Why Is Your Filter Not Pumping Water? | Aquarium Care

-
-

Well, if your fish tank isn't pumping water, there are a couple of things you want to look for. A lot of times, it's the most obvious thing. Maybe it got unplugged. Maybe the surge strip is unplugged. Sometimes, when people do maintenance, they accidentally plug their filter into their light timer. So the filter could be on the same timer as the light, and it could be off. So look for the obvious things first.

Then you want to make sure that it's not clogged. A lot of times, if people neglect their filter systems, it gets so clogged to the point that the water doesn't even flow through it. So a clogged mechanical filter or a blocked passageway from a carbon filter bag that hasn't been cleaned, and now it's got a solid film of muck or bacterial slime on it, that will impede the water flow, preventing your filter from working.

So first, look at the obvious and make sure it's plugged in. You can also feel it and see if it's warm. If it's warm, that means that it is plugged in and the motor is probably either just in a neutral state. So you want to unplug it, let it cool down. If you're handy, you can take it apart to the point that you feel comfortable with. Clean the impeller. A lot of times, on overflow-style or hang-on-style filters, the impeller gets a piece of hair in it -- human hair -- or just something that gets clogged around the impeller shaft. So taking the impeller out, cleaning it with a paper towel, making sure nothing's clogged or nothing's stuck on it, and putting it back in will often free up the filter and get it to work again. Sometimes the impeller gets dislodged. You have to take it out and just reset it.

Another thing to look for is evaporation in the aquarium. Sometimes your water level evaporates to the point where a big air bubble gets stuck into the intake tube, causing an air lock in the filter. Canister filters are very prone to this. Sometimes the air stone will move itself underneath the intake of a filter, and air goes into the filter, sits at the top of the canister filter, and you have an air lock and the canister filter doesn't work. So you can take the canister filter, open it up, fill it up with water, get it primed again. That should solve it. Otherwise you can take the filter, turn it on its side very slowly to get the air bubble to shift away from the head where the impeller is. Once the filter kicks in, you can hear it start to push water again, and then slowly invert it back so that the air bubble slowly gets grabbed by the impeller and gets pushed out back into the aquarium.

But a lot of times, it's either that the filter is clogged from not being cleaned properly, or it's unplugged, or it's got an air lock. Those are the most common reasons why a filter won't flow water.

[brandonreid]

I've been significantly losing flow for the past few months on my external canister filter to the point where it almost stopped. I was a few moments from purchasing a replacement when I stumbled upon your video. Muck had accumulated on the propeller and impeded the flow. After cleaning off the muck it is now powerful once again.

[haileyh]

Thank you, saved my bettas! Helped me realize I needed to open up the filter even though I was worried about being able to put it back together. Super easy and cleaned it out. Works perfectly again!!🐟

[TiffanyChelseaShow]

Looked on YouTube for about an hour and finally found something that works ! Thanks so much!

[thehandleiwantedwasntavailable]

Thanks for the tips. I had only recently cleaned my filter so assumed it could not have been the reason for the very slow water flow. But you prompted me to crack it open again and sure enough, it was blocked! A quick clean and water is flowing freely again.

[colehickey]

I can’t thank you enough, after 3 futile attempts to get the filter in my tank to work, it did not look like my pleco or my other fish were gonna make it. I watched this video and fixed the filter ASAP. Super helpful and easy to do

[wesleywilson]

That tilt trick worked instantly!! I was trying to fight this thing for 2 hours!! Finally...thanks!

[MrForesterguy]

Thank you! I would've never known about air caught in the filter. Fixed it right away.

[manzarelahi]

This video is one of the only good Howcast videos I've seen! I have 2 5 gallon Fluval Chi Tanks, and one of the filters stopped working completely! No sound, no flow, nothing! I took it apart and cleaned it and it still wasn't working. I had just done a water change on both my tanks and was already pretty tired, and seeing that the filter wasn't working after doing a water change was really stressing me out! I thought I would have to leave my betta without a filter, and I was getting super anxious and sad that I would have to leave my betta without any filtration. I watched this video, and the part where he said about tipping it over to the side slowly and slowly pushing it back worked like a charm! It was such a relief. I'm coming back here to let them know I really appreciate this video for keeping my bettas healthy and keeping me sane. Thank you so much!

[felixyi]

the same reason why it stopped in finding nemo.. cuz something got stuck

[donaldbritt]

You just saved me $20.00 for a new pump. It was the impeller was clogged. I cleaned everything but was afraid to mess with the motor. Once I cleaned the motor and propeller back in business. Thank you and have a great day and much success for helping me and the others...Don B.

[annsaul]

This video saved my fish and money. I pulled some plant matter out of my propeller and it worked like new. Thank you

[megakid]

This dude literally just saved my fishes… props to him. Subscribing for sure

[Annieland]

I really needed this the other day. My canister filter got a bubble in it. I wouldn't have ever thought to turn it on its side like you suggested. It worked. Thank you so much. You are a life saver. I can't afford another 200$ pump!😂❤

[foolsvallie]

I don’t ever comment on videos, but you rlly saved me! There was indeed a hair stuck within the propellor, and I was able to get it out with small Barbie scissors. I placed it back and left the room to get water, and when I came back there was the waterfall, I was so relieved. Thankyou!!

[sandycisneros]

Thank you! I’ve gone through a few filters because I didn’t know why they’d suddenly stop pumping but now I know exactly what to do! Was able to quickly fix my filter just now and my fish and I are both happy lol ☺️

[WalterssLaw]

Man I get pay tomorrow had I not seen this video I would had bought another filter not knowing it was a simple fix!!! Thanks 🙏 so much

[SBahamondes]

Thank you! I pushed out the air bubbles and it works now

[OKBgosh]

Thank you! It was the impeller!

I want to add, for other folks coming across this:

*Even if your tank stays pristine, I promise your impeller- kind of tucked away inside your filter there- can and does get gunky and gross. I was very surprised my clean tank ended up with such a gunky impeller (covering mine was mostly algae, preventing it from spinning).

*Also! Please be aware that even if your filter was working fine/ seemingly working fine before you did an aquarium cleaning, and now suddenly it doesn't want to work, it still might be a gunky impeller. For whatever reason my filter was doing fine with the gunk around the impeller but cleaning up the filter (but missing the impeller) got it to stop working.

So, if your filter worked fine before you shut it off and cleaned it, but now it won't work when you turn it back on again, it probably isn't actually broken. Check the impeller for gunk! You might be surprised. I was.

I checked and cleaned the impeller and viola! My filter started cycling the water right away.

The other suggestions in the video are great too! It really may be an easy fix for your filter problem.

[starqueen]

very helpful, 10/10. just wish there was like a visual representation.

[slayer]

Gave me a little insight. Since I thought my pump was done For I decided to take it apart. The impeller has “gunk” on it. Cleaned it all up and it runs again. Happened at my last tank clean too and I replaced the whole pump unnessisarily