Biowheel on 5 gallon hex not working right

[guppygirl]

Hi everybody,
I just did some tank maintenance on my brother's tank, and I noticed that his biowheel isn't going much at all! I just sort of drips water out. I took all my filter brushes and cleaned out everything, I rinsed out the pad really well, I hooked it back up, and the same thing!!! The fish are doing really well, seem really healthy. I haven't had a disease in there since I set it up! I just can't figuire out what's wrong with it, It's an eclipse 5 hex. The light fixture has already given out on me, and it's not the bulb, I'm just using a little lamp on it now. Do you think I got a bad kit or something??
Any advice would be greatly appruciated...
Robin

 

[n00bie]

The only guess I would venture is maybe water level??

 

[bshockstubb]

Thats what has happen to mine...Well mine is like 7 years old (time for a new one) But thats so WIERD!

 

[freshmike]

Have you checked he impeller? The intake? Might be really mucked up in a small place. If it is fairly new, I would take it back and get a new one, I am sure marineland has a fairly good warrantee on their tanks and products. Good luck!

 

[fishlover900]

When you washed the pads, did you do it in tap water? if so you have killed the bacteria!

 

[guppygirl]

Hi everybody...
I had cleaned the whole filter, and I took the impeller out, so I don't think that's the problem... I ran the faucet at full pressure through it, so it must have blasted out some of the muck. We have well water here, so no worry about chlorine or chloramines or other yucky stuff. I'll try raising the water level some, I heard that keeping some air above the surface was essential for the betta, I guess that wasn't what the filter was designed for! Maybe I should get a new filter pad... this one was the original and I've just been rinsing it really well.
All for now,
Robin