Sunday, April 18, 2021

Mrs. Fix(ed)-It

Ever since the big aquarium die-off in 2019 thanks to ich my tropical fish-keeping struggles have continued. Right now I have no pets at all living in my ten gallon tank. The filter is still running in case I decide to try again but with two curious young cats it’s best left alone. That room turned into a virtual storage locker for items threatened by Terra’s boundless, energetic curiosity. ~grin~ My twenty-nine gallon tank houses just two spotfin gobies and some snails.

In the last week or so that filter began making unusual noises. I disassembled the unit planning to lubricate its magnetic impeller, which worked in past. Alas, the core with attached rotating fins came out while the magnet stayed behind. I didn’t even realize this initially; the thing has been so reliable as to need no regular maintenance. Taking apart my smaller filter revealed the problem. Of course a size difference made swapping parts impossible. ~sigh~ My husband suggested ordering a new filter upon learning all my finagling rendered that larger pump useless.

The Crucial Part

So I did. Still, I decided to try a marine life safe adhesive on the impeller (I found no Aqueon replacement impellers for sale). Immediately reassembling the unit failed spectacularly. Oops. Allowing a second application of glue to cure overnight achieved partial success. The pump functioned with a horrible racket. With nothing left to lose I took nail clippers to the four plastic fins, angling the inward facing corners. Success! Now I have a spare filter.

Would you go ahead and replace the older filter? Or should I lobby my husband to support me in buying another tank? ~wink~ Have I mentioned his recurring nightmare in I secretly converted our cellar into a huge fish habitat?

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19 comments:

  1. Oh you should really start over with all new, the fish would deserve it!

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  2. Oh get another tank. Why not. You're most handy fixing things too.

    Have a fabulous Sunday. Big hug. ♥

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  3. I think you should convince your hubby to get another tank- just one, not a whole basement full. :) XO

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  4. Well, always try for the new tank. Then you have a couple spare filters for if the new one goes out.

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  5. This post cracks me up on many levels from the "curious cat" whom I can imagine diving or falling into a tank, to the many attempts to fix something broken. Did you do what I do, and consult multiple youtube videos? I often then lose the day, jumping from video to video, until I'm watching videos of things entirely unrelated.

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    1. Well, you inspired me to try. A certain curious cat did dabble in the tank after I removed the defunct filter. LOL Research can lead one down a rabbit hole, for sure. In this case, I got lucky figuring things out on my own. Be well!

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  6. Umm, I say go for the entire cellar conversion. I'd never leave that!

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  7. Wow...did not realize that you had a tank that big. And two! Me, I did the 5 gallon a couple of times. I enjoy having them and watching the fish swim around but I hated cleaning them. After my last one I hung it up. My grandson was a yr old, living with me and I was tired of pulling toys out of the tank!

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  8. That habitat would be a cool thing to have in one's basement.

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  9. Not surprising, you could not reassemble after disassembling it! Happens to most people!
    I guess you must buy a new tank.

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  10. I gave up on the repair, replacement and expense of fancy filters for my Tropical Fish a few Years ago. Just got those Bubble Stones and they're thriving and no ill effects. Ich, if you get the Medicine {it briefly turns the Water Blue} usually nips it in the bud so it doesn't spread and have mass die offs from the Disease spreading. You could isolate an infected Fish if you didn't want to Treat the whole Tank. My Dad bred Tropical Fish while I was growing up as a big Hobby, I Learned more about them than I think was necessary for any Human Being to know... it came in handy when the Grandson wanted to have Tanks... which now are bequeathed to me since he grew up and moved out of State. *LOL*

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    1. Bequeathed pets is a common theme, it seems. :)

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