Might be replacing my filter

[gale]

Lately every time I turn off the filter on my 10 gallon it takes some shimmying to get the motor to start again. Last night's water change was no different and then a few hours later as I was going to bed, I noticed the filter had just stopped on it's own. I got it started again, and the bio wheel was still wet, so hopefully everything was ok. This is at least the 2nd time it's happened between water changes and I don't want it to happen when I'm not at home or when we're asleep and end up being off for a lot of hours. (I tend to sleep for a lot of hours).

So I will call marineland today but if they can't help me out (it's only a few months old but I don't have my receipt due to a rebate. I *might* be able to find the copy of it that I made) I will have to replace it. It's a penguin 125 with a bio wheel. Would you replace it with the same or is there a better filter for a 10 gallon tank?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

All filters need cleaning. Have you cleaned the impellor and the well? Also on bio-wheels you need to clean bot the spray bar and then the pins on the ends of the wheel and the slits they sit in when operating.

 

[JardiniMartini]

The Bio-Wheel is a quality filter, as are Whisper and Aqua Clear. The problem probably is in fact the impellar so start with that. If not that then make sure the filter insert isn't backed up.

 

[gale]

The filter insert is fine-the motor just would not start up at all. It happens on every water change-when I turn it back on it takes some messing with to start.

I called marineland today. First the recording said "there are 13 callers before you. Your estimated wait time is 17 minutes". So I waited and about 30 seconds later the recording came back on and said "there are 13 callers before you. Your estimated wait time is 46 minutes". I didn't have 46 minutes to kill so I hung up. I might try again tomorrow but I'm somewhat disgusted with it since it's only a couple months old. I did find the receipt copy.

 

[corbypete]

maybe time for a new filter dude, unless you have aguarantee for that thing?

all of my fluval ones went that way, mostly due to my bad (at the time) tank keeping, which got overun with algae and blackmores....

i just went out and got undergravel filters......

 

[BobK]

I had to send back my Marineland heater for replacement. I contacted their customer service via e-mail to see if a copy of the receipt would be acceptable. I prompty got an e-mail back saying it was acceptable and this person told me to send it to their attention. About 7 or 8 days after I mailed it I received the replacement. You might want to try that route rather than wait on the phone that long.

 

[gale]

Thanks-I will try emailing them instead.

 

[gale]

Well I emailed marineland a week ago and no reply. I guess their email support is as slow as their phone support. The only thing I can think of to do at this point is not to buy any more marineland products, since I can't get any help from them.

 

[corbypete]

if you write tot hem with recorded delivery they cannot ignore your requests...

just make ap oint of saying you will tell everyone you know how bad they are and that you are part of an online community

they cant afford that sort of bad publicity

 

[bartender_in_ny]

i have 2 330;s on a 55 an da 170 on a 20 long they work great, this is proly a stupid question but your not emptying your water out of filter houseing black tank arwe u? if u are they need to be at least 3/4 ful of water to be primed, i turned my one on once with no water and it made a weird grinding noise...let mwe know

 

[konrad05]

get an eheim!

 

[gale]

Still no reply from marineland despite repeated emails and even threats. I guess all I can do is give up and buy another brand. So...what is good? It's not an emergency or anything but both of my marineland filters are not working as they should so both will eventually have to be replaced.

eta: I hadn't seen the last posts. sorry. I do prime my filter before turning it back on-I fill it until it overflows into the tank.

I will check on the eheim but if I can't buy inserts locally I may not get one. I'm in the US and that doesn't sound familiar.