# EMERGENCY: Eheim flow lever jammed



## hotweldfire (8 Nov 2011)

Sorry for the drama all but I have a serious problem. Came home tonight to find the flow from my external (Eheim pro3 2071) down to a trickle, CRS lying on their back and a dead hisonotus. I'm assuming the casualties are from no surface movement but not sure.

Opened it up, cleaned impellor etc and put it back together again but now the lever to turn the flow back on is stuck. Also the release button is stuck.

If I can't get that lever across I got no flow into tank. Any ideas?

Here's the eheim page:

http://www.eheim.de/eheim/inhalte/index.jsp?key=liniendetail_32319_ehen

You can see the lever on the photo at the bottom.


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## John S (8 Nov 2011)

Is there any movement on the lever at all?


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## hotweldfire (8 Nov 2011)

Nah mate. Feels like there is but it's just the lever bending. Totally jammed in the off position. I could try to force it but am pretty certain I'll snap the lever.


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## John S (8 Nov 2011)

Have you tried forcing it further to the 'off' position, try giving it a gentle thump? If the red button won't push in it can't be fully off.


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## hotweldfire (8 Nov 2011)

Whoops. Tried wiggling it to see if I get it further off and have only succeeded in snapping the lever.

Am going to have to buy a new one first thing in the morning. Will the fauna and bacteria be ok until then? If not, anything I can do as a temporary setup? I don't have a spare filter. Only have a koralia and an airpump. The motor on the eheim is still working. I assume it's moving water around inside the filter so will be providing oxygen to the bacteria?


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## clonitza (8 Nov 2011)

Just empty the canister of water until you fix it.


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## spill50 (9 Nov 2011)

Wouldn't emptying it kill off the bacteria? Surely you'd be better of sticking your filter media in a bag and placing it in the tank. Keep the air stone and circulation pump running permanently and doing regular water changes until you get the new filter. Then just place your old media in the new filter complete with live bacterial colony.


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## clonitza (9 Nov 2011)

Why you people want quotes from books every time ... ?????
No, they won't die, I didn't say to dry it ... just empty it, there'll be enough water and most important oxygen for them to survive.


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## John S (9 Nov 2011)

These lever lock units on the pro 3 series really seem to be the weak point. I wonder what causes them to siffen up? Can you take them apart to repair / maintain them or is it a case of a new unit?

The older design that is on my 2324 filter (2 levers) is free as anything, but my 2078 causes me concern everytime I have to shut it off / on.


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## niru (9 Nov 2011)

I had a similar experience with Eheim. I wanted to clean the filter as usual, the lid got stuck a bit and then the lever handle connection snapped. Had to wait to get a replacement for a week or so.

In the meantime, empty the filter as clonitza suggests unless you can circulate O rich water throught the media. YOu could of course run airstone in the filter and periodically change the water to keep the filter bacteria "alive". For the tank, if it has enough plants, maybe you can make a temporary sponge filter using a small pump. Add Koralia 24/7, increase surface motion, reduce photoperiod and do more frequent water changes. 

If the tank is well established I wouldnt bother myself too much about the filter media. Once the filter is fixed, you could restart by using some bacterial filter start solutions available to re cultivate the bacteria. 

Good luck!


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## dw1305 (9 Nov 2011)

Hi all.
Sorry to hear about the _Hisonotus_, I think most Loricariid catfish are really sensitive to low O2. 





> Only have a koralia and an airpump.


 Yes, put them both in and turn them on, you want the Koralia right up by the water surface, and if it can blow the bubbles all around the tank that is best. If you have a sponge in your filter you could wrap it around the air stone. (You can use cable ties). If you have access to clean water, I'd up the water changes until the filter is back on.

Mike is right, as long as the filter media stays damp it should be fine, and by pouring nearly all of the water away you ensure the bacteria will get enough oxygen. I'd just leave a couple of cm's of water in the bottom of the filter body and make sure the lid isn't forming an air tight seal, that should work a bit like a "wet and fry" filter.

cheers Darrel


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## spill50 (9 Nov 2011)

clonitza said:
			
		

> Why you people want quotes from books every time ... ?????
> No, they won't die, I didn't say to dry it ... just empty it, there'll be enough water and most important oxygen for them to survive.



