fluval 404

[2502]

about 2-3 weeks ago, i noticed an algae bloom in my tank outta nowhere. seemingly overnight. i'm new to this, so i'm going thru a friend that was helping me set this up, etc. my tank size is only a 25 gallon. so he sets it up, put a few fish in, things are fine until the algae starts. he suggests a yellow mimic tang to help get it under control, so i do. it seems to work.

following week, red slime starts. wtf? i clean it weekly. which is what he told me to do. it gets coated fast, so i ask him what to do. he says clean the tank weekly. now i'm starting to wonder why all of a sudden this starts.

this morning i notice my protein skimmer isn't getting the flow like it was. now i thought that's what went out. so i took it apart to make sure there was no blockage, it was fine. but wehn i got off work i had more time to investigate, and find this when i pull the fluval out.



there's no power to it. i plug it in, adn nothing. so i'm wondering if it's common, what to do, parts to fix, or what to replace or etc. i don't want my friend's advice anymore it's not seeming to work very well. anyone have anyth thoughts? i'm kinda desperate and i think my fish are starting to get sick now...

[2502]

furthermore, when i got home, my skimmer wasn't working at all by then, and my fish are acting crazy swimming toward the powerhead? i'm getting worried. the motor to the skimmer was hot, and it doesn't seem to be getting power either now.

[cwoods5]

I have had great luck with Welcome to AquariumPart.com: The Web's Best Source for aquarium light bulbs & light parts, uv sterilizer parts, protein skimmer parts, aquarium filter parts, aquarium pump parts, and RO system parts. .

Is the Red film on the glass or sand? is it thick? Can you send me a picture?

[Trickster]

You seem to be having power problems or equipment breakdowns, is the equipment old/used?. The fluval - get new impeller fast... It sounds to me like your fish are suffocating look at water movement.

[2502]

yeah there's no power to the fluval or the skimmer now. the equipment is used, but was working fine until recently. i'll try to post something after work, what can i do in the meantime? nemo died this morning, and i'd like to save the others if i can...

[Trickster]

No what I meant was problems with your power source or just equipment breakdown.

Your response "but it was working fine" cracks me up. I am an HVAC contractor & customers always use that line. Working on that how could it ever breakdown if it was just working.

The fluval is a no brainer - something/rock got sucked in & broke the impeller = they r cheap & used is bound to have breakdowns but so in new.

[Trickster]

The fish death = sorry to hear

25 gal tank, new setup ?

[2502]

No what I meant was problems with your power source or just equipment breakdown.

Your response "but it was working fine" cracks me up. I am an HVAC contractor & customers always use that line. Working on that how could it ever breakdown if it was just working.

The fluval is a no brainer - something/rock got sucked in & broke the impeller = they r cheap & used is bound to have breakdowns but so in new.

it was working fine. i never noticed it wasn't, so i noticed the skimmer wasn't flowing as much, i checked to make sure there was no clog, and noticed the filter was TOO quiet. pulled it apart and i hear a rattle under the cap. popped the cap off, and took a picture. there was a huge chunk of salt built up under there, so i assume that's what nsapped it. but there's still no power to it, so what do i do? my fish are suffocating basically so i'mt rying to get it fixed asap. the saltwater people here have not a damn clue what i need to do. please advise so i can try to save the other two. as pathetic as that sounds lol..

[2502]

The fish death = sorry to hear

25 gal tank, new setup ?

i wouldn't say "new." friend of mine had it, gave me all the stuff to set it up he's got a huge 300 gallon in his wall (baller). just to start. he set it all up, we got a nemo and a damsel, later on down the road added the tang to help with algae control. then outta nowhere, they start acting funny, water seems to be at the right levels when we test it for nitrites, nitrates, salt etc. although the chart's a little vague. what should it be? i'm really trying to save them, but i don't drive. it sounds like a sob story but i have cancer and just had a knee surgery, no license, etc. so it's hard to get around. so emergency trips to the store can't always be so emergency. what can i do and is tis doomed?

