Tank sand is magnetised and jammed tank impeller (Aaah!!!)

Dave Watkins

I took my filter down to the local fish shop where I get all my gear. Once we got the filter apart I found it was full of black sand. I bought the sand from livefish, if anyone it is my fault and not livefish. I think I got sand in the filter when i stirred up the tank when i put the plants in yesterday.

Now I don't know whether the sand has worked its way into the motor of the pump, but I think i am screwed.

I am thinking I will need to pull the tank down, get gravel and start the whole process from scratch getting the tank set up.

At this point I haven't re-installed the filter in the tank. I was hoping for some advice from the learn-ed people here.

Any thoughts

Frayk

Rinse the filter thouroly, remove impeller and rinse, wack it back together and c if it works.

Dave Watkins

Thanks Frayk. I managed to get most of the sand off the impeller assembly. I've put the pump back together and good news, it works. To stop sand from getting into it again I have placed a glass over the intake of the pump. It may not clean as good now but at least I wont have to pull it apart all the time. I figured when I have to clean the tank or make changes that I stop the pump so I wont have this problem again.

Here are a couple of photos of today's work. One with the glass in place over the filter intake (cutting edge tech) and one of the tank setup at the moment.

It's still a work in progress.

Rainbows

Looking good Dave.

Frayk

Yeah- looking good. You might have scratched / damaged the impeller and the bore, should be ok, time will tell, great idea with the glass over the intake. I always turn off the filter prior to water changes/ maintenance.

Heintz.G

How deep is the substrate in the tank? with stem plants you're going to need at least 7cm.

Get rid of the light coloured rock in the middle of the tank, spread and mix the Val and Ambulia around the back and sides of the tank.

Next make sure the filter intake strainer is about 7cm above the substrate.

Dave Watkins

I am uncertain how deep the substrate is, it’s a 20 kilo bag of volcanic sand, I haven’t measured how deep it is but I will check. I am concerned how far I can bring up the sand near the water intake, the sand may start going into the pump again. The glass fixes this problem, but it’s not an ideal solution.

I spent a minute last night running a magnet on the outside of the glass and watched all the magnetic grains dancing on the inside of the tank.

The light coloured rock is (for search of a better word) a feeder rock. It’s from my other established tank and I put it in the new one in hope that I can get my tank cycled quicker with all the organisms growing on it, whether or not it has worked I don’t yet know. I haven’t checked my water quality yet, been getting everything up and running first.

I will mix up the val and Ambulia (confirmed) instead of have separate bunches. I may yet get some other plants for the front of the tank, something smaller.

Mooo

I'd shorten the intake Oh & and what Heintz said , the light rock is not matching, looks out of place, I'd remove after the cycle is done the other however is perfectly placed with the plants spread about more it will be spot on

Dave Watkins

I took a saw to the intake so its about 5 centimeters shorter, I now also turn off the filter when I am working inside the tank, so the issue of the sand in the pump shouldn't happen again. The white rock is gone, I have re-planted all my plants in a more random fashion.

I am off to a new aquarium that I have never been to tomorrow and see what they have (kid in a candy store!).

I don't have anything in mind to buy, though I think my heater or the thermometer is cactus. The heater doesn't seem to be hot to touch and when I check the temp gauge (which is on the opposite side of the tank) it seems outside the normal range

Heintz.G

Good to see you're on top of things, regarding heaters don't buy the first cheap thing you come across nor the most expensive one either, do some research first.

Dave Watkins

I got myself an Eheim 100 watt heater for 50 smackers. Its plugged in but doesnt seem to be working, it has a red dial and a blue dial. Need to read through the instructions again...