No need to be snide, I was simply asking the question. In my experience things dry out if not submerged due to the whole evaporation thing.


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## hotweldfire (9 Nov 2011)

Thanks for the advice all - has been followed. Am aiming to get a new filter this morning. Minded to avoid another eheim but I expect I'll have to make do with a direct replacement from the LFS I got it from.


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## RudeDogg1 (9 Nov 2011)

U can just buy the lever unit they r about £12 on eBay. I had the same thing happen luckily I had a spare lever unit. I managed to prize the lever with a screw driver. The secret I think to keeping the units working is to lube them with the eheim spray lube every time you maintain the filter that's what I do now.


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## hotweldfire (9 Nov 2011)

Tried to get the lever unit out with a screwdriver but would not budge. Much respect to ADC, they gave me a new filter head. Going to get it up and running now. Rudedogg, where did you get the spray?


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## spill50 (9 Nov 2011)

Good news  I'm glad you got it sorted. I know how stressful a failed filter can be mine failed about a month ago. Luckily I had time to go to my LFS that day.


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## RudeDogg1 (9 Nov 2011)

I can't remember but most online stores sell it


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## hotweldfire (10 Nov 2011)

Thanks all. Because of your advice I kept casualties to a minimum. 1 crs and hisonotus which were already dead when I got home and then only 1 breviata over night.


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## hotweldfire (2 Aug 2014)

I can't believe this has just happened again


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## James O (2 Aug 2014)

That's gutting  How is the tank flora & fauna?

Get a classic next time maybe?  No frills, just a bucket with a pump.  All catches are external and only has 1 moving part.  Cheaper too


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (2 Aug 2014)

Mine did that once. And I snapped it. :doh:


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## hotweldfire (2 Aug 2014)

Well, it would have to happen during a major rescape, wouldn't it. So tank full of crap after stirring up the substrate. Doing lots of big water changes and running a koralia with an air stone underneath it. 

Happily I still have a fluval g6 I bought off George Farmer a couple of years ago but never used. It will involve cutting out holes in shelves for it to fit in the cabinet (it is a built in cabinet in an alcove rather than an aquarium specific one) but I will try to get it up and running in the morning. Hopefully fish and shrimps will be alright until then. Got to say that I am so close to stripping this tank down and giving up on it though.[DOUBLEPOST=1407001896][/DOUBLEPOST]





Nathaniel Whiteside said:


> Mine did that once. And I snapped it. :doh:



Yep, did that the first time (see above) so not going to force it this time.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (2 Aug 2014)

hotweldfire said:


> Got to say that I am so close to stripping this tank down and giving up on it though.



Don't be a quitter.

Persevere and upload some photos.


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## hotweldfire (3 Aug 2014)

Phew






Also, the flow on this thing is phenomenal. I know it's clean (and there's nothing in the chemical filtration unit) but still. It's rated as a tiny bit faster than my eheim but appears to be running significantly faster than my eheim and Koralia 900 together. I've had to turn the latter off. 

If I get time I will post photos of the rescape to the journal page.


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## Alastair (3 Aug 2014)

hotweldfire said:


> Phew
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Nice one mate good to see you back on 

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk 2


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## Spartacus (3 Aug 2014)

I had the same thing happened to my Eheim Pro - I sent it back to Amazon.de

It was originally cheaper importing it from Germany and they were happy to repay the £70 postage cost!

Now I just stick to a mini Bio Power filter from Eheim - Wouldn't buy a Pro ever again.

Know your pain - Glad it's sorted!

Murray


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## hotweldfire (4 Aug 2014)

[Know your pain - Glad it's sorted!

Murray [/quote]

Thanks



Alastair said:


> Nice one mate good to see you back on
> 
> Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk 2



Cheers fella. Wife and kid away visiting the in laws hence the rescape. Therefore likely to be back on only for the next couple of weeks


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