Filter issues. Advice on what to do now?

[Deadpixels]

I made the horrendous mistake of shopping at Petsmart instead of a local fish store when I started collecting things for my set up. I thought buying a starter kit would save me some money up front. Turns out I was mistaken. I paid $64 plus tax for a starter kit that included a heater, filter, lights, tank and hood and I'm only using the tank and filter (I then discovered it went on sale fr $51 just a week later) I've already had to replace the filter because the motor quit on me after 3 weeks (luckily, petsmart did replace it with the same model at no cost after I kicked up a stink).

It's a TopFin HOB Power Filter. I've been running it for 3 weeks again (no axie in the tank currently), and I've had a loofa attached to it so that it slows the output current. (The loofa works perfectly). Last night I noticed a smell in my apartment, kinda like an overheated smell. I thought maybe it was coming in from outside, but today I have located it. It's the filter. The motor must be overworking. I added more water to the tank so that it's not straining, and I took the loofa off to see if that'd help. No such luck yet.

So, I ask you all, do you have an advice as to what to do now? Have any of you had this issue with TopFin/Petsmart products? Should I just bite the bullet and buy a new filter of a different make (preferably from my local fish store because I refuse to go back to petsmart) ? Should I kick up more stink with Petsmart?

also, the filter I'm looking at is an AquaClear 30 Power HOB Filter. Any opinions on this? My budget only allows for HOB filters really. I wish I could afford a canister.

 

[Dell]

Just off the top of my head - you could try to take the pump off the back of the HOB and clean it and make sure nothing is blocking the propeller inside. An over heated smell dosent sound good, the loofa could have blocked the flow too much and the pump over heated. If that's the case it may be ok since you took the loofa off but you said it still smelled - it may just take time. I would see if its needs cleaning first. Also, what size tank did you get and how many axolotl are you planning on having?

 

[Deadpixels]

I have a 20g tank and plan on only getting one axie for the time being. Eventually I do want to get a bigger set up, perhaps a 36g or so. I may get another axie then, but I'm content with just the one.

I'll try doing what you suggested, see if the propeller is blocked and give it a clean. Keep the loofa off of it for a while to see i that helps.

I also had a different fan on the tank trying to keep it cool, previous to when the smell began. I changed it to a smaller fan on Monday morning and the smell arrived Monday night. Perhaps the bigger fan was helping keep the motor cool too?

 

[Dell]

I would think the cooling fan and the filter are 2 separate things and 1 shouldn't effect the other as far as overheating. At this point since you have no axe or fish I would worry to much about temps. Get your filter working properly and work on cycling your tank and that should give you some time to work on cooling your tank. A motor should not overheat like that and a fan couldn't prevent it from happening if something is wrong with it, big or small fan. I would try and figure out why the pump over heated (if thats what happened) and deal with that first.

Aqua clear's are great filters, Ive heard some descent things about the new topfins.

What are your temps now??

 

[Holly12]

I have a 20g long and am using an Aqua Clear 70. I LOVE Aqua Clears!!! I used them for years with my fish tanks. I originally had an AC 50 on my tank, but it's older and started to slow down, causing an ammonia spike. So, I popped my old AC 70 on. It's great, because axies are messy, so having way more filtration than needed is handy. Also, if I ever go to a 30 or 40 gallon tank, the AC 70 is still plenty. I slowed the flow by putting a floating turtle dock under the output and also wedged a filter sponge between the dock and the flow. It's perfect.

I also recommend putting a sponge over the intake tube so the axies gills don't get sucked into it.

HOB filters are great, because they don't add heat to the water since the entire thing is outside of the tank. No warm motors warming up the water.

Aqua Clears are amazing! Seriously!! So much room to put filter media, which means more good bacteria! I run mine with two sponges and biomax. I never change them. Just rinse in dirty water change water every so often, and not all at the same time.

How are you cycling your tank?

 

[Deadpixels]

Dell: My temp is hovering around 73 degrees Fahrenheit since Saturday even with the fan. Its super warm here in Nova Scotia, especially for early fall. And the humidity is ridiculous (100% most of the time) turning my place into a literal sauna. It's even too much for me too! Early last week between the fan and the cooler weather I had the temperature down below 66 degrees (my thermometer stops measuring when it goes below 66 so I don't know the exact number) which makes me think most of fall and winter will be perfectly fine, but late spring and early summer will be awful.

Holly12: I'm cycling fish-less with fish food right now, and using a Bacterial Supplement/Cycling Aid. I posted another thread about that because I'm utterly over my head. I can link that if you'd like, because I could use some help if you're willing to offer some. I can sum it up though.

Basically, because I'm using the fish food method AND a cycling aid, I'm super confused about my readings. With the fish food method I can't monitor how much ammonia is going in which is the first issue. And the second issue is I'm not sure what kind of readings I'm supposed to get with a bacterial supplement. Wouldn't a supplement cause the ammonia and nitrite to go down and the nitrate to go up? My readings are currently ammonia 0.50ppm, nitrite 0ppm, nitrate 5ppm. Which doesn't seem right to me. If there is any ammonia at this stage in the game (cycling late aug/early sept), shouldn't there be nitrite? I'll test again shortly. (Using the API freshwater master kit, btw)

also, I know you have to feed the nitrifying bacteria in order for them to survive and I don't think I'm giving them the amount of ammonia they need because I can't guarantee a certain quantity of ammonia by adding the fish food. Does this even matter if I keep putting in bacteria supplement? Should I switch to a fish-less cycle using pure ammonia? I feel like such a boob about all this, I should have just did a fishless cycle with ammonia and no supplement in the first place. LOL.