HELP . . . MAG 350 wont pull water????

[splashed]

Help, I was cleaning my filter (Mag 350) and when I hooked it back up, it wont pull any water. The motor comes on and I can see water moving inside the canister but it will not pull or spit water. I have been working on this for about 4 hours, I have read my instruction book over and over, re-evaluated everything, and nothing works. ANY HELP????
Ive checked my tubes and they are tight, no air escaping. I have double chcked (the spinner thing with the magnet) to make sure it is all clicked into place and it is.
Also . . . is there anything I can do to help my fish until this is fixed/Fish store opens tomorrow????
Thanks!!!!!

 

[thedraven]

I have this same filter... open the canister and double check that all seals are in place (all the flat o rings), and make sure everything is lining up. Double check the impeller, make sure it moves freely... fill the canister up to the line with water and reseal it, and try to start it up. Make sure your disconnect valves (if you have any) are all in the open position. If this still doesnt work... it might be your motor has burned out. Maybe your warranty will cover the problem?

 

[splashed]

K, ill double ck everything again . . .
any ideas on what to do with my fish till I get it fixed? They have been without filter for about 4-5 hours.

 

[thedraven]

If you cant get your filter working, I would run out to WalMart and buy a cheap hang on filter for $20-30 until you can pick up another. Just buy a cheapie little Penguin wannabe filter (maybe one with a bio wheel). I personally keep two extra Whisper filters just in case of a problem (I run two Mag 350s on my 75 gal though). You could probably get away with one, but this is exactly why I run two...

 

[scotts]

Have you primed the pump? What this means is have you filled all of the intake line with water, including the case where the impeller is? Also like has been said before make sure that all of the fittings are tight.
A centrifigul pump like this needs to have water in the lines in order to keep pulling water. If there is air in there then it will not pull water.
HTH.
Scott

 

[scotts]

Oops looked up Mag 350 pumps not filters. Yes make sure that the canister is full and also any lines that run to the filter are full as well. Or at least as full as you can get them. You may get some air bubbles out, but as long as the pump has some water to pull against you should be able to get it going.
As far as filtration do you have any power heads in your tank. If you do IMO I think that you should be fine. Of course that is depending on what you have in your tank. Last night my wife wanted to finish a movie while I was in the middle of cleaning out my tank. So my tank had no water movement from 7:00 lat night to 9:00 this morning and I did not have any problems. I am not saying that this may work in your case, I am just thinking that you may not need to panic right now.
Scott

 

[splashed]

OK, just checked all my gaskets and all are in place and seem to be fitting snugly.
I cleaned my gravel with the MAG earlier today (I have the hook up so that I can connect my hose directly to the intake filter when I clean gravel). After I cleaned the gravel, I was going to clean the filter and all . . . there was some sand (from my cleaning) I rinsed it all and made sure it was all clear and out of the filter.
I did my normal rinsing and cleaning - hooked it all back up and nothing.
The canister does fill all the way up with water when I open the valves. But one of my tubes is only about 1/2 full of water now (I guess from the multiple tries)
Do I need to have both intake and output tubes completely full with water? And if so, how do I do that?
thanks again for all your help, my fish thank you.

 

[thedraven]

I dont think you have to have both intake and output full of water - think of the first time you started the filter. As long as the canister is filled to the line, you should be able to start it with no problems. It sounds like your motor is bad though, so you may want to start digging around for the warranty. You didnt get the canister base wet did you? Unlikely I know but... perhaps you had a power surge? Is the filter plugged into a surge protector? All of these things are "shots in the dark"... electronics are sometimes finnicky.

 

[scotts]

Have you checked your impeller? So in other words, and I hate to tell you this, have you taken your whole pump apart and made sure that there is nothing wrong with your impeller. Such as a piece of gravel or sand caught in there? Also if you have done that are you sure the impeller is put in the right way? Such as if there is a housing arouind the impeller is it installed correctly and not rubbing against the impeller?
As far as the pipes for your filter, you just need to make sure that your intake pipe is full. It would not hurt for your output pipe is full as well.
TD might be able to help you out some more with this.
Scott

 

[splashed]

K, Ive filled the tubes with water (not as easy as it sounds) hooked it all back up and BAM, nothing. The motor comes on (I can hear it) and I can see some movement inside the canister.
Well, I think Im headin to Walmart to find a backup for the night.
Any suggestions on better filters? I want something under the tank, no sump for a 42G tank.
Sigh . . .
Thanks again for all your help. I will keep checking back every 1/2 hour in case someone has another suggestion.

