Help! Power Out, Filter did not reprime!.

[Kodiak]

Lost power last night, 55gal Aquaclear 500 did not reprime itself.
I figure it was out for at least 6 hours before I had to manually restart
it.
I'm worried about H2S or anerobics getting out into the tank. there are 10
small ones about 1" long (it's a Qtine tank). They seem quite agitated,
some are bumping into the sides, never seen them do that before.
I did a water test, PH is good, Amonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are
almost zero (not readable on my test kits).
I'm gonna do a 50% water right now.

Is my biofilter dead now?

I have 4 other tanks, two have Aquaclear 500's and two others have Aquaclear
300.
Why did all my other Aquaclear filters in my other tanks start up OK?
What can i do so this dosen't happen again (I can't afford a UPS)

....Kodiak

[Kodiak]

What's worst is ththose damn Aquaclear have a tenduncy to reverse siphon
out their contents (crap at the bottom of the sponge) back into the tank
when the
power goes out. I suppose that is a big booboo....
....Kodiak

"Kodiak" > wrote in message
.. .
> Lost power last night, 55gal Aquaclear 500 did not reprime itself.
> I figure it was out for at least 6 hours before I had to manually restart
> it.
> I'm worried about H2S or anerobics getting out into the tank. there are 10
> small ones about 1" long (it's a Qtine tank). They seem quite agitated,
> some are bumping into the sides, never seen them do that before.
> I did a water test, PH is good, Amonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are
> almost zero (not readable on my test kits).
> I'm gonna do a 50% water right now.
>
> Is my biofilter dead now?
>
> I have 4 other tanks, two have Aquaclear 500's and two others have
Aquaclear
> 300.
> Why did all my other Aquaclear filters in my other tanks start up OK?
> What can i do so this dosen't happen again (I can't afford a UPS)
>
> ...Kodiak
>
>

[MartinOsirus]

>
>
>What's worst is ththose damn Aquaclear have a tenduncy to reverse siphon
>out their contents (crap at the bottom of the sponge) back into the tank
>when the
>power goes out. I suppose that is a big booboo....
>...Kodiak
>
>"Kodiak" > wrote in message
.. .
>> Lost power last night, 55gal Aquaclear 500 did not reprime itself.
>> I figure it was out for at least 6 hours before I had to manually restart
>> it.
>> I'm worried about H2S or anerobics getting out into the tank. there are 10
>> small ones about 1" long (it's a Qtine tank). They seem quite agitated,
>> some are bumping into the sides, never seen them do that before.
>> I did a water test, PH is good, Amonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are
>> almost zero (not readable on my test kits).
>> I'm gonna do a 50% water right now.
>>
>> Is my biofilter dead now?
>>
>> I have 4 other tanks, two have Aquaclear 500's and two others have
>Aquaclear
>> 300.
>> Why did all my other Aquaclear filters in my other tanks start up OK?
>> What can i do so this dosen't happen again (I can't afford a UPS

I wonder if keeping the water level high helps them to re-start after power
failure.

[LoaderLady]

I've had power out alot longer than that, 24+ hours. I do water change as
soon as I can, and use a battery-powered air pump to agitate the water a
little. I have only ever lost one fish, and I don't think it was due to the
water quality. I think the fish was under the filter output when it came
back on and was pushed against an ornament (which is no longer in that
location, obviously). It seemed to have a broken back.

I have heard (and correct me if I am wrong) that the bio-bugs will stay
alive as long as they stay wet. I don't feed the fish during outage. Here
in Ontario, Canada, this is a regular occurrence, in rain or snow! I don't
think we've had a month go by without a power outage of some kind. Maybe my
fish/filters are just used to it by now... ;)


--
}<> Tammy <>{
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Me and my fish Thank You!!
"Kodiak" > wrote in message
.. .
> Lost power last night, 55gal Aquaclear 500 did not reprime itself.
> I figure it was out for at least 6 hours before I had to manually restart
> it.
> I'm worried about H2S or anerobics getting out into the tank. there are 10
> small ones about 1" long (it's a Qtine tank). They seem quite agitated,
> some are bumping into the sides, never seen them do that before.
> I did a water test, PH is good, Amonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are
> almost zero (not readable on my test kits).
> I'm gonna do a 50% water right now.
>
> Is my biofilter dead now?
>
> I have 4 other tanks, two have Aquaclear 500's and two others have
Aquaclear
> 300.
> Why did all my other Aquaclear filters in my other tanks start up OK?
> What can i do so this dosen't happen again (I can't afford a UPS)
>
> ...Kodiak
>
>

[Donald Kerns]

Kodiak wrote:

> Lost power last night, 55gal Aquaclear 500 did not reprime itself.
> I figure it was out for at least 6 hours before I had to manually
> restart it.
> I'm worried about H2S or anerobics getting out into the tank. there
> are 10 small ones about 1" long (it's a Qtine tank). They seem quite
> agitated, some are bumping into the sides, never seen them do that
> before.

They're telling you something is wrong, fortunately you picked up on it
and are doing the right things.

> I did a water test, PH is good, Amonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are
> almost zero (not readable on my test kits).
> I'm gonna do a 50% water right now.
>
> Is my biofilter dead now?
>
> I have 4 other tanks, two have Aquaclear 500's and two others have
> Aquaclear 300.

