Damaged Impeller

[Aqua sobriquet]

The flow on one of my tanks was very low so I decided to clean the filter, a Tetratec EX400. After cleaning I hooked it back up and it made a funny noise and didn’t seem to be pumping. I unhooked it again and inspected the Impeller:

Luckily I have three spare canisters so I transferred the media to a Tetratec EX600 and hooked that up. Checking my large box of aquarium bits I seem to have a couple of spares but they look slightly different so maybe lucky I had a spare filter. The EX400 has been in use on and off for maybe 7 or 8 years but I’ve never seen an Impeller end up like that before.

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

Update: After running the EX600 plus overnight I opened the cabinet to find a leak. I took the filter out and checked everything, regreased all the seals etc and put it back, this time in a plastic bag just in case. The following morning I gently rocked the case to check for leaks and water poured out! I transferred the media back to the smaller EX400 and fitted one of the replacement impellers I had. A loud rattling noise came from the impeller so I tried fitting a small PTFE washer under the impeller as although both of my spares were clearly marked EX400 the impeller itself was a bit shorter. The old impeller also has vanes fixed to the body, the new ones can rotate maybe 270°? I left it running whilst I stripped the EX600 plus completely. After careful reassembly with fresh grease I thought I’d cured the problem. Luckily I’d sat the filter in a plastic bucket as overnight the head seems to have filled with water. I’m not sure if it’s a leaking manifold or the priming pump that’s leaking. I’m now off up to the loft to get either my spare Sera 130 or Eheim Classic 250. Both of which are a little noisy! I suppose the Eheim is safest as there’s less to go wrong?
I knew that old Dulux paint bucket would come in handy!

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

It’s seems the leak on the EX600 plus it could be this:

Tetratec external filter leaking problems

Just come across this about the leaking problems with the Tetratec range of external filters. Tetra have identified a problem with this range of filters. The hose adaptor unit ball valve spindles can leak water, which then fills up the compartments within the top of the filter and then...

www.ukaps.org

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

This has all been a bit of a chore. TetraTec EX400 - damaged impeller, TetraTec EX600 - leaking. Sera 130 somehow has a missing impeller bush so I’m now running an extremely “Buzzy” Eheim 250. Obviously having three spare filters isn’t enough! I’m now waiting for spares to arrive from Amazon and Olibetta in Germany. I really wish I could get an original EX400 impeller as this filter is virtually silent in operation.