Pump Problem - Please Help!

[ghostchoir]

I own a Juwel Rio 125 tank. It's 125 litres and has a built in filtre system, pump heater etc in a big box on the side of it.

The pump broke today and so we went to the shops to get a replacement. Unfortunatley due to location there aren't really any specialist places around and because of the time/day we didn't have time to drive to one.

We ended up buying a Tetra Tec pump. It's an external pump and runs into the tank through an airstone. We know it's not ideal but they had nothing remotely close to what we wanted and really it's just temporary hopefully to keep the fish alive.

What I'm wondering is, do we actually need to get the proper Rio one now we have the Tetra Tec one? I would assume we did because of the filtration sponges etc but I'm not sure.

I know this was confusing and I don't know the technical words but please help

 

[Lateral Line]

The built in "pump" is your filter, it is what is managing your Nitrogen cycle. If that has stopped working, then you need a new filter.

The "pump" you have bought, now, is that a filter, because filters don't work through airstones, or is it an air-pump - which do?

If you have bought an airpump, this will not be a replacement for your now dead filter. All airpumps do is create surface movement which allows the water to exchange gases, (Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide etc. - NOT Nitrogen). In all but exceptional circumstances, airpumps are not necessary.

If you have bought a filter, then it may - eventually, replace your internal kit, but the way biological filters work is by passing the polluted water through beds loaded with bacteria which breakdown the toxic ammonia and nitrites into less harmful nitrates. Right now, all those bacteria, if they are still alive, are in your old filter, not your new. If you have bought a filter, then get as much of the media out of your old filter and put it in your new.

 

[ghostchoir]

Oh, for some reason I thought all the sponges in the box on the side were the filter system.

The new thing is just an air pump that works through air stones as the air pump thing we had previously stopped working.

Basically the old thing was an air pump on top of all of the sponges, it was built inside the box. The new one is external and goes into the aquarium through an air stone - the old one didn't, it just pumped it around from the top.

I'm sorry, I wish I knew the more technical words and phrases

 

[cossie0]

The black box with sponges inside it IS your filter.

The pump at the top of it is a powerhead. It is a water pump not an air pump and draws the water through the sponges before returning it to the aquarium. Some of the powerheads do have provision for a venturi tube which sucks in air at the same time and you get a stream of bubbles as well as the water. For the type that dont you can get an attachment which fits on the outlet nozzle. Maybe you have one of either type and it is why you think it is an air pump.

You need to get a replacement powerhead asap. I accidently switched mine off for a couple of days and lost a few fish because of it. The filter bacteria cultures need oxygenated water to stay alive.

Good luck and best regards
Darren

 

[Lateral Line]

As stated above, the thing that has died is your filter, not an airpump, although I can see how it might be thought of as such. You have to get water circulating through your biological filter bed, (the sponges), although they will start dying off after a few hours as they require Oxygen.

From your original post, it sounds like you will be unable to do anything about it today.

What will happen now is that your fish will continue producing waste products, but the system that processed thenm into harmless stuff has gone, so number 1 STOP feeding the fish! The fish will be fine for a week or more without food, and you really don't want to get more pollutants into that system then you have to. I doubt you have the necessary test kits, so just assume your water is going bad and do extra water changes.

If you can find a suitable replacement pump, get it asap. It is probable some of your bacteria, those closest to the outside, are still alive, with a new pump, your filter will be a lot less efficient, but probably not a write off, and will recover after a week or two.

If you can't get a new pump that matches your tank, buy an external canister filter, and put all the sponges from your old filter into it. It will have the same problems as above, but at least it will not be as bad as a complete new rig - some of your bacteria will still be alive. A lot of people with those internal filters tend to rip them out after a while anyway as they are not the best, and take up space in the tank that could be better used.

The secret to keeping fish is to realise that you are not keeping fish, you keep bacteria, the rest looks after itself. If you want a start point to learn about bacterial keeping, read this.

It is criminal that the shop you visited did not offer you better advice. Just wanted to make a sale.

 

[cossie0]

One other thing you could do which may help a little is to push your airline down the hole where you pump was sitting (inside the filter) If you push it in far enough it should go into the centre section of the filter (below the first set of sponges). If you then turn on the air pump you will have a steady flow of oxygen through the sponges which will help the bacteria stay alive and also cause some water movement

Hope this helps

Darren

 

[ghostchoir]

To be fair the shop we went to was not in any way specialist and the guy that sold it to us said anything we bought would probably only be a temporary measure.

We were unable to buy anything yesterday and not until about 6pm today due to work unfortunatley. Yesterday it just happened at a really bad time when everything was closed due to it being Sunday and we didn't have any choice. However today we should be able to go to a more specialist place after 6 and find something.

I do have test kits and at present there are no problems. We will change a small percentage of the water every day for a while just in case though.

Thank you everyone!