Broken Filter?

[ChaseTheBetta]

I have a 5 gallon tank with a Whisper filter. I bought it at Petsmart. It's one of those Top Fin kit things. I bought it about 6 months ago. Here's a pic.

When I bought it, the filter was very quiet which was great because I'm a light sleeper and I can't sleep when there's a lot of noise. I put the tank in my room. Every once and a while, the filter would start rattling and I'd have to move it around a little to get it to stop rattling. This always worked and it would be quiet again.

Last night it was rattling really loud and I couldn't get it to stop. It just kept getting louder. So eventually I just unplugged the thing. I only have 1 betta in it so I figured it would be ok overnight and in the morning I'd plug it back in and try to get it to quiet down.

But this morning when I plugged it back in, it didn't work. I plugged it in and nothing happened. I tried a different outlet and that didn't help either. My heater still works, too, so it can't be the outlet.

The filter's still under warranty, so if I can find the receipt I might be able to get it fixed or replaced. But what do I do with the fish in the meantime? I have an empty 2 gallon with an undergravel filter, should I put him in there? Or just keep him in the 5 gallon and keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite levels?

Or is there anything anyone can think of to get the filter to work again and not be loud?

 

[Ava_Banana]

The rattly noise is normally a problem with the impeller (the pump bit of the filter).

Mine rattles when a snail (MTS) gets into it.....but normally clears itself.

Presumably whatever was rattling round the impeller settled into place when you turned it off....then when you turned it back on stopped the impeller moving....(just like in Finding Nemo)....


If it is really, really new...take it back.......but to be honest I would take the top off the filter (they normally come off so you can clean the filter/pump)....have a look, take the impeller out carefully...give it all a clean....put it back in and try again.


Sorry, can't help much about the Betta....I am not too keen on them really....but don't most people who keep them just use a bowl with no real filtration on....they just check the water every now and then.

 

[ChaseTheBetta]

Thanks for the help, but I found the problem. I had forgotten that my tank light had a plug that was also out of an outlet. The light broke weeks ago so I never use it. Turns out I was plugging in the light plug thinking it was the filter. So the filter is plugged in now and working. Although it's still making that irritating rattling noise. I think I have to shove a piece of towel behind it again. I did that a while ago and it stopped the rattling. But I took it out after it got covered with algae.