Help Help!! Please!

[tooldud1]

My 55 gal tank has a emperoer 400 that is making a real loud noise. I have taken everything apart and the motor makes no noise when the impeller is out. There nothing in the way. I have the bio wheels in the tank floating. is that okay. Do I need a new impeller or a whole new unit? It is 10:17 pm and every thing is closed. There is a air bubble maker in there. Are the fish okay?

2 clown loches
4 zebra danios
1 cory cat
1 emerald cat
2 neon teteras

sorry about spelling I am freaking out please help me

Tom

 

[Gena575]

Have you tried using a tank-water dampened paper towel to wipe off the impeller? Or using a q-tip to clean down in the little hole where the impeller sits? I would try both of those. Sometimes a bit of plant or other tank ickyness gets up in that area and causes it to make that horrible grinding noise.

 

[carpguy]

I replied to your other thread but what Gena said: it could be something simple, a washer that slipped, some dirt or grit.

Its always a good idea to take a good look at things and figure out how thye work when they're new. Helps with the troubleshooting later on.

 

[AMETHYST212]

has the emperor ever ran without water in it.
see if this helps unplug the filter. add water into the filter. the filter should be in the tank already with a high level of water. the plug the filter back up and wait a min or so and this should be ok.

 

[tooldud1]

Thank you everybody :thm: ! I had already taken apart and cleaned it very well. I had it as dry as a bone. Cleaned with q-tip. Put it back together and all is well at the moment. I was also able to contact a local aquarium friend who helped me out with the same advise as you all. I will buy a back up impeller just in case though.

Thanks again with my plea for help.

 

[Joseph1391]

Hey I had the same problem before but it is working now. Ok take out the propeller part and swish it around in the water and then try hooking it up again. Plug in the filter, then add the water slowly till it keeps working. If it keeps doing this just keep swishing the propeller in the water, and adventiouly ( not sure if i Spelled that write!! ) it will start working! Good luck!!

 

[Snoozy]

I have freaked out at the same problem and went running off to the fish store for a new impeller. Unless the impellor is cracked that is not the problem. Even if the filter is clean, (I use a baby bottle brush to get down into the cracks), and the filter is full of water before you start it, sometimes you need to get your hand down in there and make sure the impeller is spinning. Mine was. I think my problem was that I didn't have the intake tube firmly seated. You know, the U shaped tube that sucks in the water. I swear I checked it but wiggling it around, I found that it finally kicked in and started sucking water. I was so relieved.

After I got done freaking out, I realized that fish can live without filtration for quite a long time as long as they have a water change. My husband went out and bought a new filter the next day. He likes that I "have fish tanks" but when he thought he was going to lose his fishies, he was ready to fight.

Lisa