Your fish tank filter is a critical piece of equipment in your aquarium because it keeps the water clean and the aquatic environment healthy for your fish. It provides mechanical and biological filtration, and it must always be in a good working state.
There are various reasons why your fish tank filter can stop working, and in this article, we will discuss all the most commonly used fish tank filters and why they can stop working.
Sponge filters stop working due to a disconnected airline or faulty air pump, hang on back filters will stop working due to a stuck impeller or will need to be primed, internal filters will stop working when the filter media is clogged, and canister filters normally do not have any issues except when it needs to be primed, or the intake or outflow hoses is blocked.
Sponge filters
Sponge filters are one of the most simple filtration methods in a fish tank and one of the most effective. There is little that can go wrong with a sponge filter, and the best indicator of its effectiveness is the presence of air bubbles escaping from the outlet.
Fixes if your sponge filter has stopped working :
- Check if the airpump is plugged into the wall outlet and turned on.
- Check if the airline is connected to the outlet of the air pump
- Check if the airpump is actually blowing air.
If the problem persists and the filter is still not working, you might have to replace the air pump.
Hang-On-Back filter
a Hang on Back filter sits on the rim of your aquarium and draws water through an intake tube into the media basket, after which the filtered water flows back into the aquarium. Many hang-on backs are notorious for not starting up after a power failure or turning off. They normally need to be primed before working again. The other main reason for the hang-on back to stop working is a stuck or clogged impeller.
FIxes if your hang-on-back filter has stopped working:
- If the filter has worked normally before being turned off due to whatever reason it needs to be primed. You prime a hang-on-back filter by pouring water from your fish tank into the impeller chamber of the filter till it overflows into the outflow chamber.
- Check if the impeller is not clogged or stuck. You can do this by removing the intake tube, and the impeller. Clean any debris that might clog the impeller and prevent it from spinning.
- Check if the water level in the tank is high enough for the intake of the filter the draw water into the filter. Most hang-on-back filters has a line which indicates the minimum water level.
Internal Filter
Internal filters are submerged in your fish tank with a pump that sits on top of a container that will contain filter media that can be a sponge, filter floss, or any other type of filter media.
The flow through the internal filter can be severely reduced if the filter media is dirty or clogged, and by simply cleaning the sponge or media, you can solve this problem.
The impeller on an internal filter can be stuck or clogged with debris, like the hang-on back filter. By removing the impeller and cleaning the intake, the filter can start working again.
Fixes if your internal filter has stopped working :
- Check if the filter media is clogged, and clean it if neccesary.
- Remove the impeller , and make sure that it can spin freely after cleaning it.
Canister Filter
Most canister filters also need to be primed before they will work, and this can be why a canister filter will not work, especially after it has been switched off and cleaned. Depending on the type of canister filter, there can be different ways to prime it, but it all comes down to having the canister filled with water before starting working.
The inlet and outlet on a canister filter can also be open and closed, and if the filter is not working, it can be either the inlet or outlet or both that is closed and is preventing any water from flowing through it.
Fixes if your canister filter has stopped working :
- Check if the canister is filled with water if it is not working. If it is not , it will need to be primed before it will start working.
- Check that the switches on the intake as well as outflow pipes is turned to be open, and not closed.
If your canister filter is still not working, it might be an issue with the pump motor, and unfortunately, the filter will have to be replaced.
By implementing the strategies outlined here, you can solve the most common issues resulting in your fish tank filter not working.