Water change is a REALLY good idea. Perhaps more than one.

Remove the innards (filter media) from the AC500, throw out. Replace
with the media from one (or more) of your tanks that didn't tank (heh,
heh). One piece from one one piece from another. So that no one tank
gets completely stripped, but you wind up with a "pre-established"
filter for the one that died.

I'm not really familiar with the AC 500, so I can't be more specific.

Good luck,

-D

--
"Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving
that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the
proof." -Galbraith's Law

[[email protected]]

biobugs are fine, yes, do give the filter a rinse after it has been off. these kind
of filters are less likely to go anaerobic and toxic that closed filters. age and
water level play a role in not starting up after going out. whispers start up
better, something about the design. Ingrid

"Kodiak" > wrote:

>Lost power last night, 55gal Aquaclear 500 did not reprime itself.
>I figure it was out for at least 6 hours before I had to manually restart
>it.
>I'm worried about H2S or anerobics getting out into the tank. there are 10
>small ones about 1" long (it's a Qtine tank). They seem quite agitated,
>some are bumping into the sides, never seen them do that before.
> I did a water test, PH is good, Amonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are
>almost zero (not readable on my test kits).
>I'm gonna do a 50% water right now.
>
>Is my biofilter dead now?
>
>I have 4 other tanks, two have Aquaclear 500's and two others have Aquaclear
>300.
>Why did all my other Aquaclear filters in my other tanks start up OK?
>What can i do so this dosen't happen again (I can't afford a UPS)
>
>...Kodiak
>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Carlos]

before doing the water change, check all the parameters, including PH in
your new water, to match those of the tank, not to shock the fish.

also, water level in your q-tank must be a bit low, aquaclears tend to
reverse flow when the water level in the tank is below them and never prime
again. if the water level is correct, check on the impeller and shaft to be
clean, if they are dirty they may have become stuck.

tale care.

> wrote in message
...
> biobugs are fine, yes, do give the filter a rinse after it has been off.
these kind
> of filters are less likely to go anaerobic and toxic that closed filters.
age and
> water level play a role in not starting up after going out. whispers
start up
> better, something about the design. Ingrid
>
> "Kodiak" > wrote:
>
> >Lost power last night, 55gal Aquaclear 500 did not reprime itself.
> >I figure it was out for at least 6 hours before I had to manually restart
> >it.
> >I'm worried about H2S or anerobics getting out into the tank. there are
10
> >small ones about 1" long (it's a Qtine tank). They seem quite agitated,
> >some are bumping into the sides, never seen them do that before.
> > I did a water test, PH is good, Amonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are
> >almost zero (not readable on my test kits).
> >I'm gonna do a 50% water right now.
> >
> >Is my biofilter dead now?
> >
> >I have 4 other tanks, two have Aquaclear 500's and two others have
Aquaclear
> >300.
> >Why did all my other Aquaclear filters in my other tanks start up OK?
> >What can i do so this dosen't happen again (I can't afford a UPS)
> >
> >...Kodiak
> >
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
> http://puregold.aquaria.net/
> www.drsolo.com
> Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
> compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
> endorsements or recommendations I make.

[T]

I have had the impellers get stuck on the Tetratechs/Whispers and
Marineland's more than my AC's after a power outage... Just keep an eye on
the water levels, as it seems to be biggest problem with the AC's not
priming up.. If its m ML's I need to prime them before they restart, same
thing usually happens with the whisper/tetra techs.. I am currently trying
to convince my wife to go to the AC's as I have had great results with
them.. I service them about once a month, rinsing out the muck from around
the impeller making sure it stays clear and free...

Tim..


"Carlos" > wrote in message
...
> before doing the water change, check all the parameters, including PH in
> your new water, to match those of the tank, not to shock the fish.
>
> also, water level in your q-tank must be a bit low, aquaclears tend to
> reverse flow when the water level in the tank is below them and never
prime
> again. if the water level is correct, check on the impeller and shaft to
be
> clean, if they are dirty they may have become stuck.
>
> tale care.
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
> > biobugs are fine, yes, do give the filter a rinse after it has been off.
> these kind
> > of filters are less likely to go anaerobic and toxic that closed
filters.
> age and
> > water level play a role in not starting up after going out. whispers
> start up
> > better, something about the design. Ingrid
> >
> > "Kodiak" > wrote:
> >
> > >Lost power last night, 55gal Aquaclear 500 did not reprime itself.
> > >I figure it was out for at least 6 hours before I had to manually
restart
> > >it.
> > >I'm worried about H2S or anerobics getting out into the tank. there are
> 10
> > >small ones about 1" long (it's a Qtine tank). They seem quite agitated,
> > >some are bumping into the sides, never seen them do that before.
> > > I did a water test, PH is good, Amonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are
> > >almost zero (not readable on my test kits).
> > >I'm gonna do a 50% water right now.
> > >
> > >Is my biofilter dead now?
> > >
> > >I have 4 other tanks, two have Aquaclear 500's and two others have
> Aquaclear
> > >300.
> > >Why did all my other Aquaclear filters in my other tanks start up OK?
> > >What can i do so this dosen't happen again (I can't afford a UPS)
> > >
> > >...Kodiak
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
> > http://puregold.aquaria.net/
> > www.drsolo.com
> > Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
> > compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
> > endorsements or recommendations I make.
>
>