Filter Broken?? Please Help!

travcoe

I have a Fluval 204 Canister filter that I got used. I took it apart to clean it out, and now I've put it back together and plugged it in and nothing is happening. The water siphoned into the filter and filled it up, but when I plugged it in, it didn't start. This happened once before and I tapped the top of the filter and it started running. This time though, nothing I do will make it start. Does anyone know what's wrong with it?? Do I have to go out and buy a new filter? Any help would be awesome, cause it's my only filter right now so I'm kind of freaking out. Thanks!

willow

hi
have you forgotton to put anything back in there ?
can you give it a little bit of a gental shake when you
plug it in,perhaps there is an air lock ?

travcoe

Nope, didn't forget anything.. I tried shaking it gently a couple times, but still nothing. I ended up going half an hour before my LFS closed and bought a Marineland C-160, and he told me to bring the broken filter in this weekend and he'd take a look at it and see what he could do. Hopefully he can fix it, cause I have another tank that I've been waiting to get started :D

willow

hi
well i'm glad you got it sorted,did you transfer the media from the old
filter to the new one. ?
another tank sounds interesting,any plans on what you will stock
it with. ?

travcoe

I transferred the media to the new filter, and I'm thinking if my 204 gets fixed that I'll mix half the media into each so that the new tank cycles faster... do you think that's a good idea?? I'm not sure what I'm going to stock it with.. I'm thinking about moving my Black Skirt Tetras and Tiger Barbs into it because it's smaller and putting something else into my current tank. I'm still thinking about what to put in though :D

willow

hi
yes you did well there.
hmm well the thing is,tiger barbs do need swimming space,
they can be speedy at times,and the black skits look good in a big group.
sorry to be a pain,i can't remember what sizes the tank are
could you remind me ? :)

travcoe

The tank they are currently in is a 29 gallon, and the other tank is a 20. Is 20 too small for 5 Tiger Barbs and 5 Black Skirts?? Because if I can move them, I think I'm going to completely redo the 29g and move the gravel from it into the 20 also. I'm not entirely sure how I'd do that yet..

willow

hi
yeah they should be fine in there :)
what part of moving the gravel is the problem ?

travcoe

Okay, good :D
I'm not really sure what the problem might be.. I wouldn't be able to move my fish into the new tank until it was cycled, so should I cycle it without any gravel or decorations, and then move all the gravel and stuff in after? Or should I put everything into the new tank and let it cycle and leave my fish in an almost bare tank? It seems like a lot to think about. Hrrm.

willow

hmmm ok well if it were me i would do this.
put new gravel and decore into the new tank,and put some of my gravel
and media from the old filter into the new one,that way you're half
way there,did you want to fishless cycle the new tank ?