- First, always make sure there is water in the pump chamber. If you don't, the filter will pull in air instead.
- Keep an eye on how much water is in your aquarium—most filters need the water level to be about one inch from the lip of the filter.
- Make sure your bubble walls and/or air stones are not directly under the intake tube. If bubbles go up the main tube, it will cause a rattling sound and may stop your filter from working.
- Always use gravel in your aquarium instead of sand. Sand can cause problems with the impeller, because it gets between the magnetic impeller assembly and the energizer, preventing it from turning. If you do have sand, a good option is to purchase a mesh net from your local pet store, or even use a piece of panty hose, and place it on the strainer. Your filter will pull out the waste, but it won't pull up the sand.
At Tetra, we offer fish owners a wide selection of filtration systems to help them maintain cleaner water and healthier fish. If you have any questions or need help troubleshooting a filtration issue, please feel free to contact one of our friendly TetraCare experts. We're happy to help.