, etc.)

Fair to really low prices usually are with Petsolutions or with Drs. Foster and Smith.

Oh, I can also echo that plug for the Penguin Bio-Wheel filters. I've got two of those, one on each of the kids' aquariums. I don't know if you can kill these...really! In about 10 years I might take one to the rifle range and see if a .30 cal bullet can defeat it. It'll probably end up like that Master Lock commercial, with a hole in it but still pumping away and doing that filtering thing.

v/r, N-A
 
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i am partial to the Aqua clears and the penguin bio wheel filters for HOT(hang off the tank) filters.the penguins have a better biological filtration system i love those lil biowheels and the AC is hands down 1 A@@ kickin water pumpin great mechanical filter.
 
Well, it looks like I'll go with the penguin bio wheel HOT filter. Thanks everyone for the input.
:thm:
 
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