Anyone from the UK...

[Paperface]

I have a prebuilt tank from Pets at home (a chain pet store over here) and the pump appears to be failing. It has got blocked in the past and I have unblocked it, but now it seems as though it may have pretty much stopped altogether. As the pump is (obviously) the core of the filtration system, I am getting a bit worried as the fish seem to be acting a bit oddly (swimming to the top quite a lot, swimming differently to normal).

Anyway, my question is, does anyone know if parts in these tanks are easy to replace or even if they are possible to replace? Obviously I can't take the pump down to the shop to ask them....

Any ideas, help, PLEASE! I am worried about my fish!

Thanks

Dave

 

[smithrc]

Is this one of the ones they seel with everything in the lid?

Just asking as i've seen them in there but dont have one.

 

[Paperface]

It's all within the top of the tank, yeh.

 

[sylvia]

When you say 'pump' do you mean an air pump? Or do you mean a water pump? Or do you mean part of an internal filter or what?
Just call them and see what they say. If it's absolutely necessary, go there and see if you can find the right pump.
Otherwise, you CAN take the pump to them as long as you don't leave the fish too long and I'd do a water change first. You may want to get an airstone and air pump first and leave that running in the tank while you take the filter to them or whatever. (Unless this pump is somehow attached to the tank?)
Anyway, whatever you do, make sure you don't kill off all your beneficial bacteria - keep the old media if you replace the whole filter.

 

[Alien_spawn]

Hi Paperface,

I had the same tank as a hospital tank, it had the same problems. I returned the lid back to them and they replaced the lid with a new one and it went again. I was going to modify the lid so that I could fit my classic ehiem pump canister, but threw it away in the end

But I suggest to get a external filter for it and modify the lid, and to not use the pump with it, as the pump with it is really bad

 

[Waterloo Kid]

I also have one of these as my hospital tank. Mine has worked fine! Just as a check it would be a good idea to ensure that the adjustment knob on the side of the pump itself isn't just turning under vibration and slowly shutting off the pump. My adjustment knob is very hard to turn but that could just be a one off.
If you have to take the pump down to the shop then just put the rinsed filter media in the tank for an hour so that it doesn't dry out. With a water change the fish should be fine for a few hours. You could get a small air driven filter to replace it.

WK

 

[OohFeeshy]

I don't really liek pets at home. They are fairly cheap but get you to keep goldfish in 4.5 litre tanks