trippclark
Member
I have a total of six powerheads in my tank -- various brands and sizes performing various tasks of moving water. Some of these I have had for several years all performing quite flawlessly. Within the past year, as I have moved from fish-only to other tank inhabitants, I have been more aware of calcium levels and tried to keep my level at around 400. At the same time, I have had a significant problem with powerheads locking up. I have had to replace two already and have two more that are acting up now. When they first lock up, I remove them from the tank, soak overnight in vinegar, and then clean off any calcium deposits and coralline algae, tube works, etc. that have built up on the powerhead. Typically this works for a while, but they continue to lock up, until I get fed up and replace them. Am I drawing an inaccurate correlation between the increased calcium and the locking up powerheads? Is there some other maintenance I should be doing? It just seems odd that I had no problems formerly with powerheads for years, but now they keep locking up . . . even the new ones.