[Trickster]

I am thinking setup 4 weeks? was all drained?

Overstocked! not cycled! Using a canister! your fish are gonna die

Have you tested the water?

[2502]

he set it up, so i just followed what he told me to do. he mixed the water up, we put the damsel in and nemo first, let it "cycle" so he called it. should i not be using a canister? protein or surface skimmer? i have both. tested teh water, salt's fine, nitrate i think is high but the chart doesn't really explain it and stuff i read off teh internet is all different. nitrate was like a light pink, which put it between teh 80/160 mark on the chart. so what does THAT mean?

[Trickster]

means you are not ready for fish

[Trickster]

OMG your water is acid to the fish.
Ok to cycle is allow the nitrogen cycle to start = Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate
This is not a matter of an hour. The tank is cycled when Ammonia is "0" Nitrite is "0" & Nitrate is near "0". Your clown was doomed when he was put in but the others are to.

On the other questions the canister is fine set up the right way & the skimmer is also fine.

[2502]

so what do i do now?

[2502]

i'm asking for help, not a smart ass remark that i don't need to read about saying i'm not ready for fish. i dno't want them to die if i can do something to treat it, tell me so i can act quickly.

[2502]

I have had great luck with Welcome to AquariumPart.com: The Web's Best Source for aquarium light bulbs & light parts, uv sterilizer parts, protein skimmer parts, aquarium filter parts, aquarium pump parts, and RO system parts. .

Is the Red film on the glass or sand? is it thick? Can you send me a picture?

the red stuff was on everything, the sand, the glass, etc. i don't have a current picture and it's not been heavy since cleaning it on monday. but the skimmer started to get that red haze over it, and the glass was teh same way. i donm't know why i didn't think that the filter wasn't working...

[Trickster]

It was not meant as a smart ass remark perhaps I said it wrong. Let me rephrase - your tank is not ready for fish!

[Trickster]

Ok lets restart - looking over your posts IC a 25gal tank at least 4 weeks old, weekly water changes = that would be a few gallons?, High Nitrates! & overstocked = to many fish for a 25. Food type unknown, phosphate level unknown.

In the store IC most people overfeed. Figure a fish tummy is as big as its eye so feeding it/them more then that causes high waste products = Nitrates. A canister filter requires frequent cleanings = the pad & media capture the waste & liquify it causing more nutrients IMO. I am sure you also have Phospates = test. Phospates & Nitrates fuel/feed algae.

So what do you do now:
Water change sophoning out algae, clean & repair filter, add phospate pad to the canister, Stop overfeeding (if you are), do not add any fish!

[2502]

ok. there's one fish left. i cleaned out the water last night, probably about 50%. the tank's setup is almost 2 months old. the food is a formula 2 marine pellet they sold me at the pet store, and the occassional seafood salad for the tang to bite at, which i was told a small piece to clip in there every few days. i have no idea when the filter stopped working. i'm assuming maybe 2-3 weeks ago when the algae popped up and out of control so fast. not thinking equipment failure, my friend recommended the tang, and bought it for me to get the algae under control. which within a day or two, was clean. then the following week, red slime algae. they said, weekly water changes, fine. so i clean the tank, change the water. i got a new filter, a marineland penguin 200 which seemed like overkill but you would know more than i would at this point.

the fish weren't behaving oddly til this last water change, so i was wondering if the water i bought would've been bad?

[2502]

i changed out about 15 gallons worth last night, the fish is still acting nuts up toward the powerhead so i figure he's a gonner. the coral looks better already, and the nitrate level is a lot lower. any other suggestions?

this is what i got now:


and renamed this fish rambo, cuz he's still going.





now is my fluval filter shot? or should i just try replacing the propeller and telling petco to shove their marineland filter that they sold me with pieces missing?