Ideal Filter For This Tank/help Me Fix My Old One?

[MoonstruckMuse]

My parents had bought me a 7 gallon hex tank about a year ago. And ever since then, I've been having a lot of issues with the tank filter, so... here I am.

It has an obnoxiously long intake tube, probably a foot long, and uses a Marineland Eclipse Ready to Use Filter Cartridge for System 3, I believe. It's a little square of filter flossish material, and carbon on the bottom. At the very end, it has a little Bio-wheel.
Unfortunately, the powerhead makes a heck of a lot of noise, and doesn't move nearly enough water to make up for it. The water literally drips out the other side, perhaps at... 2 drops every second.
Obviously, that's not enough to spin the biowheel. When I remove the filter cartridge, it'll be a little bit stronger for a few days, maybe 3 at max, and then go back to the original state.

I clean out the intake tube and the propeller thing once every month, and the water level is generally kept at about .5" away from the top. Sometimes this increases the flow, sometimes not. Restarting the filter doesnt do much, either.
There's only java moss and some snails who look fine in the tank, so that's not exactly my biggest concern. However, I was really hoping to breed some Red Cherry Shrimp in here, and actually plant the tank with Vals, Java Fern, possibly some more anubias if I have extra room.

Is there some way to fix this? Some stupid thing I forgot to hook up? Or should I just ditch the whole system?
If so, would the DIY sponge filter that is suggested in sticky at the top of this forum be enough for the tank...or could I modify that and just use a larger fish food container?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MoonstruckMuse]

Any ideas? Just about anything would be highly appreciated.

 

[piratedninja]

seems like its getting clogged up somewhere in the intake

they sell this brush thing on a wire i have no idea what the proper name for it is
but you are supposed to stick the brush end through the intake pipe and it will clean the inside of the pipe for you
i'll have to look through one my fish catalogs to find the name and a pic

 

[smooth_bourbon]

I have a 5 gallon eclipse hex, and it gets java moss stuck up in the intake all the time. I have found just keeping it really clean, and keeping the water level as high as possible helps, if it drops more then a half inch it slows the intake way down.

But if you have had problems with it the whole time you have owned it you might find out where they bought it and try to exchange the filter part, or get online and see if the company will replace it I have heard they are a good company to deal with.

 

[MoonstruckMuse]

Haha, I think I know what you're talking about, I use those on various instruments I play. I'll see if I can find a new/unused one lying around and give Haha, I think I know what you're talking about, I use those on various instruments I play. I'll see if I can find a new/unused one lying around and give it another good cleaning, hopefully that'll help.it another good cleaning, hopefully that'll help.

Hm. I hadn't considered contacting the company - if the dratted thing continues to have problems after I give it a good scrubbing, I'll do just that. Thanks!