 

[splashed]

Well guess what . . . I tried it again, and its kinda working. If I move the base at all, it will stop, so I think it is a motor problem. I dont think I want to keep it . . . Im gonna see about getting my $$$ back on it. Its circulating some . . . but not to normal capacity. I turned it off and back on a few times, each time it got better, then it quit again. Kept trying, now its back on and im leaving it. However, I am going to run to walmart to get a small backup just in case it goes out before I can upgrade.
Am I the only person who has had problems with this thing?
What filters do you suggest? Under 200$$$

 

[splashed]

Okay guys, Ive got it kinda working but I am going to take it back to the store (Petsmart - stop laughing) and have them exchange/refund. They take back anything Now, I keep hearing that canister is not the way to go, too much maintenance etc. I am scared of sumps -(friend/pwr outage/50G on the floor/kicked out of apartment, etc.) So, what about bio wheel filtration? What do you suggest and why?
I am planning on spending no more than 200. My canister was about 150. So I figured I could add another 50.

 

[thedraven]

Wow... Petsmart is kinda expensive when it comes to filters. I bought my Mag 350s with Pro 60 Bio Wheels online for under a hundred dollars. The set was called "Bio Pro Deluxe with Bio Wheels." Basically my Mag 350 outputs to two large (and I mean large) Bio Wheels. The other Mag I have setup without the wheels for water polishing. I cant post the link here, but if youre interested just email me (dravenspirit*yahoo.com) and remove the *.
I read that the combination is one of the best, simply because you get great mechanical filtration with excellent bio and chemical. I had the same fear of wet/dry filters as you (possible flooding), but alot of guys here have solutions to that problem. So far Ive had no problems with any of my three Mags (fingers crossed) - and the oldest has been running for nearly a year. Ive heard bad things about the Fluval filters (leaking), but great things about the Eheim ones (especially the higher end ones). Hope you find something else that works well for you!!

 

[splashed]

Petsmart is expensive when it comes to anything! But, live and learn. I have never even seen the mag 350 with bio wheels, that sounds really really cool. I think Ive got a bad product . . . the guy at petsmart says it is the best canister they sale and never have any problems with them . . . {cough, cough . . . except me)
I need to finish my water change from yesterday . . . but I am scared to death to turn the d*mn thing off!
Wish me luck!

 

[wmschenck]

I just ordered the Magnum 350 Pro with bio wheels from Dr. FosterSmith http://www.**************.com/ for about 98 bucks. It includes all of the filters, media cannister, quick disconnects, gravel cleaner, and the bio wheel setup (good for an additional 60 gallons). Has anyone out there used this filter for a while? I was wondering how the long term use has been. I welcome any feedback. Thanks.

 

[beckzilla]

I have used one of these in my FW for several years and IMHO it is by far the best filtration on the market. My water is always crystal clear and crystal clean. It also allows me to go months before filter changes if necessary. I just added one to my SW without the Bio wheels and added carbon for water polishing. The Marineland carbon is also a superior product.

 

[thedraven]

Looks like a brave soul has posted the link I was referencing. I got the same deal on the setup, and so far theyve been running great. The only complaint I have is that the bio wheels are so large, it can take away from your tank's cosmetics. Not a major gripe... that and the salt creep on the wheel covers can get irritating, but proper matinence keeps everything looking clean and running smoothly.
:thinking:

 

[wmschenck]

I've been running a wet/dry on my system for almost five years now. The secret to keeping the water from flooding the sump when the power goes out is quite simple. My return line from my pump to the aquarium is a combination of flexable hose and a riggid pvc outlet pipe in the tank. I drilled three 1/4" holes about inch below my normal water line in the pvc outlet pipe. When I loss power, naturally the pump stops pumping and the water starts sighphoning back down to the pump and into the sump. When the water drops below the 1/4" holes about an inch down, air is introduced into the line breaking the natural sighphoning effect. I unfortunately figured this out the first time I turned off my pump and the 75 gallons of salt water started overflowing my 20 gallon sump! Hope this helps to calm the fear of flooding from a wet/dry system!